OT: Pregnancy (Was:Another Message Board)

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:45 pm

The whole epidural/Lamaze/natural discussion is making me chuckle because of my own experiences. The first time, I thought I would do the "natural thing", breathing exercises, calm attitude, etc. I wound up hyperventilating and having a nasty, long, painful labor and I was terrified. The second time around I thought long and hard about it and decided that, since I normally don't deal with pain by breathing exercises and calmness but rather by yelling OW and swearing, that this was what I would do instead. The nurse looked at me like I had three heads when I told her my labor plan! That time, it was a short, very painful but much more controlled experience, and much more satisfying for me (don't know if I can say the same for my hubby when I bit him....)

I guess the message is, know yourself and the dictates of your personality and previous experiences with painful or frightening situations. And I agree, a midwife or doula would be wonderful, wish I had had one!

Robin

callybeg · Post by **callybeg** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:45 pm

I didn't have a jacuzzi, but jaysus, it sounds good! People I know who have had water births tell me they have much less pain. The water supports you (you weigh only a third your normal weight in water) and apparently the babies are happier as well. My little fellah hated baths for ages - if he had started life in a jacuzzi things would have been much easier I am sure!

Let us know when little one starts bopping around inside you. Bet you any money that the wee one dances to music - Seamus did, and as you are musical yourself yours is bound to have inherited some of your ways.

Callybeg

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:47 pm

Robin, that is hilarious!!

I sure will let you all know when I feel the little one moving.

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:48 pm

Jessie, some of the more progressive states might have coverage for doulas... there have been a lot of case studies showing how the use of doulas can lower the risk of having a C-Section, so it would really be to the insurance companies' benefit to offer it!

I'd put a call in to your insurance company to see if they cover it!

Best,
Andrea

markv · Post by **markv** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:48 pm

JessieK wrote:I assume doulas are not covered by insurance, right?

Our midwife was covered by insurance and the doula (thanks for the spelling, I'm a guy, what do I know? You're lucky I was even close

)
was part of the office so she was covered as well. I'm sure it varies widely from state to state and from insurance provider to provider.

There were two midwifes in the clinic we went to and we saw one of them exclusively. That was a pleasant change from the ever revolving cycle of MD, PA etc. you usually encounter.

With our first child the pregnancy went great until the delivery. My wife never dialated past 4cm. The midwife made sure that we were treated VERY well by the staff and MDs at the hospital and everything went smoothly. If she hadn't been there we (or at least I) would have been terrified.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me Jessie.

Mark V.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:51 pm

Thanks for the info. I put in a call to (and left a message with) a semi-local midwives clinic. I'll ask them if they take my insurance when they call back. I can ask all those other questions, too.

callybeg · Post by **callybeg** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:41 pm

Excuse my ignorance of the issue, but what the hell is a doula? Is it something that hasn't caught on in the UK yet?

Callybeg

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 4:10 pm

Doulas offer support to pregnant and laboring women... for more detailed info, try here: http://www.dona.org/ConsumerInformation.html

Jessie, there are also links at that site that will help you locate a doula in your area, should you decide to go that route.

~Andrea

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 4:21 pm

Thanks! I sent a few e-mails.

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:17 am

Milo was a gang leader in ancient Rome (opposing Clodius' gang), near the end of the Republican period - I believe he was killed in an insurrection. Apart from that, it's a lovely name; I kept nagging my wife to go with a Roman name in case we ended up with a son, but I guess she thought Julius, Magnus and Cornelius sounded too pompous.

Jens

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 8:25 am

That's funny, Jens.

Dan says he's not crazy about Milo. Hmph. It sounds new-age American to me...it goes so nicely with the cats' names (Luna and Sola). Hmph.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:55 am

My goodness...I made a bunch of calls and found a midwife who can accept my insurance. She seems great and I am excited about the prospect of having a more rich pregnancy experience...she'll hold my hand and all that, but my mom is FREAKING OUT about the birth. It would be in a hospital and there would be a doctor on call, but my mom thinks that having a midwife deliver the baby is putting the baby and me at high risk for serious problems. The midwife says she is highly educated and competent and that she does everything but C-sections. Please give me some input and help me decide what's most important here.

markv · Post by **markv** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:19 pm

JessieK wrote:My goodness...I made a bunch of calls and found a midwife who can accept my insurance. She seems great and I am excited about the prospect of having a more rich pregnancy experience...she'll hold my hand and all that, but my mom is FREAKING OUT about the birth. It would be in a hospital and there would be a doctor on call, but my mom thinks that having a midwife deliver the baby is putting the baby and me at high risk for serious problems. The midwife says she is highly educated and competent and that she does everything but C-sections. Please give me some input and help me decide what's most important here.

We had the same reaction from my mom. It is the stereotypical holdover from, gee I don't know the middle ages. They think "midwife" an get a mental image of some kind of backwoods herbalist old woman or an oddball new age type.

Have your mom come with you to a couple appointments if possible, worked for us. If not then the midwife should have some information that will help. Either a handout or just advice.

The bottom line is if you like the midwife, are comfortable with her skills and knowledge and she makes you feel better about the whole process then politely inform Mom that this is your decision and your child.

Mark V.

cj · Post by cj » Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:23 pm

If there's a doctor to back the midwife up, there should be no problem. Hopefully mom will come around, but do what's right for you.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:14 pm

But how do I reconcile the fact that the doctor is 10 minutes away? What if the baby's heart stops beating and there is nobody there to do a C-section in time to save it?