"No numbers" pregnancy and birth

[peachsara]

I had a thought and was curious what y'all thought about it:

What if I ignored all numbers during my preg. and labor? I'm talking about still going to all my OB appointments but telling the Dr not to tell me weight, BP, etc. They would know of any potential concerns, but I wouldn't have to worry about it. And, I'm trying to forget how many weeks pregnant I am since we all know that the due date is just an estimation anyway.

I was thinking for labor - minimal cervical checks and I don't want to know how many centimeters, no clocks so I don't know how long it has been, etc.

Is this a goofy idea or does it sound helpful?

[Red Sonja]

Did you have a problem with your numbers before, or worrying about them?

That being said, during my last 2 pregnancies I had my blood pressure checked at each midwife appointment but that was it. I didn't step on a scale at all during my pregnancies, which was nice, I didn't have any vaginal exams during the pregnancy or labors, and no quad screen or glucose tolerance test. It was fairly close to a number-free pregnancy, and was nice. I'll be doing the same thing this time.

[peachsara]

No problems other than weight - "too much" with DS, "too little" with DD.

IDK - I feel like I've been obsessing so much that I want to just completely relax and not worry about deadlines, or progress, or limits,yk? The constant obsessing is driving me crazy.

I'm telling people that I'm due in June without clarifying any further (edd june 12th)

[Red Sonja]

I'm just saying "mid to late June" as my EDD, that's as specific as I get. And I completely understand just wanting to relax and not worry about those thing, doing that was good for my emotional well-being the last few times around.

[Venia]

Sounds good to me! I may ask my OB to keep all the number to herself but still go through some the checks (BP, protein, HB, and US only).

[bananabee]

haha I admire anyone who could pull that off. I suffer from time deprivation and go nuts if my cell phone dies and there's no clock in the room. Being pregnant for the first time, hearing the numbers about pregnancy gets me more excited about how things are progressing. Being in the hospital right now, they take and tell me my BP, temp, pulse and oxygen every 4-6 hrs. I just find it nice to know. I can't WAIT to hear the heartbeat, and see my wee one on the ultrasound. I think it will make it seem so much more real to me, and to my husband, too. I think he needs that more than I do. That way he'll be more patient w/my mood swings.

[notjustmamie]

Not in your DDC, but I thought this was an interesting concept. For me, it wouldn't work at all because I need to have an hcp who considers me a partner and we are both watching my health throughout this pregnancy. But I understand that people look at these things in different ways.

I suppose it would work if you completely trusted your OB to make decisions for you. By asking not to have any information about your care, it seems like you're giving your OB carte blanche to manage your care in whatever way he or she deems appropriate.

At what point would you want this information? If something did potentially go wrong, when/how would you want to know about it?

[peachsara]

For me, I do completely trust my OB. He is so amazingly experienced and truly looks out for the well being of the mamas - not motivated by lawsuits and money. I'm kind of using this pregnancy as a time of healing and growth so I think it will be a good idea.


Now, if this was my first, there is no way that I could do it. With my DS, I was obsessively checking all the preggo sites and books, and weighed myself everyday, etc. I couldn't stand not knowing everything I possibly could.

[NicolleLynne]

I think if it feels right to you and you have a trustworthy OB - then go for it! According to my OB and my acupuncturist, one of the worst things we can do for our babies and ourselves is stress. If going "number-less" will help keep you in a peaceful state of mind, it sounds like a good thing to me. If you do go this way, I hope you will keep us updated with your progress.

Best of luck!!!

[Soul-O]

Originally Posted by NicolleLynne

I think if it feels right to you and you have a trustworthy OB - then go for it! According to my OB and my acupuncturist, one of the worst things we can do for our babies and ourselves is stress. If going "number-less" will help keep you in a peaceful state of mind, it sounds like a good thing to me. If you do go this way, I hope you will keep us updated with your progress.

Best of luck!!!

ITA. I think for the "stat obsessed" among us (me ), avoiding the numbers game would be a good way to have a less-stress pregnancy. If you allowed the numbers to be recorded, and trusted that your HCP would alert you to anything needing your attention, then I think you'd be in good shape to have a very natural experience.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.