Birth Diary.
By Debby Miller.
Month One
I knew I had ovulated on 15 Dec as I had been using ovulation predictor
kits but I was absolutely elated when that first positive home pregnancy
test came back on Christmas Eve. What a Christmas present!! We had
been trying for this, our third baby, for eight months. This might
not sound too unusual but for me who fell pregnant within the first
two months of trying with the other two it felt terrible. I was so
sure I had developed a fertility problem I had even had my first appointment
with an OB/GYNE to find out what the matter was. (Being over 35 ÒtheyÓ
say to see someone after six months.) He had done blood tests on me
the previous cycle which had come back normal and it was with great
to be able to go back to him the next appointment and say ÒdonÕt worry
about it I am pregnantÓ.
I should have got suspicious then that things werenÕt going to be
any easier this time in getting the birth I wanted, even though I
had had a successful VBAC. He asked if I would like him to treat me,
to which I replied Òno thankyou I am going to the Birthing Centre
at Royal WomenÕsÓ to which he replied Òyou wonÕt get in you have a
scarÓ. Seeing as I had already booked into the Birthing Centre (the
minute I got the positive result) I rang them up again as soon as
I got home. After a bit of confusion with one of the newer midwives
I finally got it from the Centre supervisor that they did accept women
who had had a successful VBAC and would be more than happy to have
me.
Month Two
Life was not meant to be easy. I had no morning sickness with the
boys but have become very good friends with the toilet in the past
couple of weeks. Everyone keeps saying ÒitÕs a girl, itÕs a girlÓ
Ð I just wish it would stop making me sick. (Yes I am a pathetic sick
person).
A little scare this month, I had been having quite severe pains in
my left hand side and after doing a bit of reading was becoming rather
worried about the possibility of an ectopic. I had a chat with my
GP and they agreed to send me for an ultrasound just to check. The
ultrasound was done at 5wks 3days. No ectopic thankfully, but I had
had a corpus luteum cyst that had burst and they said there was some
minor bleeding but nothing to worry about. The sonographer said everything
looked fine, but gave me a heart attack at one stage when she thought
there were two sacks. It turned out the 2nd ÒsackÓ was actually a
small implantation bleed.
Found out about a new first trimester blood test called the PAAP-A
test. It provides a risk of Downs and trisomy 18 in the first trimester
instead of having to wait until the 15week triple test. I found out
the test is only done down at Royal North Shore (Sydney) but I was
able to have the blood taken here and sent down for analysis.
Month Three.
The morning sickness has subsided to queasiness thankfully. The draw
was done at RWH for the Birthing Centre place, I came in 4th on the
waiting list, but by the end of the first week had already reached
2nd on the waiting list. The midwives assured me that I would get
in as the drop out rate is quite high.
My nuchal translucency scan went well and my risk of Downs Syndrome
dropped from 1 in 324 to 1 in 795. A few days later I got the blood
test results back and the risk is now even lower at 1 in 2000+ for
Downs and 1 in 1180 for trisomy 18. We had decided that if the risks
had been 1 in 200 or worse we would have amniocentesis done but seeing
as the risk is so low, we are not going to take the associated risk
of miscarriage.
The scan also seemed to indicate the baby is a girl based on some
studies I found on first trimester gender identification. But we will
wait and see.
I thought I was going to leave first trimester on a nice high, but
it was not to be. I had a phonecall from the Birthing Centre last
night to advise me that the Senior Nurse Practitioner of the Birth
Unit (being the Delivery Suite and the Birthing Centre) was instituting
a new policy that NO women with prior uterine scars would be allowed
to birth at the Birthing Centre. Fuming is an understatement for the
emotion I felt.
The midwife I spoke to, Marion, who is the Birthing Centre senior
was very sympathetic. She did not agree with the decision and stated
that it was because of pressure from some of the obstetricians and
their belief that the Birthing Centre midwives were not strictly adhering
to the protocols for care and transfer. Basically it was a political
decision. I asked Marion to keep my place on the list, and advised
her that I was going to fight this. She was more than happy to keep
my place and gave me the name and phone number of the Senior Nurse
Practitioner.
I tried to ring straight away but she had already left. I spoke
with the senior nurse who advised that these policies were made by
a board not by one person. I said that was fine but I was not going
to be a pawn to their political ramblings and that I needed to speak
to Lillian about how I can gain an exemption from this policy. The
nurse wasnÕt sure I could, but I advised her that given my education
level and knowledge of EXACTLY what my risks were it would be worth
Lillian at least listening to me. I explained to her in further detail
my history, knowledge of current research and position, at which point
she become significantly more sympathetic, and asked her to advise
Lillian it was in the hospitals best interest to discuss this with
me or they were going to find themselves landed with a lot of media
and political attention and a very uncompliant patient. She assured
me she would get the Senior Nurse Practitionerto ring back on Monday,
although if she doesnÕt I have her direct number so I can call her
anyway.
Philip and I then had fun spending the rest of the night plotting
how we could be as difficult as possible. So far we have come up with
refusing to go to the Birthing Suite and insisting on having the baby
in the ward and of course refusing to let a doctor near me unless
the midwife attending me can show us a valid reason why we need one.
DonÕt worry most of this was just venting frustration we probably
wouldnÕt do it, but it would be funny if we did Ð well funny to us.
Anyway Philip and I have started our further research, with PhilipÕs
suggestion being that I should find Royal WomenÕs Hospital research
papers and policies that support my position. So having just started
my mad search I have found a lovely policy to which RWH are signatory,
it is called WOMEN FRIENDLY HOSPITALS, and talks beautifully about
consumer rights, evidence based guidelines, support, understanding
and awareness of the consumer. Boy am I going to enjoy using that
one!
Anyway enough of my winging stay tuned for the next episode of the
YOUNG and the RESTLESS.
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