hospital policies sound bad - Page 2

[stacyann21]

Unfortunately most of those sound about right. I recommend switching to a birth center! I just did at 34 weeks .

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by Mounikhia

I'm 29 weeks today. I just had a doctor's appointment this morning and won't go back for another month. At the appointment, I asked a nurse about birth in the hospital and was told that what the childbirth instructors were going to tell me would not correspond to reality.

There will be continuous fetal monitoring and monitoring of contractions.

I will be lying in a bed and will not have freedom of movement.

They will not give me an IV if I request not to have one. But they will have me connected to something (I forget what she called this) so they can start an IV at any time.

She also said that there would be "up to four (?) hours of pushing without an epidural, and up to three (?) hours with an epidural." I may have gotten the numbers reversed there. Does that mean that they will intervene after that amount of time? Maybe with a C-section? I didn't ask because I didn't think to till later.

I'm not a high risk pregnancy. Everything is progressing normally so far.

I'm wondering if I should try to fight for what I want at this hospital or look to transfer my care to a hospital or birth center that gives better options? Or maybe a homebirth?

Thank you very much for any advice!

Any so called hospital policy can be broken if your doctor choses to break it or allow you too.
There is no reason for you to have to be in the bed, especially without an IV. A heplock will not keep you in the bed. I assure you!
As for fetal monitoring, this can also be changed. My compromise for my first birth was 15-20 minutes every hour. I would have freedom to move, shower, go to the bathroom etc. This seems to be pretty standard with most OBs.
As for the pushing, I think you will need to ask your OB directly about his personal philosphy. Most OBs will let you push for a long period of time as long as the baby is fine and you are fine. My aunt pushed for 4 hours and my sister pushed for over 2 with their first.

If your doctor can't work with you on your birthplan you may want to consider getting another one.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by ~MoonGypsy~

Wow. After a bedside manner like that -- I'd complain to whoever you need to complain to at the hospital, transfer to a birth center and do lots and lots of research and soul searching about a homebirth.

Report what? It is hospital policy and standard of care. I'd send her flowers for saving me from an ordeal and birth out of hospital.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Mounikhia

Thanks so much everyone for the advice and support! I will see what my insurance lets me do at this point and look into a nearby birthing center whose website I found last night.

My husband is uneasy with homebirth, so probably not this time. (Someday, maybe. ) He seemed to like what he saw at the birth center website though. It's so important to me that we be united in this decision.

If we do get stuck at the hospital, waiting as long as possible to go in sounds like the best thing to do.

Go hang out at the homebirth board. There is a sticky on top with infomation we have used to convince dhs/relatives. A birth center is just someone else's house, they can't do anything for you there that can't be done in your home. I would also post at the hb board about what to tell your insurance company. Most ins. will only have CPMs as PPOs but your insco cannot require you (by federal reg) to birth in a hospital. It is probably better that you only inquire as to providers and do not mention that you want a homebirth.

My dh did not agree with a hb either. We went to the birthcenter at 38wk and dh realized that we'd be paying $500 extra to birth in someone else's (nice) house. By that time he also knew the mw's better and that helped as well.

[vanessab23]

Originally Posted by alegna

Dump them and have a homebirth. No question IMO.

-Angela

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