[Misbehavedmeg]

I am delivering at a hosptial with a CNM, which one I will not know until I get to the hospital. Anyway, most of the midwives are very much like Obs. I have only met with two that I really feel comfortable with because they have much more of a natural mind set than the others.

I met with one of the midwives yesterday and was asking about the policy of what happens if my water were to break. She said I am to come immediately into the hospital. I said "really? even if my water is clear, I monitor my temperature, there is no prolapse and I stick nothing up my vagina?" and she said "yes". She thinks its too great of a risk to stay home after your water breaks. I really don't understand that. She knows that I want to have a natural birth and want to stay home as much as possible. I told my dh about it and he says we should just do what she says. I would rather wait a few hours and at least try to start my own contractions if they hadn't started yet.

Is anyone else dealing with midwives or obs that have this policy? I am already not happy about having to have a hep lock in my hand. I was told that they would rather have me find a new practice then to try and refuse a hep lock.

 

[ReadingRenee]

I asked my midwife (CNM) if my water broke how long I could wait to come in and she said it depended on the results of my Strep B test. If it was positive, I had less time than if it was negative. I didn't get exact numbers out of her though... I will find out after my strep b test in 2 weeks.

 

[Misbehavedmeg]

I edited out the word medwife due to potential name calling.

 

[~Katie~]

I think you have the right idea. I was always told to wait it out at home until things get underway, basically not to treat it any different than if my water didn't break.

 

[ScootchsMom]

Um, how are they going to know when your water breaks if you don't tell them

Even if that is my midwives' policy, nothing says I have to obey it. If my water breaks before labor and my GBS status is negative, I have no problem waiting for labor to start and lying/not saying anything about how long my water was broken. Once you tell them a time, you are now on the c-section clock. I haven't had to cross the GBS bridge yet, so I don't what to expect if I'm +.

 

[Full Heart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScootchsMom Um, how are they going to know when your water breaks if you don't tell them Even if that is my midwives' policy, nothing says I have to obey it. If my water breaks before labor and my GBS status is negative, I have no problem waiting for labor to start and lying/not saying anything about how long my water was broken. Once you tell them a time, you are now on the c-section clock. I haven't had to cross the GBS bridge yet, so I don't what to expect if I'm +.

Yea, I agree with this. *If* it happens that your water breaks and contractions don't start, which isn't likely to happen. So I would concentrate on that

 

[LiLStar]

Oh I'd totally just lie about water breaking. Stay at home until well into active labor (even if it takes DAYS) and then at the hospital say it broke "oh, about 20 minutes ago. We came right in!"

 

[the_lissa]

I would switch providers. It isn't too late.

When you get there, you can refuse the hep lock. They can't fire you for refusing then.

 

[Sadie Lake]

I don't have the same issue... but I was little unhappy with my m/w after our appt today.

Granted, she's fighting a cold and was running late and various other thing that would make any normal person cranky.

But...

She just seemed totally annoyed the whole time she was here and whenever she answered my questions did so in a way that seemed short and irritable. I'm one of those people that when I have an issue, I do some research. I know I can seem uptight to others, but isn't that better that someone that just sits around and waits for everyone else to tell her what to think?!

So, I guess I just wanted to share and let you know that you're not alone! And, I agree with pp that if I were you, I'd stay home a while and wait until things got rolling. You can always just say you thought you peed yourself!

Sadie

 

[Punchy Kaby]

I go to Ob's and even they don't say to come in as soon as the waters break, as long as there is no meconium. I was also strep b- last time, don't know if it would be different with a +.

Once you step foot in the hospital, you are on their timer. How would they ever know if your waters broke an hour ago or 10 hrs ago?

If you are uncomfortable with their care in general, that is another story. Do you have a better option to switch to at this point?

 

[Misbehavedmeg]

For whatever reason, in Orange County, there is only one hospital that has CNMs on staff. This is the hospital where I will be delivering. We can't afford to have a home birth and need to rely on our insurance to pay for most of the cost of having a baby. I just hope that I can get one of the midwives I feel more comfortable with.

As far as waiting to go in after my water were to break, I am probably comfortable with waiting about 4 hours before starting to worry without having a doppler to check his heart rate. Now, convincing my dh to let me wait, might be slightly more difficult. Maybe my doula could help me with that.

 

[RasJane]

Could you rent a doppler to help ease your mind, just in case? Or use a stethoscope. Right at full term you can hear the baby's heart with a regular stethoscope. We bought one for our son from a nurses supply store. I don't think it cost much, really.

I would concentrate on how awesome your labor is going to be and keep those good thoughts in your head.

 

[MaeHaftahurcha]

My water recently broke prematurely and the midwife on call at the center I went to not only had a policy of having people come directly in, he wanted to do a C section if labor didn't start on it's own in a few hours. He pushed my buttons to a small degree and my husband's to a much greater extent and we very nearly let him call an OB to cut out our daughter over a month before she was due simply because my water broke, even though it now appears that I'll be able to have a perfectly normal, natural birth at term.

I learned a lot of things from the experience, but the number one thing I took away from it was that if a care provider has a policy you aren't comfortable with or is pushing you to do something you don't want to do, refuse their care! You are totally within your rights to do so and it beats regretting how your child's birth went forever.

 

[mamarootoo]

awww... i'm sorry mama

you might want to ask another midwife in the practice?

 

[Smithie]

Lie. Totally. I'm renting a Doppler in May, and the big reason I am doing so is to increase my own comfort level with staying home until I am way, way far along. My hospital has a universal IV policy as well, which I'm not even thinking about consenting to if I can go into labor naturally at home.

What I've hard from others is that showing up at the hospital way far along is really the best way to avoid nasty little spats about stuff like this. Not a bad plan if you go into labor naturally somewhere in the 40-week range, but the approach definitely has some holes in it for people like me who are basically unwilling to go longer than that. The end of pregnancy is very, very debilitating for me, so much so that I would consent to at least a hep lock and intermittent EFM in order to have an amniotomy when I was ready to get the show on the road. But YMMV, and probably does, if you haven't had an amniotomy and given birth 5 hours later with no other interventions. It tends to make one view the procedure in a sunny light

 

[scrappingmom]

as a couple others mentioned .. see about renting a doppler or buy a stethescope, if i reember they are like $5 maybe 10 and honestly, kinda a nice thing to have around for future, give a listen to little lungs to tell if THEY are rattly or if its nasal stuff etc.

Also, i'd call and ASK FOR one of the MW's you DID feel comfortable with and ask THEIR opinion! I do that with the preactice i go to, 1 doc i totally dont like but see almost every time

When speaking to one who you DO like, you might ask too if theres a way to request NOT having a speific one as they make you feel uncomfortable and stressed out. Cant hurt to ask!!!!

as far as water breaking.... you can tell the truth when you come in.. what are they gong to do? send you home? turn back the clock and force you in? Just say, water was clear, i wanted to relax at home for a while and "be in the moment" contractions started ..whenever.. and are now however far apart. Show them you've been keeping track of... temp, movements, HB if you can etc

Alot of people DONT have their water break until well into things too so theres a good chance it WONT have broke when you've decided ctx are cloes and regular enough you want to be "safe" and go to the hospital.

 

[Misbehavedmeg]

I might look into getting a doppler or maybe ask my doula if she has access to one. I am just hoping that my water doesn't break until I go into transition and then I won't have to worry about this bureaucratic crap.