First Appointments

[sanguine_speed]

I've noticed that many of you seem to be going in to get your levels monitored and such, but it's not done around here. My first appointment is in January to get the 'routine' bloodwork done (hemoglobin, pregnancy test, HIV, platelets, cholesterol, etc workup). They will not monitor my hcg or anything like that. Is this something that is done only for women who have had a history of m/c? None of my friends have had this done either.

Also, I'm on 2 waitings lists for a midwife, and in the meantime I have to see my regular family doc. I'm hoping by 11 weeks (which is the earliest a midwife will see you) I will have a midwife. I do think I will, since I called like 9dpo and am the first on their respective September lists.

Anyone else not seeing a doctor for a few more weeks?

[nikkihoi]

Hi sanguine_speed!

I'm not planning on seeing anyone for a few weeks either. It feels odd, like I should have called a doctor right away or someone.
However, the only person who knows I'm pregnant is a good friend of mine who is studying right now to be a CPM. She said it's not nessary to see anyone right away and that now is time for us to decide what kind of prenatal care and birth we would like so we start our care with the person who will remain with us throughout the pregnancy.
Also, she did mention to me about educating ourselves about all the prenatal tests that will be offered to us so we already know what we think we need as opposed to medical community thinks we need.

I don't have a obgyn but I have seen a CNM at a birthing center who I really like but the drive to the birthing center is a bit far and do I really want to be in labor, have to get in the car to go to place that is set up like a home? Why not stay home? These are the questions I'm asking myself.
There is so much stuff!

[dctexan]

No monitoring of BETAS or anything for me either. I saw my midwife 2 days after I got my BFP (for my annual) and she said she does not do pregnancy blood tests until at least 2 weeks after a missed period. She likes to do the first prenatal between 8-9 weeks (which is when the routine blood work will be done and pregnancy will be confirmed medically).

[*jeanine*]

My HCG levels and early ultrasounds are due to past miscarriage. Dc #1 was conceived the "old-fashioned way", and I don't think I ever got Hcg levels tested, and no u/s until 18 weeks. My first appt with him was about 9 weeks, I think.

[its_our_family]

We would be looking into an OB and even with my history of m/c etc I've never had beta monitoring before.

I probably will call someone after I have TRUE confirmation. But I'll prbably wait another week or two. Cause I gotta find a good OB that will keep my c/s as close to what I want as possible.

(I keep looking at that faint line and just get this feeling like it is a real line....)

[tsfairy]

With DS I went to see my OB right after I got the ++ test. Boy what a waste - $20 copay just to take another pg test, and then to make an appt for a few weeks later "if I'm still pregnant." I actually like my OB, he's the homebirth backup around here, but he has a quirky bedside manner.

We did a u/s around 7 wks with the OB, then had our first MW visit around 9 wks.

This time we're changing midwives (not happy with my old one for various reasons) and we're interviewing a couple this week since DH is off work until the 3rd. I'll probably make an appt with my OB for sometime in Feb just to have a relationship with him this pregnancy, but I'll move heaven and earth to keep from delivering in a hospital again (especially THAT hospital!)

Just as an aside - my *ideal* would be a UC, with really limited prenatal care, but DH isn't comfortable with that yet. I'm working on him though.

[its_our_family]

With Tracy we had an appt and u/s early. Only because we had NO idea how far along I was.

With Bryce I had to get medicaid and that took a bit. I'll never forget going to the crisis pregnancy center to get a letter to give saying I was indeed pregnant. The women was trying to convince me to keep a baby I was already keeping. When I stopped her mid schpeel she was like, Oh. I'll get your note

But I had my first appt at 8 weeks. She freaked out and had me get a u/s. Why? I measured 16 weeks. I measured a consistant 10 weeks ahead with Bryce. When I switched from VBAC to repeat I switched practices and they freaked as well, "You are meauring waaay to big to be only 34 weeks!" I refused the u/s though.

Anyway....

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by tsfairy

This time we're changing midwives (not happy with my old one for various reasons)

I am also getting a different midwife. I've never actually heard of anyone else who has disliked their midwife or had a bad experience with one, so I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. Do you care to share more about this?

[mnkygrl79]

I'm going to my first appt in February


I'm going to go to my midwife who's covered by insurance up until after 20 weeks, and then switch over to a homebirth midwife ;-)

[arelyn]

I'm not going to a doctor until I feel that I need to and right now I'm feeling great!

Oh, unless you count my chiropractor. I see her in a couple weeks.

[beckyphry]

The only reason I had bloodwork right away is because I just had a miscarriage in October. My doctor said I could do it to make myself feel better, basically. With the first pregnancy,though, I didn't have an appointment lined up until about the 8th week, I think.

I went to a new practice with my first pregnancy and saw a midwife -- she was actually trying to get me to have a D&C, even though I was only 5 weeks along when I started miscarrying! I saw another OB in the practice who advised me NOT to have a D&C for the exact reasons I was afraid of one. I liked her... so I decided to keep her.

[tsfairy]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

I am also getting a different midwife. I've never actually heard of anyone else who has disliked their midwife or had a bad experience with one, so I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. Do you care to share more about this?

Well... there are a few different reasons. The huge one was that I felt like she was railroading me into pre-e, by over-reacting about every little thing. It was really frustrating. Like if I didn't drink enough water one day and had a tiny amount of protein show up in my urine, her first response was "oh no we need to monitor this because I might need to transfer care to your OB." Repeat for gaining too much weight in a month, or a little bit of swelling. She really fed my fears and although there were many other factors at play, I think this is one of the big reasons we did in fact wind up inducing early (36 weeks) for pre-e.

The other big one is the way she treated my family in the delivery room. I wasn't aware of any of this while it was going on because I was so out of it, but apparently she was really mean to my mom and sister and they were both very hurt. I wanted them both to be a part of my birth, and they were forced out against my wishes (if I'd realized what was going on I'd have stopped it. Sigh.)

It's funny, I have a friend who also had a bad experience with a different midwife, though her concerns didn't crop up until her 2nd pregnancy with her. I wonder if it's not that uncommon after all.

[sanguine_speed]

tsfairy, thanks for sharing!

I ended up with the backup midwife because mine was away. The backup didn't believe I was in labour, to the point where I went by myself to the hospital and they had to call her and tell her I was 6cm and was she coming after all? The PP, I feel they handled a hemmhorage poorly resulting in massive blood loss, then an intrauterine infection for which I went back to hospital and had a D&C/IV antibiotics for a week while baby had to stay home. Then, when I was having BF pain, they didn't think or ever suggest thrush might be to blame (read the part above about IV antibiotics for a week!). I felt really let down by their lack of support in the end. During labour I asked for nitrous oxide, and the tanks weren't turned on. I kept telling them this (it happened to me first labour as well), and it was even hard to get any air at all because they were closed so it was like sucking which really hurt during a contraction, and they didn't believe me. Until an hour later when someone else noticed. Yeah, there was no trust in me and I couldn't trust myself as I thought they knew better. :
It's to the point where I'm seeking counseling before this birth to help heal from the last 2.

[Einen]

Wow! I'm sorry you ladies had such terrible midwives.

We're lucky to have a great HB midwife in the area. Her fee is relatively low because she says this is her calling.

She's the second person I told about the pregnancy and she said that unless I was having problems, I could wait until her February appointments to come in because that's when we'll start hearing the heartbeat.

[mnkygrl79]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

I am also getting a different midwife. I've never actually heard of anyone else who has disliked their midwife or had a bad experience with one, so I'm glad to hear I'm not alone. Do you care to share more about this?

She's a CNM, and delivers in a hospital. I just didn't get the support that I needed. I had to be induced (IUGR - DD was 1 month behind in measurements and not moving much), and she told me I HAD TO STAY IN BED for my whole labor : (I dont' know WHY I didn't fight it - I had planned on moving about, but I didn't plan on a induction and pitocin, etc....so I was kind of thrown for a loop). SHe wasn't there like she said she was going to be...she came in at the last minute just for the delivery (granted, my labor was VERY fast, especially for a primip induction, but still) and then after DD was born, I had wanted to BF right away, one of the nurses wanted to take DD to check her glucose etc just for a minute = I looked to my MW for support in refusing, and she didn't help at all - and then they had her for an HOUR, not a few minutes : : : :


SO, even though everything turned out OK, I just didn't feel like she had my back. I've seen her out in public and I feel like she doesn't really recognize me. THere's just not a connection, and she didn't support me.

I will be going to her just enough to get my insurance to cover my tests and level II ultrasound, but after that, I"ll be going to a different MW to do a homebirth.


Whew, that was a novel, LOL!

[RachelS]

My appointment is set for the end of jan!

[rach03]

I'll have to call my OB's office on Tuesday...I was set to go in for my annual exam on Feb 20th, so I'm not sure if they will just keep me then or want to see me earlier. Last time they wanted me in at about 8 weeks, Feb 20th would be more like 11-12, so I'm guessing they will move me up. My OB does a vag ultrasound to confirm number of embryos and gestational age.

[Sabo]

I'm calling on Tuesday too. I was hoping to get a phone call from the underground midwife in our area b/c I don't know who she is. Unfortunately she has to be so cautious so that she doesn't end up arrested that it doesn't seem like she's going to contact me. It stinks that I am the only person I know that would be interested in a homebirth. I have no contacts IRL who can help me out and vouch for me. I will be contacting a practice of nurse midwives that goes to births at the Children's Hospital. I've heard that they are pretty good from other moms on MDC, but I really wanted a homebirth. I guess I have a few months to get used to the fact that its not gonna happen.

[AugustLia23]

I'm not sure, with my last pregnancy, my first appt was at about 13 weeks, this time I'll probably get a preg test confirmation(maybe/maybe not) and then just chill out until the half-point or so, 20-ish weeks. Although I am considering UP/UCing, DW isn't really comfortable with it...

[bhawkins]

I went to my OB at 7 wks with my last pregnancy, but it seemed very pointless. They just weighed me and drew some blood and said we'll see you in a month. This time I'm planning a HB so I'm planning to contact the MW this week, but not expecting a visit till at least the end of the month. I don't have a history of any problems, so it just seems natural to wait a little longer.