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UC pregnancy support

6K views 214 replies 30 participants last post by  2bluefish 
#1 ·
I figured some of us pregnant UC'ing mamas might want a space to just talk about pregnancy related topics.
This will be my first planned UC (my dd was an unplanned UC and my ds was an induced hospital birth) and I am very excited!

Heather
 
#27 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheacoby
Babs, I agree with you on that. I had a hospital birth with my ds and it was a very bad experience that I'm not sure I'm over yet. I'm "chicken" not to have records of prenatal care. I have no intentions at all of having anything other than a UC.
Heh, I must have misread you. I thought you said you were NOT having a UC! And I was going, "What are you doing in this thread?..."
 
#28 ·
My husband initially trusted my judgement. He asked genral questions as he wrapped his mind around not havign the baby in a hospital with an OB- thats all hes ever known.

I talk about how birth will be frequently. I'm informing him of the range of normal, and still working through what I need from him, and what would constitute an emergency and shake my confidence.

He is finally beginnign to realize that this is it. We're not seeing a midwife. We need to think about the birth for real, and begin preparing supplies. As I mentioned in my last response in this thread, we've hit a turning point- a point where this is it- we're really doing a UP/UC as opposed to just "not getting around to seeing someone yet." DH woke me up over the weekend wondering and fussing abotu the babie's health and how we'd know what we needed to do- things I've worked through already since the pregnancy has been more real to me for longer than it has for him (I'm the one feeling baby moving, dealing with physical changes....)
 
#29 ·
I've seen a lot of fear bounding up on this board due to the other thread about CPS. But I'd like to point out that their baby was taken not because they had a UC but because they were trusting and naive.
Educate yourself about the system and remember that your best defense against CPS is not a notebook full of fundal height measurements but rather your front door... slammed in their faces
.
If you enjoy doing it then more power to you. if you're only doing it out of fear of CPS then you've already let them win (Yes it's a only a small victory but if what you really want is a completely unmanaged pregnancy but you keep a notebook out of fear they've already deprived you of the experience that you want and deserve)

Know your rights and don't let "them" infringe on them by even an inch

That's part of what this is about isn't it saying to "them" and to yourself "It's MY body, MY baby, MY life. I know what's best and am going to do it that way."


Sorry to start of with a sermon. I'll do a proper intro later, right now DD wants attention.
 
#30 ·
I agree with you I really do.
But we don't have the means to fight CPS if they did get involved. Right now I'm more concerned with my peace of mind during this pregnancy. I am okay with seeing a midwife, especially the one I will probably being seeing (she's really hands of with prenatal care).
Yes, they got me and it does suck but I'm not going to stress on it too much. I'm still going to birth the way I feel is best/safest, which is the most important thing to me. I probably wouldn't choose prenatal care under different cirumstances but I am not totally opposed to it either.

On a lighter note I'm 12 weeks today!!!!!!!!
I thought I was feeling better and was getting sort of happy and then BAM last night I was so sick and ended up puking in the middle of night. I'm kind of depressed now and so sick of feeling like sh!t. Morning sickness go away and DON'T come back another day.

~Heather
 
#31 ·
It is nice to have free midwifery care, hospitals, dotors etc but its not all its cracked up to be. You don't get the same midwives throughout your care - i see two or three different ones for prenatal checks, they are very busy and only allocate 10 minutes per person, sometimes you wait for 2 hours to see someone. Then when you actually give birth its luck of the draw as to who you get and what type of midwife they are - there is a pool of about 30 in the local area for all the births. The midwives are very medical based and can not advise on anything alternative. They also lie to you and tell you its against the law to give birth without them.
Our hospitals are dirty, peoples babies die of MRSA when they are born in them. The doctors are overworked and under paid. Many people choose to pay for private operations abroad. Free dentists are in very short supply as they have all gone private and you can only get silver (mercury) fillings from the free dentists.
I try to avoid anything medial unless i'm bleeding to death, car crashes, major A&E type things, otherwise i see a homeopath, acupunturist, or work with herbs or nutrition. None of the alternative health treatment is covered on our free health care so i have to pay for it anyway.

My dh is very enthusiastic about the idea of UC, he trusts me and my wacky ways. He is reading childbirth books before he goes to bed. But i think that unless I go into labour at night he will be mainly looking after ds and i will be left for most of the birth by myself - which i am happy with.

At least our social services don't sound quite as scary as your CPS!
 
#32 ·
The midwife care where you live sounds like the OB care here. I think there were 6 OB's in the practice I went to with my DS, I never even met all of them. Well I guess the free medical care really isn't such a bargin where you live, it's sounds pretty bad.
 
#33 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by puddleduck

My dh is very enthusiastic about the idea of UC, he trusts me and my wacky ways. He is reading childbirth books before he goes to bed. But i think that unless I go into labour at night he will be mainly looking after ds and i will be left for most of the birth by myself - which i am happy with.
Mine is also. He really likes that I take an active part in what's going on and refuse to go with the flow. He likes me to read stuff to him, and if I find something he'd really like, then he'll read the whole thing. We read Rape of the 21st Century on gentlebirth I think together, we totally agree which is nice
Herbal medicine is something I'm still working on... He's not thrilled about it at all, says if it was ment to be ingested then it would taste better, though he thinks that Tylenol is just fine. Stinker. I'm getting Shepard's Purse, Angelica (sp?), Don Qui (sp?), and cayanne pepper to make tinctures to have on hand for the birth though, and I can bet if I'm bleeidng excessively he'll not mind whatever 'whichcraft' I go ahead and take


Cara
 
#34 ·
Babs, I measured HUGE until I got to about 20w and then I'm slowing down to normal-ish so you never know, maybe you're just measuring higher just because (just like I was). There is only one in here - not enough movement for two.


I'm excited to talk about UP... I'm feeling a little anxious about not having done anything to this point (I'm 21w and some) after all the CPS junk here where I live... but I can't afford those pee sticks yet and I know my bp is normal, my weight is normal (a little on the low side though... it's just how I grow babies) and my fundal height is fine. I guess I should write it all down? It seems nuts really.

Is there a point in UPing that you pay closer attention? We're just growing here and taking care of ourselves... so I don't know if I should start watching things more or just wait until my brain triggers a concern (I assist a MW friend at her births and have gone through two assisted pg so I think I'll know when something feels "off")?

Anyways... we're 1/2 way to a new Bean in our family - yay!

~Julie
 
#35 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by littleteapot
I've gotten big REALLY fast with this one.
Really, really fast. My fundal height has already reached my navel and I'm no more than 12-14 weeks or something.

(Yes, I'm positive!! I only had one period!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rogression.jpg

(the months are my 'best guesses')
Ok.....me and you look very similar size wise. I am smaller then your last pic but am only 11 weeks or so.

I will try to post a pic asap.
 
#36 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelBee
Ok.....me and you look very similar size wise. I am smaller then your last pic but am only 11 weeks or so.

I will try to post a pic asap.
What's weird for me is that I started out tiny. I usually get big. I did with my other two, and I usually get big fast - but this is pretty big pretty fast, even for me.
My first two I started out 100lbs, and this one I started out maybe 110 and at first it was all normal big and then WHOOSH I got huge just recently.
 
#37 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by littleteapot
What's weird for me is that I started out tiny. I usually get big. I did with my other two, and I usually get big fast - but this is pretty big pretty fast, even for me.
My first two I started out 100lbs, and this one I started out maybe 110 and at first it was all normal big and then WHOOSH I got huge just recently.
Yup. I started at about 115-120.

I do show early, but I look huge!

I even borrowed a medical field friend's doupler because I am debating checking to see if I can find more then one heart beat.
 
#38 ·
I just realized that I hadn't posted here yet. I blame pregnancy brain.


This is my second child, my first UP/UC. I so excited that I want to shout from the rooftops, but with all the CPS talk lately as well as unsupportive in-laws I'm feeling more and more like hiding in a cave until it's over. LOL

DH was "no way" at first, then began to understand and accept my plans, but now he's feeling nervous and getting antsy about having some back up. I almost want to laugh that he's going through more of a rollercoaster than I am, and I'm the one pregnant here!


32 weeks, roughly. I can't believe it's almost over.
 
#39 ·
Has anyone felt braxton hicks contraction as early as 12 weeks before? I think I am feeling them now but not sure. I know it's early for that but I did start feeling them with my ds when I was about 5mths along maybe even a bit earlier. I'm definitely having periodic discomfort, not really cramping.
 
#40 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheacoby
Has anyone felt braxton hicks contraction as early as 12 weeks before? I think I am feeling them now but not sure. I know it's early for that but I did start feeling them with my ds when I was about 5mths along maybe even a bit earlier. I'm definitely having periodic discomfort, not really cramping.
I have been experiencing the same thing.
 
#42 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by littleteapot
Sheacoby -
I'm the opposite: I'm too chicken to birth in a hospital. It's just way, way too dangerous. It's like submitting to being raped, and having had one hospital birth (and one natural midwife-birth) under my belt I could *never* do it again.
I have the exact same feelings towards this... I wish people around me could understand...
 
#43 ·
I also just realized that I hadn't posted before... I had read just never posted... guess I am just too used to lurking on some boards


I am having my first UP/UC... ds#1 was born in the hospital after being transferred from the birthing center... which was one of the worse experiences of my life (well except for the fact that I left with a beautiful baby boy) and Ds #2 was born in a free standing birthing center under the care of some great midwifes..

this time however, UP/UC is calling me and I am starting to get very excited about it...

ooops... kids need me... I am recording everything on my preg blog for those who are interested (in my sig
)...
 
#45 ·
Oooo count me in! This is my second pregnancy, will be my second homebirth, but my first UP/UC. With my first pregnancy I saw an OB (because it was the thing to do, dontcha know?) about two-thirds of my pregnancy and two seemingly wonderful midwives two thirds of my pregnancy. The OB fired me about a month or so before my due date because I got tired of lying about not knowing which hospital I was going to "deliver" at and told her I was going to have a homebirth (her reaction "you don't expect me to deliver it do you?" I actually laughed at her and said, good grief no!) The midwives were great until the birth. During the birth [I felt] I was treated like a giant inconvenience. I was progressing fast enough (first birth, 12 hour total labor time!) for them, I shouldn't be making so much noise, I HAD to squat (they literally told me I could not get up, even when I told them my legs were killing me...I'm not a squatter, period.), if I didn't pee I'd never get the baby out (yes, one of them literally said those words to me... I sat on the toilet for over a f*cking hour trying to pee, talk about demeaning), no I couldn't get back in the pool because it had stalled me in early labor, and they kept telling me how they had another client who was in labor too so as soon as I was done they'd have to rush over to her... Yea, DH didnt much blame me when I told him I didn't want anyone at this birth, especially as one of them was quite rude to him, my sister and my MIL. *deep cleansing breath*

I am very relieved to be able to just follow my own instincts and trust my body. I have MDC if I have common pregnancy questions and I live two blocks for the best ER in town. My butt is covered


The only people who know about my UC plans are my mom (who lives out of state thank Goddess), my MIL (who DH may call if he needs her) and my Granny who lives with us. Plan on keeping it that way
 
#46 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by littleteapot
Sheacoby -
I'm the opposite: I'm too chicken to birth in a hospital. It's just way, way too dangerous. It's like submitting to being raped, and having had one hospital birth (and one natural midwife-birth) under my belt I could *never* do it again.
I'm with you on that one! (though i've never had a hospital birth) Actually that was my biggest reason behind wanting a homebirth with my first: i'm terrified of hospitals and have very little trust for medical personnel. It was bad enough that with dd1 I told dh if we couldn't find a mw here I'd move in StLouis the month I was due if thats what it took to avoid hospitals.
 
#47 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CryPixie83
I'm with you on that one! (though i've never had a hospital birth) Actually that was my biggest reason behind wanting a homebirth with my first: i'm terrified of hospitals and have very little trust for medical personnel. It was bad enough that with dd1 I told dh if we couldn't find a mw here I'd move in StLouis the month I was due if thats what it took to avoid hospitals.
Hospitals are for SICK PEOPLE! Doctors are for helping the sick, and the injured... there is nothing "sick" or "Broken" about a pregnancy that needs to be "fixed". I don't get hospital birth.

Everyone always plays up the "just in case" card. Did you know that most deadly accidents happen in the home? It's true. So why aren't you also walking around your house in full body armor??
Makes just as much sense to me.


My (childless) friend was telling me the other day how someone called her and said that X person is in labour and went to the hospital and her first reaction was, "Oh my god, is she okay?!".
At any other time if we were told so-and-so is in the hospital, we'd be scared for them! That means something is wrong!
...Except for when they have a baby, which is inherently "something wrong".
 
#48 ·
I just want to be clear (since a few people have quoted Bab's post to me which was a misunderstanding) that I DO NOT think hospitals are where babies should be born. I'm actually quite against that concept. The thought of having another one of my babies in the hospital is very scary indeed.
 
#49 ·
So what sort of prenatal care are you all doing for yourselves?

I'm taking my pregnancy vits (2 days out of 3), and have ordered some DHA fatty acid tablets, i take a multimineral cell food (my ds has really bad teeth and i'm convinced its an in womb mineral deficiency), i will start drinking raspberry leaf tea at about 34/36 weeks, and start taking a herbal tincture that contains raspberry leaf, false unicorn root and some other bits I can't remember. Then about a week before my due date take I'll start taking homeopathic arnica and caulophylum. I went to see an osteopath yesterday and I have reflexology treatments every 4 weeks.

I need to think about starting visualisation / positive thinking etc

What is everyone else doing?
 
#50 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by puddleduck
So what sort of prenatal care are you all doing for yourselves?

I'm taking my pregnancy vits (2 days out of 3), and have ordered some DHA fatty acid tablets, i take a multimineral cell food (my ds has really bad teeth and i'm convinced its an in womb mineral deficiency), i will start drinking raspberry leaf tea at about 34/36 weeks, and start taking a herbal tincture that contains raspberry leaf, false unicorn root and some other bits I can't remember. Then about a week before my due date take I'll start taking homeopathic arnica and caulophylum. I went to see an osteopath yesterday and I have reflexology treatments every 4 weeks.

I need to think about starting visualisation / positive thinking etc

What is everyone else doing?
I measure fundal height, watch my daily protein intake and then I try to find naturally sourced supplement, calcium & Magnesium and fatty acid. I also take red raspberry leaf in capsule form because the tea makes me nauseated. Forcing myself to drink water takes up a huge portion of my day, too.

I have a log where I mark down interesting things, pregnancy milestones (like fetal movement, heartbeat detection, etc...) and I record my dreams.
 
#51 ·
Right now I'm mostly just trying to get through the morning sickness. I can't take prenatal vits. right now w/o puking but before m/s hit I was taking Perfect prenatals can't remmber the brand now. I was also drinking pregnancy tea. I'll start both back sometime in the second trimester. I'll also be adding a cal /mag suppliment (any suggestions on a good and pretty cheap one). My diet will get much better once the m/s is gone and I'll go back to eating a high nutrient mostly plant based diet , although I think I'll add organic free range eggs in maybe once a week or every other week. I've been craving them but I know my tummy can't handle them right now.
I feel fundal height and keep tabs on my weight. I have my mom take my BP when she comes over.
 
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