waterspyder | Food for Thought

I had my last major obstetrical appointment today. The baby is 6lbs 8oz so far... and although I will be full term as of Sunday, I still have about three weeks to go, so still on track for about an 8-9lb baby. Yikes. From here on out they plan to check my blood pressure to make sure I don't develop sudden preeclampsia, and then we "wait and see". Any day now. Ack.

But today I also met with the anaesthetist, and I'm a little nervous. I really feel like if I am not able to have a natural delivery, I'm going to be kind of screwed. This is mostly because I'm obese. Actually, I meet the clinical definition of morbidly obese but most people can't tell I had a pre-pregnancy BMI of over 40. Basically, the doctors are going in under the assumption that I will eventually have to have a C-section, something I very much don't want for a variety of reasons. They assume this because most obese women need C-sections due to a variety of health complications... complications I don't have. Actually, I'm really healthy. I have no breathing problems or deformities in the back of my throat or jaw, I have excellent muscle tone, I do not have diabetes in any of its forms, I gained a reasonable amount of weight (25lbs) and I most certainly don't have high blood pressure (and seriously, if my blood pressure spikes to 130/80 after encountering several cases of "teh dumb" on the road, it's not likely to get dangerous anytime soon). I'm surprisingly active and athletic... taking yoga classes and salsa lessons until last week, and still, I'm probably going to undergo unnecessary medical procedures because most women of my height and weight are not active people who generally eat a balanced diet.

Some things they want to do is get an epidural catheter in my back ASAP, regardless of if I want epidural anaesthesia or not.... and that alone carries some serious risks. They also want to put in an IV right away in case they screw up the catheter and need to do the C-section under a general. This too is problematic since I generally have low blood pressure and tend to collapse veins with IVs in them; average lifespan is 3 hours. This may not be so bad, but I only have 3 veins that nurses have ever been able to use for IVs. I don't like the math. And I'm allergic to the tape. Boo. And don't get me started on the anaesthetic, it just sounds like bad news to me. At least we both agreed that narcotics are an exceptionally bad idea, so I won't have someone shooting me full of them insisting that there was no way I could be still in pain. Nitrous is still a go.

I've resolved to deliver my first baby the same way my mom delivered me. Eight hours, start to finish, no complications.

Here's to hoping.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If you're sure they're not necessary, you can always refuse treatment.

I acknowledge that they may become necessary, but they won't know that at first, and by popping a needle in my spine and missing the veins in my arms and hands a few times, they're just going to get me stressed which in turn will actually make their scenario more likely to happen.

Ok, we need to talk about this more I think, just to figure out exactly what I should be doing.

We consult with the anaesthetist, and if he says "now", we say "Can we wait and see for 1 or 2 hours?"

OK.

I'll also probably look at how much pain you're in. If you're not really in much, and you don't want pain relief, why give it to you?

They still want to pincushion me, and I don't dig it

Then don't have it. Simple as that. If they try to give you grief, just point them at me.

This is why a very good friend of mine had home births for all three of her kids. She knew damn well if she got into the hospital she'd end up killing someone.

When I was in the hospital a few years back I realized that the worst thing in the world was to go in without someone who ISN'T sick and doesn't have a big mouth and the temperament of a pit-bull at your side because THEY sometimes (always) forget that YOU are the client, it's about what YOU want, not what THEY want.

I hope you don't get typecast/railroaded into treatment because of your size. I hope you have the baby precisely the way you want to and I hope she is healthy and strong. Science is not one size fits all.

It's my job to be the pit-bull.

And I hope he's healthy as well. He already has the "strong" part down ;)

He certainly shows all the signs of being healthy. His heart and lungs work, he moves well, and I haven't killed him yet.

Yes, I find that most medical treatments in the western world are based too much off of statistics and generalities instead of actually taking the individual's specific circumstances and health into account.

In regards to childbirth there is this instant response to "assist" with surgery and drugs... The funny thing is that for the better part of our existence, childbirth was a completely natural process, most times in situations that were not the most hygenic let alone clinical.

You know your body best - be sure to stick up for your rights in refusing and/or accepting treatments and procedures... From what I understand some doctors can be real bullies when it comes to getting their way!

Good luck!

I mean, the mainstay of the pain management for women is the epidural.

When you get an epidural, you lose the ability to move around, eat and drink, and you also need to be catheterized[1]. The third increases risk of infection, the second makes it so you can't obtain new energy sources making contractions less effective, and the first means you can't use gravity to help the baby descend or rotate[2]. Also, because your body can't feel the baby and the contractions anymore, the doctors usually have to give a Pitocin[3] injection to get things started again, because they very often stall out. Also, it increases the rate of fetal distress[4], and makes a C-Section 3 times more likely than in a natural delivery. And there are straight-up side effects of an epidural.

What the fuck?

_____________

[1] You also usually don't regain the ability to urinate on your own for 24-48 hours after the epidural.
[2] 4% of babies fail to rotate in natural deliveries, while 21% fail to rotate with an epidural resulting in the need for C-section or a delivery with instruments.
[3] Pitocin is used 3 times more often during deliveries with epidurals. Pitocin may also hamper the mother's ability to make the natural Oxytocin which lets down milk for breastfeeding.
[4] Fetal distress is 30% more likely in epidural deliveries

Yeah, I don't dig those odds.

Besides, a spike to the spinal column? Like *that's* a good idea...

I think at least having an IV in during child birth is good. I had an EP at 10 hours of labor(at that point, ripping my spine out would of been less pain). It was done late so it didn't really work (after four tires). Two hours of "get the baby out now" or C section pushing and he came out. I felt like I was tackeled by two foot ball players and I couldn't walk or move from the hips down for 8 hours(EP late sucks-if you are going to get one get it done asap). I was scared after five hours that I would never feel my legs again as they did jab me in the spine four times, but it worked ok ok.

The pee tube wasn't that bad as they did it when I couldn't feel my legs and took it out when I could wiggle my toes so I never felt it. I had a bit of some humor watching it fill up :P

My advise, just think as soon as you go into to labor that the faster you can get the new person out, the easier it will be on the two of you. Be ready for the tackle and welcome to being a mom!

There are also cases of women feeling very little pain just allot of pressure in short labors.

The thing is narcotics don't really work on her, so there isn't going to be an IV for pain relief in her arm.

"Nitrous is a go"

Hrmmmmmm. If I put on a wig, weight suit and wobbled into the hospital pretending to be pregnant, think they'd give me a garbage bag or two of the happy gas?

Hey Josh.....In between contractions if you aren't too pre-occupied with the whole supporting the birthing thing, see if you can talk up the anaesthetist about the tanks and if one were able to fall off the back of a truck! :P

Trust that things will go well and enjoy bringing a new life / poo-factory into the world :P

Two solid hours of nitrous. I wonder what the nurse would say if I shared with Josh ;p

Hehehe. Mel suggested that if we have a baby she'd ask the anaesthetist if she could self-regulate the tank :)

lol

You really want to see him on nitrous?

I didn't have an epidural, mostly cause big needles scare me more than pain.

Did he tell you that the nurse asked if he was breach? He was very bald.

Stick to your guns (as long as it doesn't endanger you or the baby). Women have been having babies for a long time, and they don't call it labour for nothin'.

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