Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[gertrude]

OK ladies, here we go

Consultant was lovely, really nice.

Good news:

No issue with homebirth. Baby is head down but seems to have changed their position a bit (not an issue) - she took ages to find a clear heartbeat though (what is it with Dr's and not being able to? MW's find it first time!). Saw heartbeat on scan, no measurements taken as she said it wasn't an issue (and didn't understand why the MW sent me - which is what I said all along! I'm now measuring a grand total of 3 days over my top line ffs!)

Bad news:

Blood pressure up again protein in wee again. Wee sent for tests last week came back with "something there but not enough of anything to really record". So more wee taken, bloods taken, blood pressure taken 3 times (final reading was 132/90). In again in 2 days for results and more blood pressure monitoring. The consultant was more fussed about my BP than the size of the baby. She also didn't think it was going to be massive big (9lb size).

So, I have 2 days to chill out, and work out if I have a headache or not (how do I know? the second I think about it I feel all sorts of things )

Will ring MW tomorrow to get my HB risk assessment thing done and just carry on as normal for now, well along with having quiet words with pickle about messing around with my BP!

 

[KandyKinz]

Think happy low blood presure thoughts!

 

[caro103]

congrats Gen!

Gertrude, hope your bp goes back down! it doesn't sound massively high, or is that high for your normal? mine was 130/80 the other day and midwife wasn't at all concerned it was high as I started at something like 120/70 ish and its normal to go up a bit in late pregnancy? xxx

 

[Bournefree]

Hi Gertrude, that all sounds pretty good really - just need to get your BP down a touch. I was just wondering if there was anything that you could do in your diet to help? (I'm not being serious, but perhaps you could have a nip of wine before your BP assesment? lol)
XxX

 

[gertrude]

I like the wine option

it is high for this pregnancy but they were using a manual cuff for for the first half and its been since its an automatic cuff its high but the last 2 times it's much higher

not sure what else I can do about the BP tbh, I eat as well as I can, and I'm trying to rest (I LOATHE resting, I don't do doing nothing )

 

[Mervs Mum]

How about them coming to you to check BP a few times? Just wondering if there's a bit of White coat syndrome going on??

 

[gertrude]

I did , wonder that tbh, the first measurement was 155/92 but within 30mins had dropped lots

I will get a visit from my MW at home now anyway so I'm going to ask her to recheck it here as well as in hospital

 

[KandyKinz]

white coat syndrome should definitly be considered!

do you have the option of renting a cuff so you could self monitor for a few days

 

[gertrude]

not yet - am just going to lay low until wednesday I think and see how it goes

 

[PeanutBean]

I agree abut the white coat syndrome and I've noticed the automatic ones often come up higher too. Also talking whilst the automatic ones work seems to give a higher reading!

I went to another birth choices meeting today. The trainee SoM who sat in on my debrief was there so that was a bit weird though I was still honest about how I felt about the phone call from the SoM last week. From what she said my speculation that the SoM had reflected and felt this hadn't been covered at the meeting was correct but that doesn't really excuse how she went about it. It was a good meeting all the same and she left a little before the end which is when I got a total boost from the others. Jo (Lisa I think she met you at the Sheffield conference), another Doula called Sue and the trainee MW who attended the last meeting were there and were just so fab. They were so encouraging and Jo said she was really excited to hear my birth story and things it's going to be amazing and you know what? That's just what I want and need to hear! I can do the maths, stats, science, medicine side of things, I don't want or need anyone telling me about those things, my brain can rationalise it all. But the positivity is totally want I want. I'm like this when I'm depressed over stuff too and faced with challenges, I need humouring and supporting as I always come to the right conclusions in the end anyway.

Anyway I came away feeling so positive and happy. Instead of having a nap (I've wanted to sleep since the debrief including this morning, I nearly didn't go to the group) I walked the dog on a longer than normal walk then came in and made my postnatal bath teabags. She's coming to do birth art on Friday morning then to chat with DH about birth partner stuff. Feeling pretty pleased.

 

[gertrude]

peanut - that's great to read I'm so pleased for you x

 

[KandyKinz]

Midwife just called to check in on me and suggest that I should definitly have a stretch & sweep [not sure why she had to phone to prewarn me of this ] and then prior to hanging up she went on to say we'll have to further discuss and reconsider your postdates management tomorrow and left it at that.....

I now kinda feel like a naughty child who just got the ``we'll talk about this misdemeanor later`` scolding.

ugh

Even going by their WRONG dates I'm not even 42 weeks yet!

She had a birth yesterday.... I imagine she must have ran into one of the consultants who freaked on her ass over the letter sent to him re: the non-compliant client who believes she has the magically ability to detect ovulation and believes she has the right to say no to unnecessary consults and intervention yadda yadda yadda...

And the woman renting the house I wanted has failed to return my phone calls and we just now found out she's put the property up for sale again grrrrrrrrrrr. On a slightly more positive note we were contacted by the local geared to income housing as a 3 bedroom has become available and they came by to interview us this morning. I'm a little doubtful as the guy had to take pics of our horrendous living situation which consists of a gorgeous cottage on the lake but hopefully our potential homelessness will be in our favour... I'm not too keen on subsidized housing but it turns out that dropping out of school can lead to +++financial hardships! Who knew But it would only be for a few short years till we get our head above water again.... I'm sure my pride could tolerate taking a hit.... He said he'll phone us with an answer mid April. So once again we must wait in limbo.

now I must go de-stress

 

[caro103]

same here peanut, lovely to have such positive encouragement! xx

 

[caro103]

kandy , fx'ed bubs decides to come soon anyways! sorry about the housing too xxx

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Sorry for all your stress, Kandy. If you lived closer, I'd give you my RGI house, a 4-bedroom, as I don't need it anymore. If it's any consolation, I'd be doing the same as you if I went overdue, no to consults or interventions. It's so silly how in their minds baby has to come on or before the due date to be healthy, or intervention is NECESSARY. I've already. Last time I checked, full-term was 37 weeks to 42 weeks, therefore, not technically overdue until after 42 weeks. I've already made sure my midwife knows that if I go beyond April 27, I will not do consultations or interventions and will not consider it until 42 weeks or later. I don't want to rush my baby. She'll come when she's ready.

 

[PeanutBean]

Oh Kandy, too much going on for you!! I hope you can find your way through it without getting too stressed. If I can hypno through crippling gut-rot maybe you can hypno through all the life stuff!

 

[lousielou]

Hugs Kandy

 

[lousielou]

Ladies - just hoping for some advice and/or opinions please

I'm writing my amended birth plan ('My Absolutely Official One Which Categorically Supersedes The One In My Notes' to give it it's formal title ) and I'm thinking about the baby being monitored. I'm having a VBAC and I'm aware that one of the signs of uterine rupture is a rise in the baby's heart beat. The midwife I saw on Saturday told me that ideally, the monitoring would be pretty constant, but that in an HBAC they'd routinely check the HB every 15 minutes. I did consent to that, but now I'm not so sure it's right for me. I know there are other signs of uterine rupture - pain between contractions, my heart rate rising too - that are good indicators, and I've read a lot about frequent monitoring causing more problems than good, due to natural fluctuations in the baby's HB being read as 'problems'.

In an ideal world, I really would like all observations to be kept to an absolute minimum, and for it to be just me and my OH for the majority of the time. I know he's not thrilled with the idea of midwives wandering in and out all the time. But would it be safe for me to request less frequent monitoring do you think?

 

[Bournefree]

Peanut - That is great news! Also good for you, that you let them know how you felt about your recent phone call.. they really need to hear it! What happened in the end with your SOM's memo of your birth plan? I just wanted to say that I know that you are going to have the most fantastic birth for you, your new baby and your family - I truly believe that!

Kandy - I just want to give you a big hug! You are a warrior of a women... I really think that you are coping incredibly well, with all that is going on at the moment. It can be stressful at the best of times, but you are not letting it get to you too much. I really think you are amazing. You know also how to hold up your own rights to your own body, and not be bullied with this post EDD nonsense. I mean honestly a few health professionals really need to watch their language! We are all here for you.

Louise - I think that you have answered your own question.. If you didn't envisage being monitored as part of your birth, then don't agree to it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that for you personally or medically - you know the risks of UR are tiny and decelerations can be misinterpreted. But whatever we think, or your MWs, it is YOUR birth, and you shouldn't have to strive to get your ideals of care - just tell them what you want.
Also, if you do agree to minimal monitoring, any MW worth her salt should be able to do this in the most unobtrusive way. My personal experience was that I thought that I and babies HR were checked about 2-3 times in labour.. when I read my notes, they checked me in active labour every 15mins or so (my HR, my BP and temperature) and babies HR, then at the end when birth was imminent, they were doing babies HR every 3 mins..... I didn't notice.
However that was my first, and I didn't have any preferences about monitoring. If I had preferences, I would certainly be saying about them. I haven't yet thoroughly thought about monitoring for this pregnancy, except I strongly object to constant monitoring.. (as to me the evidence is that, is doesn’t hold the benefit to me or the baby) but I haven't thought about intermittent monitoring yet... but then my view is coloured by my good experience with my daughter's birth. Your experiences will colour your view, and how monitoring makes you feel
You have already been clear to us what you would like - so I say, stick to your instincts. I find that instincts are rarely wrong.
XxX

 

[PeanutBean]

Thanks Bourne. I still have to do a final tweak then email it back. She's not in til Wed so there's no hurry and I'll print it off and staple to my notes should something happen before then.