Appointment Results/Updates - Page 21 « Back to Group Discussions

[letniaLynne]

Tillymonster, that must be a tough situation to be in. Requiring medical care during your pregnancy but constantly having to fight off all the extra stuff they feel the need to do while your there.

My quick appointment I had asked for at my MW last night just to hear the heartbeat turned into a full 15 wk appointment as well. First off I am over the moon!!!!! We heard the heartbeat for the first time, my fiancé was so excited he even recorded it I finally feel truly pregnant!!! In the end we chatted business for about 20+ mins, she allayed a few fears I had about how we would handle my 3rd stage hemorrhage this time differently. And then we ended up chatting for over 2 hrs lol!!

She told us super funny birth stories (of course leaving out the personal details) specifically about cleanup after birth. She said the worst for her has been the same mom twice. I thought I would share since it really had me rolling last night....so this mom has lots of kids that my midwife team has delivered but the last 3 births they have not made it to, they always arrive just a few mins after the birth. ( midwife thinks the mom just gets in the zone and forgets to call until its too late) Also the mom has a white bathroom with UNSEALED grout and for the past 2 births has delivered in the bathroom!!! My midwife was less than pleased!!! Lol before the last one she told the mom if she insisted upon giving birth in the bathroom she should leave her some toothbrushes to clean the grout with in her home birth kit ( now this was said in such a way as to hopefully deter the mom from repeating this bathroom birth the next time. My MW said she was there for hours cleaning that bathroom the last time!!) Well they show up right after the birth of her last child, find she gave birth in the bathroom again and she actually found toothbrushes in her kit for the grout!!!! Guess when your home birth comes with a free bathroom scrub it's hard to pass up:p

[mrsandmrs]

yay for a good heartbeat, tilly!! 

they try and do pap smears on every pregnant woman. current recommendations are that, if your partner hasn't changed and you don't have a history of abnormal pap results, you should have one every 3 years but i think that OBs think the only time women get preventative health care is when they are pregnant.  i declined the pap because i've had one in the last 3 years and i have never had abnormal results. our OB was kind of "whatever" about it, although i was anxious it would be a Big Discussion where we get labeled as Difficult Patients. 

[OceanSolitude]

My nurse practitioner actually said "You don't need a pap smear, you have had one in the past few years." I thought they were a routine part of prenatal appointments and was surprised, but totally ok with not getting one...

[nettlesoup]

We get them every three years, but if it's due to be done when pregnant, they just wait until after birth.
 

[letniaLynne]

Nettle, that's how my MW handles paps as well. Honestly all dicusion has made me realize I'm way over due for one

[MamaMash]

My OB asked me if I wanted one. I have abnormal paps and get one on average every 3-6 months after treatment of the abnormal cells. I was due for my 3 month follow up pap at my first prenatal appt but declined it. There's nothing they can do if (when, in my case) it comes back bad so why add the stress. That's my logic

[chispita]

Originally Posted by mrsandmrs 

they try and do pap smears on every pregnant woman. current recommendations are that, if your partner hasn't changed and you don't have a history of abnormal pap results, you should have one every 3 years but i think that OBs think the only time women get preventative health care is when they are pregnant.  i declined the pap because i've had one in the last 3 years and i have never had abnormal results. our OB was kind of "whatever" about it, although i was anxious it would be a Big Discussion where we get labeled as Difficult Patients. 

Same here. I had one last year, so no need for one now.

I though I'd read somewhere that they'd increased recommendations to 5 years, but I can't find any sources so I might have dreamt it - does this sound familiar to anyone?

[CDsMom1031]

Hmmm. Interesting. I still do mine yearly and I'm normal with the same partner. The only thing that's changed is he doesn't do an STD test now...
They did one at my first prenatal with my first pregnancy because I was due for one anyways. This time, they didn't, because I had just gotten one back in November.

[LivingSky]

On the pap note - I got one early in my first pregnancy because I had had an abnormal result on my last test. However, they didn't do the more invasive part of the test that they would normally do after an abnormal result (that's how it was explained to me at least).The result came back normal so it wasn't an issue anyways - and that was less than 3 years ago so I'm not due for another one yet. I do remember that when I went to the specialist to get my follow up pap last time, their office was very annoyed that my doctor had sent me to them while pregnant.

[CDsMom1031]

Heartbeat was 156bpm.

[dakipode]

Got some test results back from last week's appointment. Turns out I tested positive for GBS... Midwife wants me to take a full course of antibiotics, which I will do and then I'll turn to some alternative remedies for building up good bacteria etc. I'll ask for a retest before 36 weeks even though she mentioned they don't routinely do that. I'd prefer to avoid the antibiotics every 4 hours when I go into labor though.

I was also low on vitamin D so she wants me to take a supplement. I was a bit surprised since I do live in NM, where the sun shines 360 days a year.

A bit bummed about the GBS but I can't determine that there is anything to be done about it. Everything I've read states 25% of the population has it, doesn't say how you acquire it.

[serena76]

What's GBS?

[Cutie Patootie]

Originally Posted by serena76 

What's GBS?

Group B Strep

[nettlesoup]

Apparently kefir is great for GBS and I've read that it can actually get rid of that, although I don't know if there are any studies or anything. But I'll be able to tell you near when I give birth since I had it last time.

I got the date for my 20 week scan the other day; the 17th April. So I'll also hopefully find out if it's a boy or girl which is exciting!
 

[vc2013]

I finally had my first appt today so finally can post in here!

I'm 11wks 3 days. Opted out of the ultrasound and instead listened to baby's heartbeat for the first time!! Sounded like a locomotive

The baby's also a lot lower lying than I thought. Had been sending energies to the wrong part of my belly. :P

I'm really excited to have found a good doctor who works w midwives! I felt respected and taken serious as a patient.

I opted for the birth defect screening (down syndrome, spina bifida etc). Next appt will be at 16 weeks. Will do the second part of the screening then.

Oh, and I bought vitamin b 6 and unison on the midwife's recommendation.. Hope it'll help with my nausea!!

[OceanSolitude]

Unisom and b6 did wonders for me. I hope you get some relief. It strangely doesn't help me sleep any better though.

[thefreckledmama]

I'm really surprised they'd test for GBS this early. Around here 36 weeks is the general point they test. I tested positive with my 3rd, did the antibiotics during labor; my daughter and I both had horrible thrush/yeast issues for months afterward. With my 4th I had a different OB and he tested an I was negative. It can come and go, which is why it's so odd they'd test so early.

There are all different protocols you can do during labor that don't involve antibiotics-a hibiclens rinse being the most common. You can also do the rinse before testing.

[haurelia]

dakipode--In my professional experience, the practices I've worked with (OB, FP and CNM) do a urinalysis for everyone as part of prenatal labs. If urine shows GBS, even early in first tri, the CDC recommendation is to treat with antibiotics in labor, even if subsequent urine cultures are negative. Third trimester perineal/rectal swab need not be done for this reason. It's a bummer, for sure, if you hope to avoid antibiotics in labor.

[dakipode]

Haurelia, good to know. I guess it's just up to me then to replenish my good bacteria after this course of antibiotics. I just picked them up today: 4 pills a day for 10 days! Is it that uncommon to get rid of it? It seems silly to assume that you can't.

[haurelia]

dakipode, I think the assumption on the part of the CDC is that if someone has GBS in urine, they are heavily "colonized" (carrying) throughout urinary and GI tract, and the antibiotics used to clear the urinary tract of GBS are not sufficient to clear a heavily colonized person's entire system enough to cover for labor/birth.  The use of the IV antibiotics in labor is thought to cover any GBS colonization to mostly prevent transmission to a baby during labor/birth.  Of note, according to the CDC, approximately 1 in 200 mothers who do not accept antibiotics during labor will have babies that develop signs of GBS infection.  1 baby out of 4000 whose mother accept antibiotics will show signs of GBS infection.  Mothers who have had a urinary tract infection with GBS during pregnancy are said to be at higher risk, but I can't find a specific number.  There are other factors which increase the risk of GBS infection (prolonged rupture of membranes, preterm labor, etc).

The guidelines for the US, UK and Canada share some similarities but are not exactly the same.   Of course, if you feel that you understand the risks and benefits of any offered intervention, you are always free to accept or decline an intervention.  If you were to decline the IV antibiotics in labor, you may encounter some resistance, of course; this usually assumes the form of recommending antibiotic treatment for the baby (in the form of an intramuscular injection) and an extension of the observation period (no early discharge unless against medical advice).  Of course, every provider and institution has differing thresholds for everything, and this is something you can work with your midwifery practice to fully understand. Thankfully, you have a lot of time to research and question before you have to make a decision.  

As freckledmama mentioned above, there are alternative regimens to clear the vaginal tract of GBS that have been used by midwifery practices/clients with success, although they haven't been extensively studied. This is usually begun 2-3 weeks before EDC, and can involve washing the vulva/perineum with Hibiclens, and some dietary changes (adding probiotics, garlic).  There's lots of info about this on the web.