PLEASE READ!!! Friend in big trouble with hospital birth!!!
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My DH wouldn't react well to being bombarded by a bunch of literature, so I found one article by someone he could respect (not too woowoo) in his native language and highlighted the important bits. He went from "no way" to "I'll support you". Meeting the midwife clinched the decision for him.
Re: latex -- I'd write it in strategic places in surgical marker -- no joke!
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Alexia
Re: latex -- I'd write it in strategic places in surgical marker -- no joke!
Alexia
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There are none that are close enough to me that will do twins. The closest I have found is about 4 hours and she said no because she did not think she would make it in time. In her experience twins come really fast and she did not feel comfortable with a 4 hour drive. I have a great mw that delivered ds and she will be there with me at home durring labor and at the hospital when they are born. I completely agree being at home is the safest place for us, but I can't find a mw and I don't want to do a UC with twins.
Originally Posted by cathicog Is there anyway you might be able to hb with your twins? It would probably be much safer! There are many midwives who would hb twins, and are good at it... |
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My dh was really against a hb too. By the end of my pregnancy, and with much persistance and him realizing that I was making an informed decision, he was ready to have a UC. Unfortunately Aine was born at 33 weeks, so in the hospital, but it may just take her letting dh realize that she's not just going on emotion, but rather on knowledge.
Originally Posted by maxwill129 My friend wanted to me to post a thank you to everyone for their resources and their encouragement. She's being very insistent on the homebirth and her dh is starting to realize that that might be a good option. Her dh is a good guy and I know he's just super nervous about something going wrong with the birth. I'm not sure where this whole latex thing happened (I keep forgetting to ask). I don't know if anyone saw in my first post that she didn't call 911, but she figured she'd be passed out by the time 911 arrived and she figured they'd be wearing latex gloves anyway! I just can't believe that latex is even allowed anywhere (hospitals, ambulances, etc) with all the latex allergies around. Oh, well. I'm praying they make the right decision and I think with all your resources I think they will!!! S. |
Some of the hospitals in my area (N. CA) are completely latex-free. They won't even allow latex balloons to be brought in, there are signs at the entrances.
I hope your friend gets her homebirth (for all kinds of reasons, not just the latex issue), but if she ends up in a hospital, I'd tell her that personally I would operate under the assumption that *all* the staff are idiots and to take appropriate precautions. Then if they do something right, you can be pleasantly surprised, but protected by your cynicism when they're about to do something wrong. (Forgive my tone, I know they're not all idiots all the time, but I recently spent a lot of time in hospitals and a nursing home visiting my grandmother, and witnessed too many examples of idiocy to have any level of comfort with the staff in such places).
I hope your friend gets her homebirth (for all kinds of reasons, not just the latex issue), but if she ends up in a hospital, I'd tell her that personally I would operate under the assumption that *all* the staff are idiots and to take appropriate precautions. Then if they do something right, you can be pleasantly surprised, but protected by your cynicism when they're about to do something wrong. (Forgive my tone, I know they're not all idiots all the time, but I recently spent a lot of time in hospitals and a nursing home visiting my grandmother, and witnessed too many examples of idiocy to have any level of comfort with the staff in such places).
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Shouldn't all hospitals be latex free?! I just talked to my friend about this. She made the point that although latex allergies aren't super common, they aren't uncommon. Did that make sense? I just can't understand the reasoning to use latex at all anymore.
And AJP, I agree with your advice on just expecting the staff to be idiots.
If she ends up having a hospital birth she has an option of driving an hour (ick) to where I live. The hospital here is latex free and the nurses/doctors suprisingly good about your choices in birthing. I'd like my next birth to be a homebirth, but my previous two were hospital births. The second birth, my dd, was at the hospital near my house and I was pleasantly suprised that they didn't hook me up to IV's, do an episiotomy, bother me at all during the labor (I called them in the room when I wanted to start pushing), etc.
I'm still hoping that they'll decide for the homebirth, though...
S.
Originally Posted by AJP Some of the hospitals in my area (N. CA) are completely latex-free. They won't even allow latex balloons to be brought in, there are signs at the entrances. |
And AJP, I agree with your advice on just expecting the staff to be idiots.
If she ends up having a hospital birth she has an option of driving an hour (ick) to where I live. The hospital here is latex free and the nurses/doctors suprisingly good about your choices in birthing. I'd like my next birth to be a homebirth, but my previous two were hospital births. The second birth, my dd, was at the hospital near my house and I was pleasantly suprised that they didn't hook me up to IV's, do an episiotomy, bother me at all during the labor (I called them in the room when I wanted to start pushing), etc.
I'm still hoping that they'll decide for the homebirth, though...
S.
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I also highly reccommend finding a good reccommended mw and having your friend's DH meet them and hash out his fears. This was the clincher for my DH. He was ABDSOLUTELY against me having a hb w/ this next babe. No matter how much I read to him from The Thinking Woman's Guide or Ina May's Guide , he didn't want to hear it. Finally, I set up an initial consult w/ the mw and dragged DH w/ me. He presented all his worries and the mws did a GREAT job of explaining emergency procedure, and what not.
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My dh felt much better about the situation after we met with the midwife and he could ask her questions.
The funny thing is his question had nothing to do with safety. My dh asked the mw if we could go to the hospital at anytime during the birth. Of course, the mw's reply was yes, if the mother wants to go then we go.
His biggest hang up was worrying I wouldn't be able to handle the pain and not be allowed to go to the hospital for drugs!!! Men think some strange things.
The mw had already explained that they clean everything up and birth was not really a messy ordeal as some think it is.
So, before your friend bombs her dh with safety stats etc. She needs to find out what exactly he doesn't like about a homebirth. Too much information is just as bad as too little, especially for a hesitant father.
The funny thing is his question had nothing to do with safety. My dh asked the mw if we could go to the hospital at anytime during the birth. Of course, the mw's reply was yes, if the mother wants to go then we go.
His biggest hang up was worrying I wouldn't be able to handle the pain and not be allowed to go to the hospital for drugs!!! Men think some strange things.
The mw had already explained that they clean everything up and birth was not really a messy ordeal as some think it is.
So, before your friend bombs her dh with safety stats etc. She needs to find out what exactly he doesn't like about a homebirth. Too much information is just as bad as too little, especially for a hesitant father.
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Hi!
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I just wanted to pass on the info that Jack Youngblood at In His Hands carries a Latex-free Birth Kit by request (just call or email him)- thought your friend might want to know. Jack is fabulous, he researched it completely and put it together for another lady I know with latex allergy...
http://www.inhishands.com/index.html
Hope that helps some!
The Lord bless you!
Zoie
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http://www.inhishands.com/index.html
Hope that helps some!
The Lord bless you!
Zoie
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Haven't read through all of the replies yet but wanted to hop in with a link. I hope she gets her dh on board. What an idiot tech, to say the least.
http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/my...earFormat.html
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...ogyinbirth.asp
http://www.mana.org/memberlist.html
http://www.midwifemama.com/homebirth.htm
-jeanine and connor 22 months
http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/my...earFormat.html
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...ogyinbirth.asp
http://www.mana.org/memberlist.html
http://www.midwifemama.com/homebirth.htm
-jeanine and connor 22 months
Surgical pens should not be that hard to find on the internet. Write it on each arm and leg as well as inner thigh and under belly. Anywhere they might put gloves. Someone with that severe an allergy will need an attendant with them at all times.
I had a friend in ICU who could NOT have her left arm used to blood draws due to a huge clot in that arm. Still, they stopped someone 4 or 5 times a DAY from drawing blood from that arm.
Latex allergies are seriously scary. Especially in hospitals. I would travel to a hospital an hour away for a latex-free environment.
mv
I had a friend in ICU who could NOT have her left arm used to blood draws due to a huge clot in that arm. Still, they stopped someone 4 or 5 times a DAY from drawing blood from that arm.
Latex allergies are seriously scary. Especially in hospitals. I would travel to a hospital an hour away for a latex-free environment.
mv
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Tatoo it on her. Especially after the birth. Also, tell her to get a Medic Alert bracelet/necklace. Hospitals can and do read them because they carry pertinent info on the patient, when the patient can't speak for themselves.
http://www.medicalert.org/home/Homegradient.aspx
If I had an allergy that severe, I'd carry a medic alert bracelet. Because if push comes to shove and she winds up in the ER unconsious from something or other, she's gonna need something to speak for her.
http://www.medicalert.org/home/Homegradient.aspx
If I had an allergy that severe, I'd carry a medic alert bracelet. Because if push comes to shove and she winds up in the ER unconsious from something or other, she's gonna need something to speak for her.
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What a great idea! I wonder why she doesn't have one?
Shannon
Originally Posted by Pandora114 Also, tell her to get a Medic Alert bracelet/necklace. |
Shannon
if she ends up in the hospital, here is what I would do.....I would purchase a huge box of non-latex, sterile, individually packaged gloves from a medical supply company, take them to the hospital and insist that the staff use my gloves instead of theirs. She can make sure that all their gloves are rounded up and taken to the nurses station when they first get there. There will also be some in the sterile pack that they have for the birth. She needs a doula whose primary goal, along with the husband, is to ensure that no gloves are used that are not from the clients box.
V.
V.
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Books:
Ina May Gaskin's books
and
"Immaculate Deception" by suzanne arms
Ina May Gaskin's books
and
"Immaculate Deception" by suzanne arms
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I actually have found a mw that will come from about 5 hours away, and if she doesn't make it, oh well! I am really excited now and feeling much better about the birth of these babies.
Originally Posted by cathicog Oh, OK. That sounds like a good plan...I know UC with twins for some people would be too much...but it sounds like you have a great plan in place- keep us posted, OK, and we can celebrate with you!
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as I read this thread, I'm thinking about how most often, the best thing a hospital can do for a laboring, birthing woman, is to keep their HANDS OFF!!! (or out, frankly.....)
And all this talk about gloves.
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I once heard the best advice given to an OB in the labor suite: Don't just do something, sit there!
I wish your friend the best as she discovers the best, safest, most logical choice for the birth of her child. My cousin recently experienced a lovely homebirth attended by Rachel McGraw (btw: 11 1/2 lb baby, true knot in cord!) and I had a great experience with Kim Garrett and Kathy Ruggles in July 2003. A doula at any birth is a required luxury...in fact, if I were having a latex-free hospital birth, I'd engage an extra doula to stand by the door of the room, pointing to that No Latex sign!
And all this talk about gloves.
* * *
I once heard the best advice given to an OB in the labor suite: Don't just do something, sit there!
I wish your friend the best as she discovers the best, safest, most logical choice for the birth of her child. My cousin recently experienced a lovely homebirth attended by Rachel McGraw (btw: 11 1/2 lb baby, true knot in cord!) and I had a great experience with Kim Garrett and Kathy Ruggles in July 2003. A doula at any birth is a required luxury...in fact, if I were having a latex-free hospital birth, I'd engage an extra doula to stand by the door of the room, pointing to that No Latex sign!
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My friend has asked me to be her doula...I'm not certified, but I figured I could do something for her...maybe I can guard the door to her room if she ends up in the hospital! :LOL
Seriously, though, thanks for the mention of the name Rachel McGraw. Someone else had mentioned her so I'll let my friend know that she should really check into that MW.
Shannon
Originally Posted by tinyshoes A doula at any birth is a required luxury...in fact, if I were having a latex-free hospital birth, I'd engage an extra doula to stand by the door of the room, pointing to that No Latex sign! |
Seriously, though, thanks for the mention of the name Rachel McGraw. Someone else had mentioned her so I'll let my friend know that she should really check into that MW.
Shannon
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