Absolutely had it with doctors.

[bcblondie]

I'm so sick of doctors. I'm sick of their lies. I mean, either they are lies or I'm actually better informed than some of them are. I'm fed up with their insensitivities, the pointless apointments, the waiting, the travelling. I'm sick of the whole thing.
I did have a very pleasant experience with a midwife. A beautiful homebirth. But next time around I'm tempted just to avoid teh whole thing.

One fear that I do have is the safety. There was a point in my labour where we had a nonreasuring heartrate. It was in the 80s for a while and not always rebounding between contrax, I think it hit the 60s once. The midwife and one point pushed the baby back IN, to relieve pressure on teh cord or something.

Is this the type of thing that could be handled on our own? What other common concerns could be taken care of without a midwife?

[Rejoicing]

I wonder why changing possitions wasn't an easier option to relieve pressure? Hmm...
But I hear you about Doctors! PHEW!
UA is completely possible! Also you do have another option. You could find a mw who is supportive of UA and would be willing to stand by, or even check in on you. You don't HAVE to go it TOTALLY alone. (((HUGS)))

[bcblondie]

Oh, we did try several positions. Don't worry. But in the end she snipped me and then the baby was out in another push or so... but now I wonder if that was necessary... or if the baby would have been ok had she not cut me... Or whether it was a "thank goodness she was here" moment... because I was scared at that moment. But maybe had I researched heartrate decels more I wouldn't have been... Because my midwife was very calm... Although they did call 911 just in case....

That would be nice too. Have someone in the room but not too involved.

What I would mostly like to avoid is all the monthly and weekly appointments. Are they really necessary? They never do much except check your blood pressure (I had an OB until 36 weeks) and measure your fundus...

[A_Random_Phrase]

Look at the UC threads, going back two or three years (I don't think MDC will let you comment on threads that old, but you should be able to read them). There's a ton of information here.

[Magali]

Originally Posted by bcblondie

What I would mostly like to avoid is all the monthly and weekly appointments. Are they really necessary? They never do much except check your blood pressure (I had an OB until 36 weeks) and measure your fundus...

I did my own prenatal care this time around. I saw a Dr. 3 times for an ultrasound and blood tests. The rest I monitored at home. For me, prenatal visits with a Dr. are pointless and extremely stressfull. I see you are a fellow Canadian mama...I bought my urine test strips and fetoscope at midwiferysupplies.ca, and a BP monitor at Walmart.

[bcblondie]

Great tips! Thank you.

Do you mean you bought a BP monitor or just used the one there? Because I find theirs to be accurate for me. Usually 110 over 70 or so.

[Magali]

I bought one there, but because I was blood pressure obsessed (due to white coat hypertension at my prenatal visits), I used the one at the pharmacy whenever I was in Walmart and it was always roughly the same as my at home readings.

[TrishWSU]

Originally Posted by bcblondie

What I would mostly like to avoid is all the monthly and weekly appointments. Are they really necessary? They never do much except check your blood pressure (I had an OB until 36 weeks) and measure your fundus...

My last MW was very hands off and totally ok with limited prenatals. I think I saw her at 11 weeks, 19 weeks, 33 weeks, then 37-41 weeks (birth.) It was really more of a "let's have something to write down" kind of thing. Of course, both of my midwives have been very hands off and the appointments were actually kind of fun because we just talked about me the whole time I haven't gotten prenatal care from an ob so I don't have a comparision.

I also had one UP/UC where I did all the stuff myself every four weeks, because it was fun and I thought it was funny that I was doing the same things a doctor would do.

[bcblondie]

That sounds great. That's exactly what I want. Set our own appointment schedule

[Kidzaplenty]