doing your own prenatals?

[umami_mommy]

wondering who is going to track her own prenatal info?

i am trying to decide when to start.

the midwife doesn't need to see me until 20 weeks and even then she said i can come in every 6 weeks if want. i figure if she knows where my house is by 35 weeks i'm all set.

i think i should start with blood pressure and then later add blood sugar and then fundal height and a protein urine strip.

did i forget anything?

[greeniegreen]

I will be mostly having an unassisted pregnancy (possibly birth as well). I'm only planning on maybe 2-4 midwife visits before the birth, mostly just to feel position of baby, etc.

I might teach my dh to do bp, but I don't care about fundal height, blood sugar, or my urine whatsoever. I will be going in to get my blood drawn around 10 weeks or so (blood typing and iron mostly) and then will have a midwife do another draw around 30 weeks just to check my iron. Other than that, there's nothing I'm going to be testing for.

[umami_mommy]

well, there are reasons, for me, for keeping track of this stuff...


iron - i think i am already anemic. it wasn't a issue last time, but i think it is now. i'm gonna start stuffing myself full of anemia fighting things, but do think i should monitor it. it can affect my birth and it can affect the baby.

blood sugar - i suspect i had high blood sugar during the last pregnancy in the first trimester... though i coould be wrong. at 40 i think i should moniter it. i don't want a huge baby.

fundal hight - it's good to know how the baby is growing. too big or too small can mean a problem that you want to know about.

blood pressure - i think is the single most important thing to keep track of, and at my age i think i should know if my pressure is creeping up.

i'm not the kind of person to feel that not knowing the facts is somehow better... so for me, it's a good middle ground. and i think it will make my midwife feel better about me not really wanting to see her much, so i like that. i want her to feel comfortable too.

[geekmediainc]

I went mostly unassisted last pregnancy and had a unassisted birth 3 months ago.

I'll be going more unassisted pregnancy this time w/ a definite uc again.

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by thegoodgeeks

I went mostly unassisted last pregnancy and had a unassisted birth 3 months ago.

I'll be going more unassisted pregnancy this time w/ a definite uc again.

ummm does that mean you did your own prenatals and recorded the results?

[geekmediainc]

I did some of my own prenatals, but I also saw a Nurse Practitioner a few times.

This time I don't plan on seeing anyone, but strictly doing some of my own prenatals. Have you sought out the unassisted birth site:

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/

Most of the prenatal work isn't important to me, but I do plan on watching my blood pressure just in case (even though it is extraordinarily low).

[waterbaby9503]

-lurking all the way from the May board...
Nice site, thanks for posting the link.

I am 29 wks, and will have my first midwf visit next wk. I have been tracking my wt and blood pressure, and that's all really! The reason I am seeing an mw is so that I can start building a relationship with her and feel comfortable at my birth.
However, she is saying she wants to start tracking urine proteins, won't take my word for what my blood type is, and set up a whole chart and *that* is what makes me uncomfortable. So, I'm not sure how this will go, may have an UC.
Also, it might be worth noting that I'm 19 and work part time as a swim instructor, so a youthful body is on my side. (Not saying youth and inexperience are the best assets either, though!)

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by waterbaby9503

-However, she is saying she wants to start tracking urine proteins, won't take my word for what my blood type is, and set up a whole chart and *that* is what makes me uncomfortable.

don't forget she has rules she has to follow too, she can' just fly by the seat of her pants. if you want someone like that, you would likely want a "secret handshake" midwife.

it's a two way street if you have a midwife attend you, you should be comfortable with her, but she also needs to be comfortable with you. and she has to do things legal and that means charts, etc. that's how she keeps her license.

[littleteapot]

This will be my second unassisted pregnancy.
My first was with a hands-off midwife. She taught me how to do my own care, and we just met for talking. I loved her very, very much!

I don't do the urine sticks because I keep a close eye on my nutrition. I do blood pressure on ocassion. I'm prone to Low BP, and when pregnant if I don't drink enough water it tends to rise a little (but still nowhere near the "danger zone").
Fundal height I measure starting around 20 weeks, but that's pretty much just for 'fun', as fundal height is only tracking whether or not growth is taking place - on just about every other count it is completely unreliable.

I also bought a fetoscope for about $24 at the medical supply store and I listen to my baby's heartbeat starting around 20-22 weeks.

[tabitha]

i am going to be doing all of my own prenantal care.

i was trying to remember all the things my midwife did before, like the pee strips, BP, etc, and wondering which were really important. i seem to always have low BP, i've never had high blood sugar or protein in my urine.

one thing she did i sort of wish i could is an antibody test in pg. because i am RH-.

tabitha