my iron levels.

[allgirls]

midwife called...my iron levels are up to 104 from 100..better but not up enough yet.

She said we will talk about options for the birth at our next appt. I think she will suggest hospital birth. :

I have decided if she says hospital birth I will say ok and then just not go. I have decided to go UC if they can't come for homebirth. I can just imagine trying to get me to go to the hospital while I am in labour...yeah right...the thought stresses me out so much...

My husband said "we will call them, if they don't come, they don't come...baby is coming out anyway"

I have wanted a UC anyway...hubby was a bit nervous about it but he knows the research I have done and he agrees with me. He would prefer to have the midwife come but is in agreement that homebirth is still a better choice for us.

We do not plan to call midwives until I am pretty much ready to push...they can be here in 15minutes. So we are possibly looking at UC anyway. I just don't want anyone around when I labour except DH.

I dreamt the other night I laboured alone in the garage on a pile of towels...it was so peaceful :LOL

[buffybutt]

Good for you allgirls, you know what you want, your educated about it and thats that. Im so happy your dh is okay with what you need and want. Im so excited to hear how it goes when it does. Keep us posted

[lovnbnhome]

Is there anything you can do to get your iron levels up higher so there isn't the threat of hospital? Just a thought...

Good luck with UC! I have been thinking that I want to do the same bc I do go to a BC in a hospital but dh is chicken about it so I think I will try to wait as long as possible at home...maybe we'll have the baby in the car :LOL on the way! DH might be reassured by the leaving in the car... not that I really want to have a baby in a car.

I really want my kids to be there for the birth and they really want to be there. So we still have to figure getting them going too. It's already hard to do that when not in labor, kwim?

[allgirls]

Originally Posted by lovnbnhome

Is there anything you can do to get your iron levels up higher so there isn't the threat of hospital? Just a thought...

I have been taking iron supplements 350mg 3times a day...B12 plus a B6 supplement, my prenatal and folic acid...in 2 weeks it's gone from 100-104. If I continue on and it keeps increasing and baby comes in a couple weeks I will be probably closer to the 110 level they like to see for a home birth.

But to be honest...I really don't want them to come now...I think they are jumping on something that isn't a big deal...a little too "medical" for me. They only know my iron level from a 26wk test I had when I had my appendicitis attack. It was 106..a little on the low side. But it's common with the increase of fluids at that stage.

With Sophia my iron level was 108 at 27wks...they never tested again...I took supplements and they assumed it was ok...it may not have been...this time they are testing and testing because it has to be at 110 because the "protocol" has changed.

I feel fine...I don't have anemic weakness or any signs of it. I know what that feels like...I think I am fine for a home birth so that's it.

Plus I think going to the hospital and the stress of that is more of a concern than being at home with a lower iron level. I am guaranteed to be stressed about a hospital birth...low iron may or may not be a problem.

[Stephane]

I'm glad you feel comfortable with a homebirth and I hope it all works out. My iron has been low too, but I'm not familiar with those numbers. What exactly are they measuring?

My midwife checks hemoglobin, and she wants it above 11. I was hovering in the mid 10's for weeks, even with supplementation and dietary changes. I finally got it checked somewhere else last week and it was 13.0! That was a huge relief.

Good luck with your birth, however it turns out.

[allgirls]

I think they are the same..it's hemoglobin...11(add a 0) is 110..maybe measuring in different units.

I know if they do finger pricks it's different than if they draw blood from a vein which they did with me.

[Czen:)]

I bleieve the numbers are different here in Canada. Allgirls, have you considered your midwife may feel/be required to make certain reccomendations that do not neccessarily line up with what she really wants to do? She is a licenced midwife in Canada I assume? I have been in a similar situation with my midwife (last preganancy). My DH & I had her explain pro's & con's on both sides and then were clear on our decision and told her we chose to go against her advice. If you tell her that she can write it in your chart and her butt is covered. Our midwife almost seemed relieved at our decision and was incredibly supportive once it was said.

BTW, our issue was induction due to PROM while GBS+. We went on to have a wonderful homebirth 2 1/2 days after my water first broke.

Czen

[allgirls]

Czen...I am sure you are right...still it bugs me...because last time they didn't even check and this time it's an issue...that's probably what bugs me most. Of course it is a different midwife so that may be why..their comfort levels may be different.

and I am not even sure that they will recommend hospital birth. Someone else told me that they are fine if they are over 100 for home birth but my mw said 110...we will see Wednesday what she says.

I wouldn't have gotten induced for PROM either even with GBS positive...I haven't been tested for GBS but if I had tested positive I still wouldn't.

I am not concerned either way. I jsut don't like stressing about this at this time..it's stressful enough waiting..knowing our decision before hand relieves the stress.