[ndakkitten]

Well, I had a bit of upsetting news at my last OB appointment. Turns out my OB is going on vacation for 2 weeks the day after my due date!!! I was totally thrown for a loop. When I asked who was covering for him, he answered with the names of the 2 OB's I absolutely wanted nothing to do with!!! I was kinda in shock the rest of the appointment.

Afterwards, I was like, ok, what do I do now? I called my doula and asked about OB's at the other hospital. She gave praises to one doc in particular, so after some pleading, I convinced my husband to go on a tour of the other hospital. He was reluctant because he said the rooms were small and he hadn't had good experiences with some of the nurses (he's a paramedic).

So, a few days later we take our tour. First came the Labor/Delivery section. Wow, what a difference! The nurses were totally more receptive to the idea of VBAC. They never ONCE used the term TOLAC, which the nurses at the other hospital insisted was the correct term. Also, the OB floor is remodeling - adding more rooms and adding whirlpool tubs to more of the rooms. This all will be finished long before my due date!

Next, we went to the Mom/Baby (the postpartum) section. Turns out the small rooms my husband had seen were the single rooms that are used last, when they run out of room. They showed us the family rooms (oh my god were they huge!!!) and the c-section rooms (in case I do end up with a repeat section), and I was totally impressed.

So now, to make an appointment with the new OB. I am actually looking forward to this appointment because of the good reputation this doc has.

Overall, this bit of "bad" news might actually result in a better birth. I sincerely hope so!

 

[ollineeba]

Sorry you had a change in plans, but it sounds like this situation might work out much better for you!
I think it's great that your OB told you well in advance that he would be on vacation. You have plenty of time to figure things out

The whirlpool tubs sound awesome!

 

[ndakkitten]

Yeah, he could have told me closer to my due date...that would have been a nightmare! But then again, I wouldn't be the first woman to end up switching OB's close to her due date.

So next comes presenting my birth plan to the new OB at this appointment... sounds like I can't get away from the saline lock (from what the nurses at the hospital told me), but they said they do intermittent monitoring with a plastic-covered Doppler while I am in the tub. So yea!!! No having to get out!

Overall, this is definitely setting up to be a better birth experience than my first two. My first two weren't horrible (except for my actual c-section), they just had room for improvement. I keep telling my husband that my main wish for this pregnancy is to actually go into labor at home and be able to stay at home for a good while before going in. At least this time I only live about a mile from the hospital, instead of 45!! And having a husband who is a paramedic and drives an ambulance like a madman for a living makes me pretty sure I can get to the hospital fast if I need to!

 

[JanetF]

Why is it ok for a CP to do this? It truly appalls me! Either this knOb took you on KNOWING he was going away when your baby is due or he accepted a holiday offer AFTER taking you on as a client and knowing you were due then! I hope you complain up a storm at this disgusting treatment.

 

[ebony_vbac]

this sounds like a blessing in disguise. i hope you have the best birth possible at whichever hospital you decide

 

[ndakkitten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanetF Why is it ok for a CP to do this? It truly appalls me! Either this knOb took you on KNOWING he was going away when your baby is due or he accepted a holiday offer AFTER taking you on as a client and knowing you were due then! I hope you complain up a storm at this disgusting treatment.

Oh good grief, relax! Doctor's have lives and are allowed vacations too. He's been saving up for this vacation for years. My husband and I both work in the medical field and know how rare a vacation like this is for an OB. Yes, I was a bit thrown, but I am not angry. He could have waited and told me right before I was due. I am only 22 weeks, I have plenty of time to explore my options.

So no, I am not going to complain and get myself all upset and stressed. Getting all worked up like that is not good, especially when I am pregnant. I have enough things in my life to stress me out without letting something like this add to it. Especially when it looks like its going to work out better in the end. Why ruin a blessing in disguise?

 

[JanetF]

Then why did you hire a CP you didn't even want? That doesn't make sense... You may be ok with being dumped by a CP but it throws many women into total chaos and distress and it's just not ethical.

 

[Quickening]

Its not Ok for careproviders for pregnant women to do this. But OBs have other OBs to cover for them and so thus this makes it all okay in their eyes I bet!

I think its wrong. OBs aren't just another doctor, they are the ones supposedly there at the birth, a very intimate event and many women spend their pregnancies with one they build a comfortable relationship with, so to throw all that into disarray is unethical and appalling! Pregnant women need to feel secure, not up in the air or betrayed by the one they place their trust and security in.

I would definitely complain. Women invest more (emotional, mental wise) in their pregnancy and birth CPs than they do a doctor that is simply there to fix them up or give them a prescription if they are ill.

A homebirth midwife, well a good one anyway would NEVER do this. Women often invest a lot of time and energy in interviewing CPs to find one that suits their philosophies.

Women also shouldn't have their 'hope' for a good birth or a 'better' birth dependant on their care providers or how their pregnancy and birth are cared for because this puts them at the mercy of their CP and how their CP thinks birth should be handled. I think it should come from empowering themselves so that they are able to birth the way THEY want to birth. The careproviders should be there to do as the woman says, not the other way around. JMO!

 

[ndakkitten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanetF Then why did you hire a CP you didn't even want? That doesn't make sense... You may be ok with being dumped by a CP but it throws many women into total chaos and distress and it's just not ethical.

Where at all did I say I didn't want that OB??? I said I didn't want to deal with his partner OB's. But the OB I was seeing was very good and extremely supportive of my VBAC. Plus, this was only my second appointment with this OB. Hence, I hadn't even developed a working relationship with him yet. I used the first appointment to get an impression and was going to use the second one to present my birth plan (didn't do it the first appointment because my husband got called away).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quickening A homebirth midwife, well a good one anyway would NEVER do this. Women often invest a lot of time and energy in interviewing CPs to find one that suits their philosophies.

Go ahead and say this would never happen with so and so. You guys can get all worked up and think I was dumped all you like. Go ahead and concentrate on the negative. Turn this into some sort of crusade. Make it sound like I just chose this doc by flipping through the yellow pages. I did my research. I did check into how supportive this doc was of VBAC. This was the only doctor at this hospital that I wanted to use.

Me, I am going to see it as an opportunity to have my birth at a facility that I found to be friendlier with an OB that is even more supportive. I am going to stay positive and look forward to having a wonderful birth. Perhaps once the pregnancy is over I might look into complaining. But I refuse to get myself all upset before then.

The only reason I posted was to let people know how I ended up with a blessing in disguise. You guys make me regret even bothering to say anything.

 

[laohaire]

ITA that OBs are people and need vacations and you have only a chance of having them on-call for the birth anyway - so what's the difference if this OB gave his patient a heads-up halfway along?

Glad it's all working out for you.

 

[ollineeba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndakkitten The only reason I posted was to let people know how I ended up with a blessing in disguise. You guys make me regret even bothering to say anything.

My take on this- your OB probably wouldn't have been on call, anyway, like a pp said. When you have an OB, you don't really know who will be there to deliver. Chances are that he wouldn't have been there. It stinks, yes, but that just how it is with most OBs (a big reason why I switched to a midwife! But anyway..)

Relax and gestate in peace

I'm glad things seemed to work out for you and you will be able to have a better birth experience!

 

[ndakkitten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mama2babybeans It stinks, yes, but that just how it is with most OBs (a big reason why I switched to a midwife! But anyway..)

That was how it was with my hospital midwives....I got whichever one was on call. But I got along great with all of them and miss them terribly.

Dunno why the OB's around here are so against midwives, but that's why there aren't any here. No OB is willing to back them up. Hopefully things will change in the future (of course, I'll be long past my childbearing years by then!!!)

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanetF Why is it ok for a CP to do this? It truly appalls me! Either this knOb took you on KNOWING he was going away when your baby is due or he accepted a holiday offer AFTER taking you on as a client and knowing you were due then! I hope you complain up a storm at this disgusting treatment.

Uh, it's okay becuase he's a person with a life?

: seriously, it's no wonder there are less and less medical students opting to go into obstetrics with expectations like this. Is an OB never, ever allowed to go on vacation, or heaven forbid, have a family emergency which stops him from being able to be there for a client?

seriously, it's attitudes like this that make me feel bad for health care professionals.

ndakkitten, I'm glad htat you've turned this into a positive for your family, and it sounds like the new hospital and new OB will be wonderful for you. I'm jealous - whirlpool tubs is one feature my birthplace has yet to add!!

 

[ndakkitten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade Uh, it's okay becuase he's a person with a life? : seriously, it's no wonder there are less and less medical students opting to go into obstetrics with expectations like this. Is an OB never, ever allowed to go on vacation, or heaven forbid, have a family emergency which stops him from being able to be there for a client? seriously, it's attitudes like this that make me feel bad for health care professionals.

Exactly what I was trying to say in an earlier post!! My husband is a paramedic and seriously thought about going to med school to be an OB (he's currently working on his RN). But now he's having second thoughts partly because of people's attitudes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade ndakkitten, I'm glad that you've turned this into a positive for your family, and it sounds like the new hospital and new OB will be wonderful for you. I'm jealous - whirlpool tubs is one feature my birthplace has yet to add!!

Heh, if you read my birth stories about my first two births, you'd know how thrilled I am about the whirpool tubs too!!! The hospital where I lived before was a nightmare...community showers, no tubs, I had to walk across the hall to use the bathroom while in labor, etc etc. Ok, so I have an OB now instead of a midwife. But there are good OB's out there and I thinking I got one of them.