Homebirthin' Mama's Thread...April 22,2004!!! - Page 3

[Greaseball]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

Hey, Greaseball, did this happen after you already had an open card? Or, did you have an HMO plan with OHP and then ask for an open card? I've had plenty of clients apply for open cards and get them in the 3rd trimester!

Yep, I jumped through all the hoops. I went without insurance for 6 months, then applied in the 3rd trimester, and received the open card. It was just this month they told me they were moving me to the HMO plan, and when I asked about the last trimester exemption, they said they "changed the rules" to where everyone in Benton County has to be on the HMO. : They say the hearing will take a few weeks, so I'll find out what happens then.

[Mummoth]

Greaseball, what happens in the meantime? Do you get to have the homebirth, if you go into laobur before it's resolved, or do you go to the hospital? I don't want to be alarmist, but at this late stage, wouldn't it be easy for them to drag their heels enough that you go into labour before this gets resolved? I harass the bastards until they tell you the hearing date... then call them that day & make sure it's actually happening.

[cottonwood]

Greaseball, do you have contact information for the people responsible for this idiocy? I would like to write a few letters.

[Greaseball]

Well, I am still covered until the end of the month, so if I have this baby at 36 weeks it will all be resolved! But I don't know if I could be attended at home before 37 weeks.

The thing is, I cannot be involved in the hearing. The midwife has to drop off all the info with the state, and then the "officials" will have a hearing among themselves, possibly including the midwife. I don't know the reason for this hearing when in the end it's all up to one guy, the director...but I have a feeling efficiency is not a priority with them.

Since they are expecting it to take 2 or 3 weeks, I could very well have a baby by then. #1 was born at 38 weeks. The state will pay bills for services you receive when not covered if later it's found out that at the time, you were eligible for coverage...it's more of a hassle and they drag it out for a long time, but eventually they do pay the bill.

But no, I won't go to the hospital without a medical reason. What I was thinking is that if we have to do the UC, maybe the midwives could be available over the phone just in case we have questions (or I could post here every hour! ), and then if it looks like I need more assistance we will just go to the hospital and at least it will be free. And who knows, maybe they will still be willing to attend even if it will take a long time for them to get paid. They say they would be willing to make arrangements, but also that most of these arrangements are paid off by the 6 week postpartum visit.

I have an appt tomorrow, so I'll bring it up then. I feel this is unfair to them; they had no reason to think they were going to have problems getting paid.

[ketilave]

Man I am irritated for you - what a joke. The right to choose BS in this country sends me over the edge. My way or no way is the kind of logic you use with a toddler not a consenting adult.

As a true nobody in this country (i.e. tax paying, voting citizen) I would love to dash on some letters for you. Might not help but hopefully ( : ) won't hurt. You should dig up all kinds of books and research for them and have your mw submit it with her stuff. They would never know what hit them!

[Greaseball]

Originally Posted by blueviolet

Greaseball, do you have contact information for the people responsible for this idiocy? I would like to write a few letters.

Well, it's "the government" so I don't know exactly who to write to. I just called the midwife and she says I could complain to the ombudsman about them suddenly making this new rule. As a provider, she was not informed about this rule, so she has a complaint as well. So I'm looking for the address now...they don't make it easy to find!

I've always wondered, when medicaid is always going on about how their budget is stretched thin and they have to turn people away and can't even pay for lifesaving medications, why they insist on covering only the most expensive options and won't pay for things that cost thousands of dollars less. It's mostly pregnant women who sign up; why not encourage affordable birth options instead of putting up roadblocks for anyone wanting a homebirth?

But the midwife did say that everyone who works for "them" tends to not be very bright (yep, her words!) so it could be that although I've talked to several people there, they have all given me the wrong information. I'll hold out for that possibility.

And in happy news, my GBS test came back negative! One less thing to worry about!

But anyway, if I ever find the address for the ombudsman I can PM it.

[ketilave]

Tanja - where has the time gone!! Maiya is 10 weeks.

[pamamidwife]

Greaseball, it is true that OMAP would love to get everyone on an HMO. To have someone on an open card is more expensive for them.

Have you talked to your mw? Because I had this happen with one of my clients and we called her caseworker and OMAP and boom! It was changed back.

The idea behind the open card is that you have an established relationship with this midwife who is covered under an open card. You cannot get these services through the HMO and you followed their rules about applying in the third trimester.

I have alot of faith that this will be worked out. It always has for me and I'm sure it will for you!

[tanjarine]

quote : "ketilave Tanja - where has the time gone!! Maiya is 10 weeks."

She is, isnt that amazing, it has gone by sooo fast. SHe is an amazing superbaby I feel so blessed, she is just happy and relaxed to be carried around in her sling amidst the chaos of my little boys. She has honestly not even cried yet, and just snorts and grunts when shes hungry. She still spends most of her time asleep in my arm or snuggled up with her big sister who is reading all the time, its so nice to have her wake up and grin at me.
Some of you mamas are getting so close I love keeping up with all of you and awaiting your birth stories!
Greaseball I hope it works out for you, if not move to ontario, midwifery is free to everyone!
Blueviolet can i add your website to my links page.. I want to add more parenting and birthing information and your site is really interesting.?
I will type out the post partum door list as soon as i can dig it up for those of you interested.

[Greaseball]

Heh heh, we took a trip to Vancouver BC last summer and I was trying to convince dh we should move there! But then I'd have to learn the metric system.

I called my caseworker, who said "I've never heard of that rule but if that's what people are telling you, it must be true" and then I called the ombudsman, who said he didn't know what in the world was going on. He said that "workers aren't trained well enough" and that there is a very high turnover among them. He was really nice, so I believe he will try and get this resolved. So it's starting to look more likely that everyone who works there just doesn't know what they're talking about.

If they could just get it together for one more month, I'd have a lot less to worry about! Then after the birth they can do whatever they want.

I realized I forgot to go to LLL yesterday! It just slipped my mind...by the time the next meeting rolls around, I'll most likely have a baby, so then I can go to the infant and toddler meetings. I see so many babies out and about not being nursed, so I'm looking forward to my shameless NIP displays again. I saw one mother who not only covered her baby with a blanket, but her own head as well. Everyone was staring at her. I'm sure if she had just nursed him comfortably, people wouldn't have stared.

[Mummoth]

I saw one mother who not only covered her baby with a blanket, but her own head as well. Everyone was staring at her. I'm sure if she had just nursed him comfortably, people wouldn't have stared.

Awwww, she probably didn't want the poor babe to be lonely in there!! I do the shameless NIP thing, too. I've *never* been approached like I've heard some women have... maybe it's the "Bring it On" air I have about me when I do it? I would LOVE it if someone came over & tried to mess with me.

Oh, the metric system is pretty simple, and most people here also understand the inches/feet way, too (what's it called?) I have no idea how many kilos DS is... he was 32 pounds last time I weighed him. Come on up to BC... it's a great place to live!

[sistermama]

I'm really laughing about the blanket over both heads. Talk about drawing attention to yourself. My mom laughs at me, because I'm "disappointed" that I have never gotten a hard time about bfing. I want to do a nurse-in dammit!!! I have had lots of experiences though that remind me not to prejudge people. I was nursing ds in a bookstore when a "skanky" "homeless" looking man came walking over at me very intently. I was immediately thinking - here we go, he better not say anything nasty to me. But he came over to tell me how fabulous it was that I was nursing my baby and that his mom had nursed him until he was four.

[tanjarine]

Aww That is sad about the mama covering her head too while nursing baby. In the states do you have the breastfeeding welcome signs around? We have them on restaurant doors, at the library in stores everywhere, its just a pic of a nursing mama and babe and say ' breastfeeding welcome. In the malls they have breastfeeding lounges with couches so mamas dont feel they have to sit in the washroom.
I truly beleive the more women openly nurse in public the more people will get used to is, most people are uncomfortable because they have no experience being around it. I havent been bugged in recent years about nursing my babies if anything most people like to ask questions and talk about their experiences, but in my 8 years plus of breastfeeding i think i have heard it all. I remember being asked to leave my highschool foyer because my mom stopped on my break with raven when she was 9 months old so i could nurse her inbetween the two classes i was taking so i could graduate. They asked me to sit in the bathroom or outside (in the snow) because it was making some girls uncomfortable : I totally refused to move. I also had someone in highschool say to me in all seriousness ' man i would never breastfeed i would never want to poke holes in my nipples' ...
Tanja

[mollyeilis]

"I would never want to poke holes in my nipples"? Oh wow, talk about someone not knowing their anatomy! Yikes!

I'm assuming that most of the opposition towards me NIP will be from whatever friend I might happen to be with at the time. Not while baby is an infant, but later. Crazy friends... :

********
I tried to post this earlier but the gremlins were working against me. Thank goodness I saved it for later.
********

How did I miss this thread? Hmm.

38 weeks today, supposedly. That pregnancy wheel thing is odd. If going by LMP of August 4, it puts conception on the 17th (according to my first midwife), which seems odd, since 4 plus 14 is 18. When I entered the 4th as LMP into babyzone, it sends me updates on Sundays and updates my info Monday morning. And everyone had my due date as May 10.

But if we go with the 18th as conception date the wheel (with new midwives) it bumps the due date a full 2 days, to the 12th, and my weekiversary is on Wednesday.

So I'm confused. It's no biggie, as I think I'll be late anyway (or I'm just telling myself that so as to not go insane), but I do like having a day to change my weeks on.

We decided on Monday that we ARE going to Oregon for MayDay...going down on Friday and staying in Troutdale, ditzing around all day Saturday then going back home (oh how I wish OR were my home) late afternoon. Perhaps take advantage of the tax-freeness of the place and visiting Babies R Us, to pick up the long-awaited carseat (if the BRU in Lints? has what we want) and assorted sundry items...

Of course, a friend of mine has been convinced for ages that I'll have baby on Beltaine, which would be interesting. I'm not sure I want to be driven back to WA while in labor, but I'm not sure I want to have baby at Edgefield (the B&B we'll be at), either!

Hey, if any Oregonians are around Troutdale this weekend, I'll be the short, reddishbrownishblondish-haired one who looks 38+ weeks pregnant!

Nevertheless, I think we'll be stopping at the store to get one of those under-baby waterproof pad things for me to sleep on, just in case anybody's water breaks in her sleep while at a hotel. Aren't I sweet?

I've been really super crabby recently, and have NO nesting urges beyond the normal thoughts I always have. Hubby is still moving furniture around and sanding the drawers and such for baby clothes, and I get to put the small things back into place, and I want to do that, but I'm not sure that's really nesting. I've been doing that kind of thing for years!

Should I be feeling some kind of impending labor things? The B/H contractions show up often, I have really weird feelings in my cervix, and my 8.5 months of constipation seem to be gone (TMI? nah...), but other than that I feel nothing telling me "it's time".

Maybe I really will be late! Hey, Robert was born at 44 weeks, so it's not unheard of 'round here.

[MomInCalifornia]

HI!

My name is Sarah, and my husband and I just found out we are expecting our second child. We are planning a homebirth, and are just begining the process of contacting MW's.

Our daughter Abigail is 16 months old. She was born in the hospital, so this will be my first HB, and we are hoping for a water birth.

My Estimated due date range is near Christmas, so I am hoping that does not make it too difficult to find a MW.

I look forward to chatting with everyone!

[georgia]

Hi, everyone! Hope all is well!

Sistermama, I have a friend who said to people who made comments about how many children/how close together....she'd say with a straight face, "Yeah, we're in a huge rush to outnumber the idiots around here." Certainly not a very "polite" thing to say, but hey, sometimes you can only take so much unsolicited garbage.

[sistermama]

Originally Posted by georgia

"Yeah, we're in a huge rush to outnumber the idiots around here."

I love it!!! I'll have to remember that one on my mean days!!!

[ketilave]

you all crack me up!

About NIP - you usually get full frontal with me. My kids lift up my clothes when they nurse so they can see and massage the other!! Of course, I can understand being offended by a 27 yo with her boobs sagging to her knees - it scares me too.

My SD told me it wasn't fair her mom had to go through the pain of having milk dry up when she didn't want to nurse. I explained that if it wasn't natural and normal it wouldn't happen. The kids an animal freak so I asked her what mommy cats fed their kids. The dawn of it was fun to watch. Add to that cloth dipes and planning a homebirth and the good news is we are so different from her mom and Stepdad that you can't compare. I do hope that someday it will help her at least make educated decisions - regardless of the end result.

[ksjhwkr]

Tanya,

I would love a copy of that list for visitors!!!

This is our first homebirth. Dd was born via c-section, she was footling breech. So, I am having my midwife, my sil (she's a doula, but most important she's my best friend) and another good friend here. Oh, and dh of course! I feel like this time I need lots of support, not only is it my first vaginal birth, but, my dd passed away this last August. I am sure that there will be lots I need to deal with regarding that...things I haven't even thought of yet.
My mom is very upset that I don't want her here...she is just not the nurturing type, she would be driving me nuts the entire time!!!
As for visitors, a lot of it depends on when the baby is born. Like if baby is born in the middle of the night, no visitors for 24 hours. I think I will just say that no matter what. No visitors for 24 hours. My Mom can come visit, but no nephews and nieces, no siblings, nothing for 24 hours.
My Mom is a great after birth helper though - she'd be a great post partum doula. She will come and stay with us during the day (stay with a friend at night) and she will cook. She fills our freezer with food, it is such a HUGE help! Dh will take off at least a week if not more. So, he will be here to help me with the baby and Mom can cook and clean. That will be nice.
Anyway, that's our plan...8 weeks left...WOW!

[ksjhwkr]

Breathe,

I found out accidently with dd too. I was SO upset. We had a 3D u/s done with her and we wanted to let my mil know the gender. That way she could make an outfit for the baby to be blessed in at Church. So, we told the tech to stop the tape. Both dh and I closed our eyes and turned away from the monitor. Well, after we were all done, I went to work. I was showing some co-workers the u/s and all the sudden I see the words "Girl Part". I flipped!!! I started crying because I didn't want to know! I called dh and apologized for finding out. When I got home from work we watched the video together. It was very dissapointing finding out when we didn't want to know. So, I understand that. I still didn't go out and buy a bunch of girl clothes though...I don't trust anything but the real thing! Sorry you found out...that stinks!