12 Days Overdue and "Walked" out of L&D

[fwlady]

I have mentioned this on the UC board, because originally, that was our plan. This PG has been very wonky; lost a twin at 11 wks, bled on and off the full 5 weeks, PROM at 20 wks, and creeping BPs. My BP got really high on Monday although I put myself on full bedrest at home during Xmas and the bad snow. When the roads were clear, and my BP really got up, my DH said get over to get checked out. So, I did, and was admitted for 80 hrs. My BPs stabilized, all my labs were great, the baby looks great. I have a history of having very healthy very overdue babies. I do have Gest Hypertension (I think that is PIH), but not pre-e.

So, the dr that took me on (had to fire my previous MW/OB at 39 wks), was great, he was the only one that would let me go home, I think. He would have been willing to do a gentle induction on me, a VBAC for the 7th time, but I am not open to that. The other drs would rather watch me close and keep me there until labor for hospital bedrest or do a repeat section. My dr was very reasonable and as long as I stayed on strict bedrest, no kids, check BP often, have DH available to drive me back at any sign of too high BP, decreased baby movement, or early labor, then I could go home.

The nurses were totally amazed I think. I don't think they have EVER seen a woman 12 days overdue get wheeled out of L&D without their baby in their arms. They didn't let me walk, of course. They felt that all was well and totally comfortable with it. No one gave me grief over it. But, you could tell they were amazed. Probably more amazed that the dr agreed to it, then the fact that I wanted to wait for labor at home. LOL I can't get any sleep there. And, from last night NYE watching for midnight (and hopefully labor) and a wrestling mom calling me early this morning to have my son over for breakfast since he didn't get to stay the night over there, I can't get any sleep here either. Maybe nap later.

So, has anyone else EVER accomplished that? Getting out of L&D after wanting to just be checked out overdue?? What about VBAC? Guess I am a January momma now. LOL But, I always knew that was a chance. I have been anywhere from csection and natural induction on due dates, to having babies come on their own terms 10-26 days overdue. They did want me back on Monday for a non-stress test, although I was going to just postpone the scheduled RCS for Monday. The RCS was my idea, but then I realized that we were both fine, and not worse like I anticipated. So, RCS would be silly. But, my doc said "you would rather do a NST than a RCS, right?" I am like, "Of course, sounds great!" And, we will go from there if I don't have a baby before then. I pray I do. Kymberli

[khaoskat]

You could say I did that with DD2. I was only 3 days over due. OB sent me to L&D for a ECV due to breech.

After much trouble and about 7 hours I walked about AMA against one OB's advice and a Perinatologist's. The OB that owns the practice I go to, when we told him why we were not comfortable with what happened, and the fact we were not being given fully informed information to make a decision, got up and went and personally called everyone together, and then they came to our room and told us what was going on.

I had just lost a child 1 year 3 days previous to this at full term. While being told by both the original OB I saw that day and the Perinatologist group that everything was a go for the ECV, when I was returned to triage the nurse was like "Looks like we are heading for an immediate c/s today". I was floored, and then when the OB came in, he pulled the "If we don't do this this minute your baby will die card". I shut down and refused to talk, except to repeat I want to go home and make an informed decision. He even tried to bully my husband after he had picked up and arranged for childcare, into talking me into a C/S that day.

Their reason being was baby was transverse (even though baby was freely moving about and changing positions at 40+ weeks), and the cord was wrapped around baby's neck. To me, that was not an issue, because babies are born all the time with cords wrapped.

I went home, and waited for labor to start on its own. I was passing NSTs in five minutes, but had to wait the required 20 minutes anyways. BPPs were coming up perfectly fine, and I had excess fluid.

She went heads up when I went into labor. But when I went to push, she turned transverse again to turn heads down, but unforunately my water had broken and while turning, got her arm outside of the uterus and was waiving at everyone and then got her shoulder stuck and engaged. So I did end up with a c/s.

[AutumnAir]

Good for you! Now relax and wait for your baby to come!

I'm surprised at how supportive the hospital staff were to you, but it's fantastic for you that you didn't have to deal with any more stress.

I also walked out of L&D in a hospital at 43 weeks pregnant, but it was a battle! My midwife was making me do CTGs every other day and had me come early that morning. We'd never done a CTG at that time before, and it was DD's sleepy time so her heart-rate was lower than normal and she didn't wake up after 20 minutes so my (crappy) midwife scared me into going to a hospital (it was an Eastern European country which is very unsupportive of HB and so she didn't have any OB/hospital backup so she couldn't come with me or anything, I just had to go and walk in off the street...) to get a CTG and U/S there to check everything.

Well, the way they treated me - you would swear I was a criminal! They did the CTG - she'd woken up and her heart rate was fine. Did the scan - everything fine, though slightly low-end of normal fluid (only to be expected at 43 weeks!) but still kept me there for the *entire* day trying to bully me into being induced/having a C/s immediately, for no other reason than that I was 43 weeks. I honestly don't think they'd ever seen a woman who went past 41 weeks - they have a *very* paternalistic health system there and everyone just does what the doctor says, no questions asked. So I kept insisting that as DD and I were fine I was happy to go home and wait for labour to start naturally.

I had nothing to eat or drink all day as they wouldn't let me leave L&D - at first I thought they were actually going to try to physically force me to stay there, but then they came up with a bull$*^£ story about needing me to sign a waiver, which of course they didn't have in English - I doubt they even had one at all. Finally one of the OBs who spoke reasonable English drew one up in his office and made me sign it - it said that I took full responsibility for causing the death of my baby for refusing to be induced immediately, listing a whole bunch of negative outcomes apparently associated with post-dates pregnancies, including uterine rupture(??). When I pointed out that artificial induction carries a much higher risk of UR and that induction also carries a risk of fetal mortality he was totally taken aback. I don't think anyone had ever dared to question him before!

Anyway, I finally got home about 5 pm that evening, having left to go to the midwife for the CTG at 7am that morning - no food or drink all that time - and realised that I was having regular contractions. Was in active labour by 6pm!

Lets hope your babe decides to come out and meet you soon too

[lunita1]

My SIL (very mainstream) went in for an induction at 41 weeks and after about 18 hours with very little progress she got them to turn off the pit and send her home. I was so proud of her. THAT is why it's a great idea to not allow AROM! She went into labor about three days later and had another approx. 18 hours of labor before birthing an almost 10 lb. baby (her first.)

My mom also left the hospital when she was having me. She had been admitted, and had regular contractions that dilated her to about a 5 and then everything came to a standstill. Her contractions just stopped. She went home and then went back a few days later when labor started up again. (FWIW I was born posterior, so I suspect that the malpositioning was a huge contributing factor in how things went.)

[earthnut]

Good for you walking out at 12 days over!

I was born about 3 weeks late; my mom was induced, and after 18 hours of no progress, got a c-section (which the doctors botched, leaving extensive internal scarring, and my mom infertile). My midwife's policy is to induce at 2 weeks, but I don't want to induce because of lateness alone, I want there to be a medical reason. I'd happily wait longer than two weeks, but I don't know what support I'd get for that. Hopefully baby will follow in daddy's footsteps and not mine, and be born 2 weeks early! lol!

[fwlady]

Some awesome stories! It is a good thing that we found a VBAC hospital, because I found out that if I were to VBAC AMA, my insurance may not pay for it. Just as if I walked out AMA, which I probably would not consider. It would have to be pretty extreme. That was one experience with my friend, and I don't know my insurance's policies, but I guess many don't question what the dr says, and won't pay if you go AMA. This dr seems very pro-vbac, so I don't think it is a problem at all. I think that he is very open as long as me and the baby look good. Kymberli

[Belle]

Originally Posted by fwlady

Some awesome stories! It is a good thing that we found a VBAC hospital, because I found out that if I were to VBAC AMA, my insurance may not pay for it. Just as if I walked out AMA, which I probably would not consider. It would have to be pretty extreme. That was one experience with my friend, and I don't know my insurance's policies, but I guess many don't question what the dr says, and won't pay if you go AMA. This dr seems very pro-vbac, so I don't think it is a problem at all. I think that he is very open as long as me and the baby look good. Kymberli

The may claim that they won't pay, but they will. More likely that the hospital staff will use that as a scare tactic to force you into a c/s. You cannot be forced to use services that you do not want to. Just as you cannot be forced into major surgery against your will. They will pay.

[fwlady]

Oh that is soooo good to hear.

We came over to the hotel closer to the hospital last night, cause I was having lots of hard CTX. But, then they petered out mostly. Grrr. My friend brought me, and although I am having some show still, some ctx still, I went to sleep last night to waking without any activity. The snow was coming down, and then the roads were slick this morning. So, DH called another night in for us with his points. Thank goodness he still had those!! So, I am praying it hits tonight. I did that last time, 1 day prodromal, the next day still CTX, but never got too intense until the last hour.

The roads are better, but my BP really isn't. I hit 100 last night, and then 96 and 94. But, it didn't stay at 100, so I was okay to stay here. I think the dr said if it hits, not if it stays, but the weather just isn't great, and my BP is labile, it doesn't stick. I have laid on my left side many times, but then the CTX peter out. If I walk to the bathroom, I can feel one start everytime, and when we got dinner last night. I had to redo our cards this morning, so I did that and we brought our bfast up to the room. BP was hitting the 90s again, after my early morning readings were fine. So, it is just crazy.

I know my friend can drive in this, but the other MOians aren't so great at navigating slick roads, ice and snow. This was just snow, but they said the roads aren't great. We are only 6 miles away. So, after I told DH this, he called in another room immediately without asking. He didn't want me to decide to come home to wait it out with the roads like that. My NST is tomorrow anyway.

Of all the times the ladies here have talked about a Foley induction, I never thought to ask the dr about this. I can't deal with having a man's hands or instruments inside me. So, breaking water, internal monitor, pit etc. does NOT appeal to me. I would rather not be able to see or feel any man's hands inside, and if it was a csection, that is much different than the other way. And, I really just think that there was too much risk and left to chance to do it that way.

But, with a Foley, I think the nurse places it, and it wouldn't carry the same risk for VBAC than pit. It wouldn't put me on the clock for AROM. And, I might be able to avoid an automatic csection. But, I think I will see if they will do a BPP (or that check the flow of the placenta and cord thing) before trying an induction. Because NSTs aren't very reliable when all you have to do is drink juice and they pass. I don't want to stress her out and start an induction without knowing if it is safe for her.

I never in a million years would anticipate that I would be requesting certain things, or feeling like I had to be at the hospital. But, for the BP thing and this PG just being wonky. I don't want to risk her, although I know that PG is not a disease... usually. But, my family has a history of clots and strokes at very young ages, so this has really gotten my attention. I have a lot of kids to care for, and I don't want them to have to care for me when I am not really that old. KWIM?

I may have to go in if my pressures don't even out, tonight before the NST tomorrow. I have done a few things, but I did that at home too, and I was NOT getting readings this high this often. So, I am praying that labor kicks in this evening (or sooner would be okay too). Kymberli

[at_the_hip]

Trust your instincts, mama...your BP seems pretty high to me and if you feel like you should go in, then be sure to listen to yourself!
kind regards,