EEK!

[geminigirl]

We toured labor and delivery at the hospital on Friday. Not bad...a few things that made me squirm-no squat bars (but they've improvised in the past when needed) a limit on pushing time once you're at the hospital (easy to deal with-we're planning to stay home as long as possible anyway-even my OB said "stay home unless you're dehydrated, or unless your water breaks and your GBS screen comes back positive") stuff like that. Lactation consultants on staff though not available 24-7, but I can call the one affiliated with the pediatrician, or a LLL person, or any one of my friends who are breastfeeding-supportive-and-knowledgeable.

I did however have a horribly scary thought. This baby could come in as little as three weeks and complications/extended hospital stays/etc would be unlikely. Three weeks isn't very long. Fortunately that's unlikely, but babies come when they're ready, not when I'm ready.

Comments

[goingdriftless.livejournal.com]

**SQUEEEEE!!!** Baby!!! :)

[geminigirl]

Save some squee for actual baby photos!

We're trying to figure out the most efficient way to get them posted...I suspect what we may do is snap a couple with the camera phone, send them to someone that way and ask them to be posted. Then when we've had a little break and some down time, we'll get better ones posted.

You should see the clothes though. They're so cute and tiny. I bought two Fuzzi Bunz yesterday (pocket diapers) and I can't wait to get those.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

You're welcome to send them to me. I have a huge variety of places in which I can sequester photographs and make them available to all and sundry.

[geminigirl]

Thank you. I may take you up on it-need to sort everything out with the spouse.

[wait.livejournal.com]

Srsly? Just an arbitrary number on how long you can push?

(I'd fake it, btw. Nope, I'm not pushing. Just a little gas.)

[geminigirl]

Six hours. They give you six hours. I'm seriously not going anywhere near the hospital until it's really and truly time. Maggie (the fabulous doula) says other than ruptured membranes with GBS (not her choice, but the OB or midwife's choice) there are two reasons to go to the hospital-one is if I ask, the other is if she sees something that could be dangerous, like dehydration.

[alibee.livejournal.com]

I've heard this all over the place. MAN, hospitals are bitches.

When I get pregnant I will have the following rules for the doctor/hospital:
1. Keep your pitocin the hell away from me.
2. You will only cut into my stomach if the child or myself are in severe distress.
3. If you use the words "not progressing the way I'd like" -- or pretty much say anything in terms of what "you like" -- I will sock you in the face.
4. I'm not sick. I will hang out in this here hospital as long as I damn well please until my baby decides it's ready to get outta there.

[geminigirl]

1,3 and 4 are all reasons that we're staying home as long as possible, although depending on your care-provider, 1 may also become an issue if you go "too far" post-date...many people don't like to let you go past 42 weeks because of the risk of placental deterioration, although that doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about the fact that the average first pregnancy is something like 41 weeks, 3 days. If my OB's schedule is still the same as it has been for a while, and I go that long, I think he schedules inductions/surgery on Mondays, in which case, I'll end up with a choice of either 41 weeks (no way) or 42 weeks (hate the idea, but much more acceptable to me.)

It comes down to choosing a midwife or doctor who you can work with, and who is on your side, rather than pushing an agenda on you. This is the difference for me between the perinatologist, and the OB that I see. One is actually trusting that I know something about what's going on with myself, that I do the reading and the research, and lets me be a part of the decisions that guide the course of care. The other...well, we won't discuss htat.

[wait.livejournal.com]

Yay doula!

[geminigirl]

One of the best things I've done in terms of the birth-related stuff is to hire her. She's terrific. I suspect we'll keep in touch after this baby, too, if nothing else cause she's an awesome massage therapist, too.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

The six hour pushing time limit... if it's really six hours of *pushing*, that's not something you really need to worry too much about (very few women go that long pushing), and it isn't really something you can do anything about by staying home, either (unless you're planning an "oops"). If you start pushing, you want to get to the hospital (assuming you want to have the baby there). Pushing can take hours, but it can also take minutes, and you can't really tell which it will be.

There are three circumstances where I'd be concerned about that time limit - if they were timing from when you reached 10cm rather than from when you started feeling the urge to push (some women have a long break in there. Personally, I've never seen it, but I don't disbelieve it, either.), if they weren't letting you move around, or if you had an epidural. Beyond that, six hours really seems quite reasonable as far as arbitrary time limits go.

[geminigirl]

I thought six hours was rather liberal as well. Mostly I'm planning on staying home so I'm not on anyone else's time line though.

No plans for an Ooops. You know who would have my head on a pike for planning that. Maggie wouldn't be happy either. I'd be okay with oops happening.

As for the epidural-not planning on it unless I end up induced, in which case, I may decide that I want it, but I'll see if a walking epidural can be done instead of the whole thing.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

It strikes me as a "we have to have a policy" thing more than anything, really.

[fairion.livejournal.com]

Yeah Six hours of pushand while I am a HUGE fan of staying home as long as possible, it in no way changes the pushing time at the hospital because if you want the baby born at the hospital you need to be there before you even start to push. Froggy was born after a minute of pushing tops. I did not even time to prepare myself mentally that we changed phases and she was here.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

I had two or three hours between being fully dilated and pushing with my first child.

I had negative 15 minutes between being fully dilated and pushing with my second child.

It's amazing the variation in these things.

[starkyld.livejournal.com]

thank you for sharing these thoughts with us. you're totally going to rock childbirth.