Can I join you?

[redmach03]

Glad I found this board! I'm Amie!

Me and my hubby just made the decision to UC after our current situation leaves me without many other appealing options. I am actually excited about it but a little worried at the same time. My DH is SUPER supportive and very positive about it, he actually surprised me at how well he agreed to it when it was first suggested!

I really don't know exactly where to start...I know I have a lot of work/research ahead of me or maybe I am making more work than is necessary in my mind?! Probably... I did a LOT of research with my last birth...

My first birth was a forced c/s that left me traumatized and depressed. My second was a planned HBAC but my water broke before labor started w/ a posterior baby...I labored for 2 days at home and didn't progress and then 2 more days at a very VBAC friendly hospital got to 7cm until I finally couldn't take anymore and consented to a c/s. I LOVED and I still cherish every moment I was laboring at home!

We found out we are pregnant with #3! I am now 11wks! We have a major move to Guam coming up here in a few months and my birth options are less than desirable. I fear I won't get a adequate shot at birth and be forced into a c/s at the military hospital. The hospital has a pretty scary track record so I definately don't want to go unless it is emergent. Even at their only birth center my choices are limited because of prior c/s. There are no HB midwives that I know of there so...here I am!

I hope to learn a lot and make some new friends while I am here!

Is there a good place I should start? (websites or books?) I feel a bit overwhelmed...or any good advice you can offer to someone just starting out on this journey?

Another thing is that I am trying to change my way of thinking about this birth and leave out the stigma and fear of VBAC...2 prior c/s....and think this is a completely new birth...its hard especially when I have no one that I can really talk to about it (besides hubby anyway!) Most people think I'm crazy and I don't want those people influencing me with their fear....

sorry I rambled...

Nice to meet you all!

[basje]

Welcome! Okay here's where I would start

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/childbirth.html

And um, then see what you feel like you still need to research or learn about.

And consider trying hypnobabies (not to be confused with hypnobirthing). It looked like a load of crap to me until I looked up the reviews on Amazon, and decided to give it a try. I've been really happy with it!

[Kidzaplenty]

Welcome!

[jljeppson]

Hi Amie, I just saw you on pregnancy.org! Anyway, just thought I would offer another option for you. Ollie Hamilton is a midwife in Montana that specializes in international births. Basically, she now travels around the world to assist at births when there is no one else available. If it's within the states she takes her 5th wheel and camps out at the home until the baby delivers and if it's out of the country she stays with the family until baby delivers. You can find her on birth with love, her online midwifery supply store.

[LeoneLover13]

Welcome to Guam!!

Hi Amie!!

I also live in Guam, we arrived here in April of this year and live on the Military base. I have no been pregnant here myself but have a number of good friends who are/have been.

A local friend of mine is currently 16ish weeks pregnant with her second, her first being a UC but ended up in a transfer to local hospital for vaginal birth. This time she plans on going to the local hospital and has found a wonderful midwife who is very pro-natural birth, and so hopes to deliver with her.

My other friend lives on the base also and just had her second last month through an attempted VBAC, UC which turned navy hospital transfer for vaginal birth and went very smoothly and as naturally as possible.

There are no home birth midwives here, apparently no one has ever gone through the process of becoming certified. There is a birth center as you said, but they limit your options, especially as a VBAC, and are quick to induce and will not let you birth in water if you choose.

You sound like you are in a very similar situation to the second friend on my list there. She had 4-day long, very active, prodromal labor until she transfered to Navy Hospital and finally consented to a tiny dose of pitocin which moved things along. You may want to speak with her.

If you would like to meet myself and friends when you arrive here I would be happy to arrange a get together after you are settled? I know how daunting it is arriving here and not knowing anyone.

I hope to meet you, and best of luck with your pregnancy and move!

[onelilguysmommy]

Welcome, congrats and good luck!

[redmach03]

Originally Posted by LeoneLover13

Hi Amie!!

I also live in Guam, we arrived here in April of this year and live on the Military base. I have no been pregnant here myself but have a number of good friends who are/have been.

A local friend of mine is currently 16ish weeks pregnant with her second, her first being a UC but ended up in a transfer to local hospital for vaginal birth. This time she plans on going to the local hospital and has found a wonderful midwife who is very pro-natural birth, and so hopes to deliver with her.

My other friend lives on the base also and just had her second last month through an attempted VBAC, UC which turned navy hospital transfer for vaginal birth and went very smoothly and as naturally as possible.

There are no home birth midwives here, apparently no one has ever gone through the process of becoming certified. There is a birth center as you said, but they limit your options, especially as a VBAC, and are quick to induce and will not let you birth in water if you choose.

You sound like you are in a very similar situation to the second friend on my list there. She had 4-day long, very active, prodromal labor until she transfered to Navy Hospital and finally consented to a tiny dose of pitocin which moved things along. You may want to speak with her.

If you would like to meet myself and friends when you arrive here I would be happy to arrange a get together after you are settled? I know how daunting it is arriving here and not knowing anyone.

I hope to meet you, and best of luck with your pregnancy and move!

Oh my gosh!! Hi!!

I have been searching AND searching on info on Guam and its almost non-existant! Its so hard to get information about the hospitals and others experiences with them..so you don't know how much your post helps! What I have heard about the military hospital is not good things and that the views other the few I have spoke with that have delivered there was that I would not get my VBAC if I chose to go there. (unless I was going in and the baby was falling out!) And I've heard nothing about the guam hospital.

I've only found one doula as of yet. Her name is Roni Sellman have you heard of her? She told me that there is a new Dr at the Navy hospital and that this Dr has homebirthed herself. I'm not sure if this doula is going to work out because she told me that I am not a good canidate for HB anyway because I have had two c/s...I didn't like that. I need to find someone who will support me and not tell me I can't do something because I am VBAC.

Thank you for your information!

Our orders are not in hand yet...having some technical glitches that are in the process of being fixed. We should be on our way over in the March-April timeframe. I am very excited otherwise to come to Guam and get settled! I would love to meet you and your friends..thank you for offering, that is so kind! We should keep in contact!

[redmach03]

Originally Posted by jljeppson

Hi Amie, I just saw you on pregnancy.org! Anyway, just thought I would offer another option for you. Ollie Hamilton is a midwife in Montana that specializes in international births. Basically, she now travels around the world to assist at births when there is no one else available. If it's within the states she takes her 5th wheel and camps out at the home until the baby delivers and if it's out of the country she stays with the family until baby delivers. You can find her on birth with love, her online midwifery supply store.

Thank you for that contact! I'm going to look into it. DH doesn't want to go the homebirth mw route because he doesn't want to pay the $$ but I told him last night that I want to start saving up in case it starts looking bleak over there. I am getting very excited about UC'ing actually...just gathering the information makes me feel so calm and unafraid as at least this way I can manage my pregnancy/birth and have no one to tell me NO I can't do something...

[LeoneLover13]

Originally Posted by redmach03

Oh my gosh!! Hi!!

I have been searching AND searching on info on Guam and its almost non-existant! Its so hard to get information about the hospitals and others experiences with them..so you don't know how much your post helps! What I have heard about the military hospital is not good things and that the views other the few I have spoke with that have delivered there was that I would not get my VBAC if I chose to go there. (unless I was going in and the baby was falling out!) And I've heard nothing about the guam hospital.

I've only found one doula as of yet. Her name is Roni Sellman have you heard of her? She told me that there is a new Dr at the Navy hospital and that this Dr has homebirthed herself. I'm not sure if this doula is going to work out because she told me that I am not a good canidate for HB anyway because I have had two c/s...I didn't like that. I need to find someone who will support me and not tell me I can't do something because I am VBAC.

Thank you for your information!

Our orders are not in hand yet...having some technical glitches that are in the process of being fixed. We should be on our way over in the March-April timeframe. I am very excited otherwise to come to Guam and get settled! I would love to meet you and your friends..thank you for offering, that is so kind! We should keep in contact!

I know exactly what you mean! I searched and searched for forums, groups, meetups in Guam before I got here and found nothing! I was quite nervous, but we have made some wonderful friends here already.

As for the Military Hospital, I personally would not deliver there, but that's because it's Military and, as I'm sure you know, they aren't the most natural-friendly places despite where they are in the world. All I know is one very bad story from there, a very mainstream story and a recent happy-ending story.
As for the local hospital, my good friend who has lived here all her life and is currently pregnant with her second seems to have found a very nice, birth-friendly midwife there who 'says' she would be there at delivery, but I don't believe there is ever any certainty on that at any hospital. She is planning on just going with what she feels at the time of labor, and may attempt a U/C again, or head to the local hospital.

I have heard of Roni, she is a well-known doula on the island, my friend I just told you about used her for her first UC attempt however now they don't speak and she didn't like her way of working during her labor/birth. The only other Doula I know of is another good local friend of mine, but she has just recently become a doula and is not comfortable with VBAC's yet.

So, unfortunately options are quite limited here! In your case, I would recommend just becoming acquainted with the hospitals in the area (I would personally try the local one with the midwife my friend is using, who seems to be OK with UCs) and just make sure you have options for when you do go into labor.

Oh and, not to scare you or anything, but I recently found out the hospitals here are not equipped for preemies. A Military wife I know went into labor 2 months early and they flew her to Japan last week and she will have to stay there for a month or two. Her family can't go see her because they don't have passports

If you have any questions or need any info or help, please PM me anytime!

I look forward to meeting you next year!

[Serenyd]

Originally Posted by redmach03

I am getting very excited about UC'ing actually...just gathering the information makes me feel so calm and unafraid as at least this way I can manage my pregnancy/birth and have no one to tell me NO I can't do something...

Good Luck!