Boooooo for this OB!! What a day that tested my strength and faith, shew!!
SO, I'm past due, very past due. Since my original due date puts me past the 42 week mark, I had to go see an OB to get a second opinion in order for my midwives to stay compliant with their board. So we go, I fill out all of my paperwork. Blood pressure was 118/65, no temp, up a pound from last week, etc. Get into the room, the doctor comes in and reads my chart, introduces himself and then immediately says we have to get a biophysical profile (BPP) immediately and schedule a c-section ASAP. He didn't ask me about my previous c-sections, he didn't examine me, listen to baby's heart rate, didn't touch me other than to shake my hand! I was by myself because the nurse said he wanted to talk to me first and then bring Justin and Jeanne (one of my midwives) back. So I was shocked. But I put on my game face and said that we were not ready to schedule a c-section and we really just came out of necessity and wanting to check on Katy. He gets a very stern "doctor" look/voice and proceeds to try and scare me by LYING about statistics, etc!!!! I calmly told him that we have done our research, extensively, that we respectfully decline his request to schedule but I would take him up on the offer of the BPP to check on Katy. He starts to get a little huffy/puffy because I rejected him :) and I just requested that the nurse bring Justin and Jeanne in. Once they came in I didn't let the Dr. speak, I told Justin and Jeanne that the Dr. wanted to schedule a c-section, but I declined and we were going to go to the hospital for a BPP. When we went to leave for the hospital, the Dr. shakes Jeanne's hand and says, "c-section immediately!". Jeanne is wonderful, she just smiled and said, "Thanks for seeing us!"
So they scheduled the BPP as "stat" status, so we could get in quickly. We still sat in the hospital for an hour. The BPP took, oh 20 minutes. Then we had to wait until the radiologist read the results. Aggravating! So Jeanne went and ran errands and Justin and I went to do some work at his office. The Dr.'s office calls about an hour and a half later to tell me the results were ready and wanted to know if we had made a decision.....WHAT?!?! I told the nurse that we hadn't, that we were waiting on the results, she needed to fax me a copy, and that we would all talk (Me, Justin, Jeanne and Marilyn) and I would get back with her. She made sure I knew that the Dr. still STRONGLY recommended I schedule a c-section ASAP. So, we get the fax:
Cervix length: 3.4 c.m. (didn't get that measured last week)
Baby's Heart rate: 142 (she's always been 130s-140s)
Fluid Level: 10 (it was 10.6 last week)
Active movements shown, breathing present, baby normal size and acted normally (same as last week)
Placenta anterior and not too mature (same as last week)
Baby head down (same as last week)
Baby's score 8/8 (same as last week)
SOOOO this OB wanted to take my perfectly healthy baby out of her perfectly healthy incubator JUST because I'm overdue and I've had c-sections before!! Makes NO sense!!!! She's PERFECTLY fine!!!!
After we got the results we called Jeanne and Marilyn, and we decided that none of us was comfortable having a c-section at this point. Baby is fine and I am fine. And we've done everything we needed to do to be "compliant" with the state's midwifery rules. So we are just going to hang out....
I do have to say that I understand that OBs are typically scared of a double VBAC like me. I understand that their malpractice insurance doesn't like patience like me and I'm sure I scared him to death!! I just didn't want to have to defend our decision....AGAIN....but I don't blame the OB for being concerned. It's what he was taught and he doesn't know any better. (Not saying I know better than an OB, just in this case, he obviously isn't properly informed on all of the up to date VBAC statistics, reports, etc.)
So, yah!! Baby Katy is great and so am I!! I'm so thankful today is over with!! I'm exhausted! And I'm so thankful to have my midwife team. They are amazing! Even Justin was like, wow that was night and day (midwife vs this OB). I'm so thankful for my husband being my rock. And I'm so very very thankful that Katy is doing so well!!! She just needs more time, and by golly, I'm going to give her every moment she needs!!!
~Blessings~
2 comments:
Hi Leslie! I am so glad that you stood your ground with the Dr. and waited to get your bpp results! I am happy that everything looked good with the results so you can continue as planned with your home birth!
As an L&D nurse, I am asking you to please reconsider your decision. BPP's are not 100% accurate, just an estimate. I can't tell you how many fetal demises I have seen in patients who had perfect BPP's and NST's just days, and sometimes just hours, before.
If your baby hasn't come on her own by now, there's a reason. Your body just may not be able to give birth naturally, and there is no shame in that. Even VBAC's in a hospital are high risk, so much so that our hospital does not even allow them. I have seen several failed home births with tragic outcomes, with patients at much lower risk than you are.Postdate babies can end up in the NICU just as easily as a Preterm babies with multiple complications, meconium aspiration pneumonia just being one. These are not statistics that I am quoting, but actual poor outcomes I have seen with my own two eyes!
If you won't consider a c-section, please at least consider giving birth at a hospital! (Assuming you can find one that will allow you to). I am not judging you or trying to scare you, but I have just seen first hand too many bad outcomes in situations like yours. You, your baby, your husband, and your other children deserve better than that. I know I am a stranger and this is none of my business, but I just wanted to voice my concern. Best wishes to you and your family.
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