Update on being confused

[Cathi]

Thanks for all of the replies on my I'm Very Confused thread! I appreciate them all!

I knew once that midwife said the words "induce at 38 weeks" that we would not choose her. But still, I was SO SHOCKED that a midwife would say that to someone 10 weeks pregnant! But I heard from several reliable sources in the area that this particular midwife was more of a mEdwife than anything. So i guess I shouldn't be surprised. Plus, she trained under the mEdwives at my previous birth center so I REALLY shouldn't be surprised.

Anyway, moving on. We have chosen a VBAC friendly OB very close to our home who delivers out of a hospital that is supposedly relatively VBAC friendly. I have several references from ladies at my local LLL who have delivered VBACs there in the last year.

We are hiring a doula and will labor at home as long as possible. The hospital policy requires me to have an IV and continuous fetal monitoring. And, the OB suggested getting an epidural at 4cm "in case we see signs of potential rupture" so I won't be put under.

After hearing that dh and I are honestly leaning towards an unassisted home birth after ceserean. Our doula will be trained in checking dilation and monitoring fetal heart tones. Perhaps we'll just not show up at the hospital and claim that labor went too quickly?! :p

Anyone know how the process goes for filing a birth certificate in an UA birth?

[zombiemommie]

Cathi I just wanted to say regarding the hospital policy that just because it is policy does not mean you have to comply. You can refuse. It may get ugly but you can refuse, or you can say "I will wear the fetal monitor for 20 minutes each hour" or soemthing that is a compromise.

My hospital that I VBAC'd in did not require IV, even a heplock (I was SHOCKED) and required only an admitting 20 minute strip and then only doppler fetal heart tones once each hour. Nobody mentioned it again. If I needed Pit, got an epidural, or had fetal distress, then the rules would change. But if I was unmedicated and doing fine I needed nothing. I was also told by my midwives that it is motly DOCTOR policy not hospital policy, that the hospital has no rules on VBAC at all actually and this is a larger teaching hospital in a metro area of NY.

Just FYI
Good luck

[Mamaste]

Cathi, a direct link to the Texas statutes pertaining to filing birth information, including out-of-hospital and unattended births, is posted on APConnect!. Look on the Local Resources page under "Pregnancy and birth."

I also just posted the complete text of the pertinent section of the statute in the Pregnancy and Birth forum on the discussion boards as an extra heads-up for board members.

Good luck with your decision process ~

[dotcommama]

I would try to at least labor at home for as long as possible and also like Zombiemommie said just b/c it's "hospital policy" doesn't mean you have to do it. Have you talked to your OB and told him you don't want the IV and constant monitor - if so how did he react?