Doctor stuff

The last time I wrote about an actual doctor's appointment was the 24 week checkup. We've still gone regularly, but we've gone through a big time of frustration and emotion and now I'm finally able to write about it here, now that we've made our decision.

We'd seriously (to the point of speaking with midwives) been considering having a home birth, but for a variety of reasons, decided against going that route. (CPMs not legal in Indiana yet, midwives located over an hour away from our home, the fact that we live 20 minutes from the hospital....I genuinely hope that things change should we be blessed with another child after this one - there are so many great reasons to have a homebirth that I'd love to be able to consider homebirth in the future).

I've already blogged that we choose to have unmedicated birth, and I'm very much in favor of allowing my body to go through the process of birth without unnecessary medical interventions (induction, artificial rupture of membranes, need to be allowed to eat and drink, no need for IV fluids as long as eating/drinking....) It is important to me that we have a care provider who is able to handle birth as the normal life process that it is, yet who is trained to be aware of when things go wrong, and be able to quickly step in and assist medically if necessary. Birth in itself is not a medical problem, and while it certainly can go that way quickly, we need not assume that something is going to go wrong.

So, after quite a lot of time spent in thought, discussion, and prayer over the whole process, we go to the 28 week checkup, hoping to have a good discussion with the doctor about our ideas on birth, and what we'd like to see happen assuming that both mother and baby continue to be healthy and well through the rest of the pregnancy and as labor begins. It didn't happen that way - every single item of discussion I brought up was dismissed as either unimportant or outrageous and I actually ended up leaving the appointment in tears. Not too comforting for a pregnant woman to have her care provider who could possibly be attending her during labor and delivery move her to tears!

So we began looking at other options in the area, and made consultation appointments with many different doctors, obstetricians, and nurse midwives within an hour of our home. We spent a week where we had a different appointment with a different care provider every day! So stressful! But it was good that we went through that process because it made us aware that there were actually options out there! We found two different doctors who saw birth quite similarly to the way we do - as a normal process that happens to mostly healthy women, and realized that we had a choice.

We kept the 30 week appointment with the current OB practice, and spoke about the same concerns with another doctor at that practice, and while we had a much more open discussion, it was clear that that OB practice's view on birth was not near enough the same as ours for me to be comfortable remaining with them. It became clear that should we remain with that practice, we would not be considered "partners" in birth, but as patients to simply do as we are told.

So, we looked over the pros and cons of staying or changing practices, and finally decided to change care providers, from the OB practice to a family practice. The doctor we are now seeing has been much better at answering questions, and it is clear that already this doctor views birth similarly to us. She will not manage our birth as a train wreck waiting to happen, but should something go awry, I have confidence that she will recognize the problem and has the skill and knowledge to handle any problems that arise, all while keeping us informed about what is going on and treat us as partners and adults.

It means a longer drive to the hospital (about 30-35 minutes vs. 20 depending on what the traffic on 31 looks like!) but I feel we've made a good choice. I went to an appointment with the obstetrical nurse to go over paperwork, and we've had one "official" appointment with that doctor in week 34. I go back again at week 36 for a checkup and a group B strep test (standard for all pregnant women) and will then see her weekly up until baby is born!