geminigirl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
geminigirl) wrote2008-04-16 12:55 am
geminigirl) wrote2008-04-16 12:55 am
Still waiting-EDD+8 days
No baby yet. Daily acupuncture, reflexology, moxibustion, chiropractic, and walking, plus nipple stimulation. No sex tonight because I have an OB appointment tomorrow.
Tomorrow we're forced to seriously talk induction. And that's okay, I can accept that...it is what it is. As my mother put it, "that baby is never going to say thank you for how you give birth." It's not what I want, but in order, the first three priorities are 1. Healthy mom, healthy baby, 2. no c-section 3. the labor and delivery I want. Maggie (the doula) will be there with us, because I'm not sure I can have a conversation about induction without getting overly emotional about it, and that could impair my ability to make the best decisions. Part of what stresses me about induction is the monitoring...with pitocin, unfortunately, they require constant rather than intermittent monitoring, and that's really difficult for me to deal with. I want to be able to have the option to shift positions, to move around, to be in the tub or the chair, and so on, and that doesn't happen when you're on constant monitoring. The other part is of course,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zedrikcayne who was born at 42 weeks via c-section cause he just wasn't coming out. He also wasn't ready to be born, and had some issues with digestive enzymes and his stomach lining not being complete, so when he was fed he began to hemorrhage (thus, for anyone curious, I'm going with the vitamin K shot.) So anyway, we'll go, we'll do what we need to tomorrow and we'll make the best decisions we can with what we know. And it will be okay in the end, somehow. Some time between now and next Monday, there will be a baby.
My mother called tonight. Not because she was asking where the baby was, but because she wanted to tell me that she was proud of the way I've handled all of this. I'm not sure if she was talking about the pregnancy in general, or the end of it or what. She's fielded a lot of the family phone calls about whether the baby has arrived yet or not, too. Hearing that from my Mom though, that meant a lot. Mom has often mentioned stories about how she was proud of me as a kid for being independent or for my bravery, but this was different. I really did appreciate what she said tonight.
Even though I think 04/16/08 (or 16/04/08) would make a pretty darn cool birthdate...
I know we're getting closer-I've had some strong, regular contractions today, but they keep stalling out after an hour or two. We thought it might be it, but didn't call in the cavalry, and things stopped eventually. I'm going to go hang out in the tub for a while and see what we can do. Let's just hope we get things moving for real, and that they stop stalling out.
Tomorrow we're forced to seriously talk induction. And that's okay, I can accept that...it is what it is. As my mother put it, "that baby is never going to say thank you for how you give birth." It's not what I want, but in order, the first three priorities are 1. Healthy mom, healthy baby, 2. no c-section 3. the labor and delivery I want. Maggie (the doula) will be there with us, because I'm not sure I can have a conversation about induction without getting overly emotional about it, and that could impair my ability to make the best decisions. Part of what stresses me about induction is the monitoring...with pitocin, unfortunately, they require constant rather than intermittent monitoring, and that's really difficult for me to deal with. I want to be able to have the option to shift positions, to move around, to be in the tub or the chair, and so on, and that doesn't happen when you're on constant monitoring. The other part is of course,
zedrikcayne who was born at 42 weeks via c-section cause he just wasn't coming out. He also wasn't ready to be born, and had some issues with digestive enzymes and his stomach lining not being complete, so when he was fed he began to hemorrhage (thus, for anyone curious, I'm going with the vitamin K shot.) So anyway, we'll go, we'll do what we need to tomorrow and we'll make the best decisions we can with what we know. And it will be okay in the end, somehow. Some time between now and next Monday, there will be a baby.My mother called tonight. Not because she was asking where the baby was, but because she wanted to tell me that she was proud of the way I've handled all of this. I'm not sure if she was talking about the pregnancy in general, or the end of it or what. She's fielded a lot of the family phone calls about whether the baby has arrived yet or not, too. Hearing that from my Mom though, that meant a lot. Mom has often mentioned stories about how she was proud of me as a kid for being independent or for my bravery, but this was different. I really did appreciate what she said tonight.
Even though I think 04/16/08 (or 16/04/08) would make a pretty darn cool birthdate...
I know we're getting closer-I've had some strong, regular contractions today, but they keep stalling out after an hour or two. We thought it might be it, but didn't call in the cavalry, and things stopped eventually. I'm going to go hang out in the tub for a while and see what we can do. Let's just hope we get things moving for real, and that they stop stalling out.
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Its really good to talk about inducing. That was the only threat that Jonah took seriously.
You can also ask them about other options, other than induction. Can you do non-stress tests each day? And ask about the statistics, by day. How does the risk change at 42 weeks and 1 day? We all know the risk goes goes up, but what does that look like? When you hear numbers, I think you'll feel more confident in whatever decisions you need to make for your family.
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Maybe this baby just wants to arrive to a bigger waiting audience?
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1.
2. Is it possible that your baby has inherited slow gestation from Andy? So he or she isn't ready yet, which is why your contractions are still only mild.
3. Is the increased risk of needing a Caesarian after induction because the hormone rush from induction isn't enough to cause "proper" labour, or is it because late-arriving babies tend to be bigger?
I suspect the answers to the above are 1. Ha!, 2. Impossible to tell and 3. Not enough research has been done. But answers might exist.
Also I am very glad that priority 1 is "Healthy mom, healthy baby". And I agree with what your mother says. To be honest, the fact that you needed medical intervention to start the pregnancy makes me unsurprised that you might need help to complete it, though I have no scientific basis for this. I understand that you are worried and afraid about induction, and also that you might feel bad emotionally - that you didn't "manage" to give birth "naturally". But induction is pretty normal, and it may be your best bet for getting a healthy mom without expending your own health. So I'll be praying for you to get the ending to your pregnancy that you've been hoping for, but also for you to have the strength to cope with whatever God, gods, the universe or fate has decided for you.
The opinions I have are around C-sections, and based solely on the bad experience of one friend. I know you're not wanting to hear horrible birthing stories at this stage in your pregnancy, and I don't wish to scare or upset you. The advice is simply this: if your medical professionals say there is any risk of serious tearing and advise you to have a Caesarian, please take that advice, no matter how much you want to have a vaginal birth. If you want to read on, I'll explain why below.
Highlight this text to read it. I don't know if you know Ailbhe at all? (livejournal name the same, I couldn't figure out how to make a link without having it appear in alarming purple in the middle of the white text.) She had a terrible time giving birth to her first child, Linnea. She was advised to have a Caesarian and begged the doctors not to, and as a result endured a third degree tear. This left her doubly incontinent for a year, and even after repair, she has a damaged rectum and vaginal wall. This means that she has trouble going to the toilet and cannot have sex - even to conceive another child - without use of very strong painkillers.
Recovering from a second or third degree tear - or gods forbid, a fourth degree tear - is a much longer process than recovering from a Caesarian. Neat surgical cuts heal much more quickly and safely than jagged, unpredictable tears. Also, the likelihood of being permanently disabled as a result of a Caesarian is much lower than it is with traumatic vaginal birth. And while you'd need some time to grieve the loss of the birthing experience you wanted, this is better than several years of PTSD after a traumatic birth. Ailbhe is a sensible woman who has wanted to be a mother for her whole life, and it's taken her well over three years to recover. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
Good luck! Everyone on #soc.bi is thinking of you.
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