This time, however, Sarah will be in school. I can't just pull her out of school for a month. I could go down with the younger two and leave Sarah up here with my husband, but that would mean he wouldn't be there for the birth. Yes, I could call him when I went into labor and he could attempt to make it down, but it's a 4 hour drive if he left immediately upon receiving my call, and last time I didn't even know I was in labor until I was 7cm, and Anna was born an hour later.
I don't see why, why, why I can't just stay here in Georgia, see a CNM, go to the hospital to give birth and just be left alone. Yes, I'm aware of "Dr. Wonderful" in Atlanta, but that's still an hour and a half drive (if it's not rush hour) that I'd have to make each month, and in labor. I'll remind you again, last time I didn't know I was in labor until an hour before baby was born! If I could write the headline to that news story it would read
Woman Gives Birth on Side of Road When Local Doctors Refuse VBAC
My first line of defense will be to make an appointment with the local CNM group and beg them (I'm not above it) to attend a birth with me. My cesarean will have been over 7 years prior, with two uncomplicated VBACs in the meantime. I'll ask them to meet with the OBs in the group, comb over my records, speak with my previous care providers (the ones still living), anything. They might change their minds. Too bad "letters of recommendation" don't help in these sorts of situations. I know my midwife would write a glowing letter for me! My concern here though is that even if they capitulate, they'll place a heavy burden of demands on my pregnancy and labor, demands I won't likely meet. My babies come 1-2 weeks after their due dates, I lose an extreme amount of weight during pregnancy, I always measure small and either have tiny babies or 8lb babies.
So I don't know what I'm going to do. Even if I decided to birth with Dr. Wonderful in Atlanta, I'd have to have a care provider here too because I'd need to be seen frequently to keep up with the HG.
This is what women fail to think of when signing up for that very first cesarean.
My opinion is that you can just stay there. And just have your baby. You and your husband. And a home birth midwife if you can find one.
ReplyDeleteI had a C section, then two hospital VBACS, then two home births with women who had been to some births, then three with just my husband there. For the last one, I was able to get a CNM to come. I thought since I now lived way out in the country, and was away from my wonderful back up FP, that this was a smart idea. And I guess it was. But I would have enjoyed the birth more without having to figure out what to do with her.
I hope your HG abates as it must be pretty hard to think about all this while you feel like that.
I also hope you find a way to birth the way you want, which I realize might not be the way I did it. But I wanted to urge you not to feel utterly dependent on what other people decide to do for you.
Susan Peterson
If you feel comfortable enough you could get the prenatal care through your pregnancy and have a UC.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, doctors cannot force you to have a c-section. Even if they do not do TOLACs/VBACs, to do a c/s if you have not signed a consent is assult and battery and you can sue them. TELL him you are giving birth vaginally. If he threatens to drop you from practice, refuse to sign the consent in the office (what many doctors do to protect themselves), wait until you are in hard labor, and then go to the hosptial. Better yet, buy a few sterile gloves and practice checking yourself. It's awkward, but it can be done. Wishing you luck on your journey, trust in your body, it knows best!!!!! Love, a R.N. with 8 years experience in L&D, who HATES the current system and wishes we deliver like Switzerland or England, where midwives do better than doctors!!!!!
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