My husband and I had an appointment on friday with the Midwife, Margaret from Heaven Sent Birth in Oklahoma City. I honestly thought this would be the best compromise we could make. He felt most comfortable with being at a hospital or a birthing center, and I don't feel comfortable that what I want for the birth will be heard in a hospital and I will be pressured/forced into another c-section.
When we got there he was shocked to see it was literally a house that was turned into a business. Nobody lived there and it was much like the other businesses around it, once a house but now zoned for business. He also expected there to be more of a "professional" and set up with equipment similar to a hospital delivery room which this wasn't. It was a very home like environment, but honestly that's what you seek out a midwife and birth center for. Meeting Margaret was good. She was nice and well educated and I especially liked the difference in the types of questions she asked me. Nobody had asked me before that day to tell them about my previous c-sections and how I ended up having them, which I felt mattered a lot trying for a vbac. Doctors had only asked for records from the births and that was it. I think it was more the difference in the type of care I liked more than it was her. As I said, she was nice, but for me, she wasn't as personable as I would have liked. She gave me a lot of good tips such as diet and vitamins that were great to take and asked me to take a journal of everything I ate over the following week and email it to her and get her a copy of my current prenatal records to review as well and we'd all decide if it was the right fit at that point.
On the drive back home Will and I discussed the visit. He told me about his concerns and the misconception he had as far as how the center would be and he felt it was no different than having a home birth. He brought up trying another hospital that was suggested to us to be vbac friendly and said that's what he would be comfortable with. I expressed that at this point and seeing the difference in the type of care, that I felt much for comfortable with a midwife. Even having a doula for a hospital birth wouldn't take away any of those pressures that would be there at a hospital for intervention if progression didn't happen at a rate they wanted. Yes, a doula would help me make a more informed decision in the moment, but there's still that pressure of being hassled during labor rather than being able to focus on what you should. I also really love the idea of being able to labor how I feel is right, not stuck laying in a bed the whole time hooked up to an IV and other people telling me when and what should happen. I love the idea of letting my body guiding me through it because it truly knows how and that's not possible in a hospital. So at that point, the lines were drawn. It upset me because I want us both to be comfortable with the birth of this baby. I want him to want those same things and to him it's just not a priority, having a doctor is.
A turning point. He told me it's obvious we aren't going to agree on what we are comfortable with for the birth, which I had already come to realize. So what now? He told me to have the birth I feel comfortable with. He told me that if I feel most comfortable having a home birth then go for it. Because we aren't going to agree, he felt it was more importan that I am comfortable with it than he is. As excited as I was to finally have an "ok" for a home birth, I just wish it was because he also felt it was best. I'm still hoping he comes around and after seeing the difference in care that comes from a midwife he will understand that it is the best decision. I want it to be something we can both feel good about and know we did the right thing.
Once we got back home I pulled out my computer and contacted a midwife I was suggested from the beginning, Camarell. She chimed in a lot when I posted in a local group about wanting a vbac and was incredibly helpful with information and input on my possibilities despite a home birth not being an option for us at the time. I've talked to a girl in my local babywearing group, Alyssa, who had her second son with Camarell which was a home water vbac and had nothing but great things to say about her experience and Camarell herself. She told me about what wonderful care she received through her pregnancy. Things like her check ups were in her home, they all lasted at least an hour and as long as 4 hours, that she genuinely cared about her and her family rather than delivering her baby and that was it. I want that. With a doctor I feel like just another person coming into their office and once they leave the exam room I'm no longer important or that it doesn't matter much that I want a vbac because the hospital is going to end up making that decision in the end.
This is honestly the most excited I've been so far in this pregnancy. I've felt it's been nothing but a battle. A battle to find someone to agree to a vbac, to find someone willing to fight for what's best for their patient rather than the hospital. It's also been a battle to get the care I feel has been needed. For once, even before meeting her, I feel like I wont have those worries or concerns anymore. That I wont have to worry about any pressure or stress during labor or delivery because it will be about what my body tells me rather than someone else and that's incredibly important. We are scheduled to meet with her on Wednesday evening and I can't wait. I'm hoping Will likes her as well and it helps him understand the importance of the difference in care/birth as well. I'm just so thankful that this fight I've had is just about over.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Crafty Mama is coming out....
I have been thinking about the list of things I've been wanting to make and DIY projects I've had for a while that I haven't gotten on. There are quite a few of them I have planned to be for the holidays as gifts or just decorations. I sometimes seem to lack the motivation to get things done even though I love to do them so I came up with an idea, a DIY-a-long. I made a group today on facebook and invited people and there are quite a few really excited about it as well. The plan is to pick a general item or category for each week that way it will allow many people to participate and nobody is limited by skills, no need for the project or anything else. It will also give each person quite a bit of room to be creative and do something they want within the skills they have. Each week there will be a different album for the projects to go in once completed so people can check them out and see what everyone else came up with and did for the week as well. I'm pretty excited about it and hoping it will give me some motivation to get some things completed I've been wanting to, but haven't yet.
My list of things I'd like to make so far:
Waldorf Dolls
Crayon Rolls
Princess Inspired Dresses (and matching ones for the waldorf dolls)
Doll Slings for the girls
Laundry Detergent
Body Scrubs
Chapstick
Christmas Wreath
Winter hats for the kids
I'm sure there's much more but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.
My list of things I'd like to make so far:
Waldorf Dolls
Crayon Rolls
Princess Inspired Dresses (and matching ones for the waldorf dolls)
Doll Slings for the girls
Laundry Detergent
Body Scrubs
Chapstick
Christmas Wreath
Winter hats for the kids
I'm sure there's much more but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.
Monday, October 29, 2012
feeling better....
I've been resting quite a bit and taking the antibiotic the doctor gave me and I'm starting to feel much better. The antibiotic makes me feel sick though so it's effected my appetite and how much I've been able to drink, but I've been trying. I get in as much to drink and a meal before taking it in the morning and do the same before taking it again in the evening. The pain in my back has gone away but I've had horrible neck pain the past few days. Fortunately, Will has been great and rubbed my neck and shoulders which has helped a lot. Now I'm just trying to focus on something other than being sick while still taking it easy.
I'm a little late posting about this but last weekend I spent a day to make the girls outfits to wear to pick pumpkins in and they turned out really cute. I saw an outfit on pinterest I really liked but it was for sale for $45 and that just isn't in our budget so I figured I could recreate it myself how I liked. I made a few changes to it and it was only my second time doing an applique (the first I cut out a bird from fabric and just stitched around the print) so that could have turned out better but all in all I was happy with them and they got so many compliments on them which felt great. Here are some pictures of them....
I'm a little late posting about this but last weekend I spent a day to make the girls outfits to wear to pick pumpkins in and they turned out really cute. I saw an outfit on pinterest I really liked but it was for sale for $45 and that just isn't in our budget so I figured I could recreate it myself how I liked. I made a few changes to it and it was only my second time doing an applique (the first I cut out a bird from fabric and just stitched around the print) so that could have turned out better but all in all I was happy with them and they got so many compliments on them which felt great. Here are some pictures of them....
Christin
Caitlyn
My 3 littles
This picture actually shows their personalities well. Christin is usually the prissy one ready for pictures, Nathan is usually the one that says "Do I have to Mom?" and Caitlyn throws tantrums in protest.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Another bump in the road...
Tuesday I had my check up with my current doctor to follow up from the contractions and sharp pains. He did a vaginal exam, vaginal ultrasound and a topical ultrasound to make sure my cervix was still long/closed and the baby was ok. Everything looked just fine and he gave me a prescription for meds to stop the contractions to take twice a day and said that should help and I can continue to work unless it continues despite the meds which shouldn't happen.
By the time I got home from the doctor I had constant cramping and my back started to hurt some. I also had the constant feeling of needing to go to the bathroom and have a BM. Throughout the rest of the day it just got worse and worse and by the time I went to lay down for bed I was in so much pain I cried for hours until I was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep despite the pain.
I called the doctors office yesterday morning to tell them what had been going on since I left their office and they said they needed to have the nurse call me back. An hour later, I called back again cause I hadn't heard anything and they put me through with Donna, the office manager who has been great. She spoke with the doctor and he said for me to come right in to do a UA (check for UTI) and possibly a culture depending. I went right in and did a urine sample and waited for them to test it. Once they had the nurse brought me back to a room and said the doctor would be right in to talk to me. When he came in, he asked my symptoms and what had been going on and I told him. He said that he was going to give me a prescription for an antibiotic because it may be a kidney infection. I let him know about my history with a UTI when I was pregnant with Nathan and he said ok and left the room. When he came back in, he had the prescription and told me that it showed I didn't have a UTI so he thought it could be a kidney infection since they dont always show up in urine tests. I questioned my symptoms and asked if it could be causing all of them and he said well not all but most and it could also possibly be kidney stones but for me to take the antibiotic and hopefully that will help me feel better. Yes, completely reassuring that your doctor is treating you on a "it MAY be this or it MAY be that".
I went back home and continued in the same unbearable pain for hours not even sure if what he said would even help. Once Will got home from work last night he took me to the ER to get checked out there. They also did a urine test and drew blood. Someone from labor and delivery came down to check the baby's heart beat with a doppler. It took over 5 minutes for her to find it, but once she finally did it was 160. After the urine test, they came back in and told me I absolutely have a UTI and to take the antibiotic the doctor gave me and that should clear it up. I questioned how they were so sure I had one and yet I had tested negative in the office hours before. She said she had no idea how they got that result earlier and in fact I had a pretty bad infection because it even came back "too much to count". She said I've likely had it a while for it to come back and it has probably gotten to my kidney which is why I'm having the horrible back pains. They gave me a prescription to help with the pain to take if I need it and sent me home.
At least I have a more definitive answer on what's wrong than "it may be this or that", but it doesn't make me feel any more comfortable with my current doctor's office. How could they come up with me not having a UTI just hours before? How could they not have tested before when I was in there twice for contractions and sharp pains they had no idea why I was having them. He had asked me if I had any of the symptoms of a UTI and I told him no, but told him of my history with Nathan and the only symptom I ever had then (in the 2 months ongoing I had one) was a fever and that was it. There's so much that just doesn't make sense to me.
By the time I got home from the doctor I had constant cramping and my back started to hurt some. I also had the constant feeling of needing to go to the bathroom and have a BM. Throughout the rest of the day it just got worse and worse and by the time I went to lay down for bed I was in so much pain I cried for hours until I was finally exhausted enough to fall asleep despite the pain.
I called the doctors office yesterday morning to tell them what had been going on since I left their office and they said they needed to have the nurse call me back. An hour later, I called back again cause I hadn't heard anything and they put me through with Donna, the office manager who has been great. She spoke with the doctor and he said for me to come right in to do a UA (check for UTI) and possibly a culture depending. I went right in and did a urine sample and waited for them to test it. Once they had the nurse brought me back to a room and said the doctor would be right in to talk to me. When he came in, he asked my symptoms and what had been going on and I told him. He said that he was going to give me a prescription for an antibiotic because it may be a kidney infection. I let him know about my history with a UTI when I was pregnant with Nathan and he said ok and left the room. When he came back in, he had the prescription and told me that it showed I didn't have a UTI so he thought it could be a kidney infection since they dont always show up in urine tests. I questioned my symptoms and asked if it could be causing all of them and he said well not all but most and it could also possibly be kidney stones but for me to take the antibiotic and hopefully that will help me feel better. Yes, completely reassuring that your doctor is treating you on a "it MAY be this or it MAY be that".
I went back home and continued in the same unbearable pain for hours not even sure if what he said would even help. Once Will got home from work last night he took me to the ER to get checked out there. They also did a urine test and drew blood. Someone from labor and delivery came down to check the baby's heart beat with a doppler. It took over 5 minutes for her to find it, but once she finally did it was 160. After the urine test, they came back in and told me I absolutely have a UTI and to take the antibiotic the doctor gave me and that should clear it up. I questioned how they were so sure I had one and yet I had tested negative in the office hours before. She said she had no idea how they got that result earlier and in fact I had a pretty bad infection because it even came back "too much to count". She said I've likely had it a while for it to come back and it has probably gotten to my kidney which is why I'm having the horrible back pains. They gave me a prescription to help with the pain to take if I need it and sent me home.
At least I have a more definitive answer on what's wrong than "it may be this or that", but it doesn't make me feel any more comfortable with my current doctor's office. How could they come up with me not having a UTI just hours before? How could they not have tested before when I was in there twice for contractions and sharp pains they had no idea why I was having them. He had asked me if I had any of the symptoms of a UTI and I told him no, but told him of my history with Nathan and the only symptom I ever had then (in the 2 months ongoing I had one) was a fever and that was it. There's so much that just doesn't make sense to me.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Insurance coverage...
I have needed to update on this for several days now but am just now getting to it. While waiting to hear back from the Birthing Center in OKC, I decided to call my insurance company and see what our coverage is for it. It's considered "out of network" and instead of our $350 deductible and then 90% coverage it would be a $3500 deductible and 60% coverage after that. That is a HUGE difference and so it seems I am back to the drawing board.
I have been suggested a particular doctor at OU hospital up in the city who is highly recommended by the doulas in that area so that's my next call. I have a check up with my current OB in the morning to see what he says about everything that's been going on. I had another spell of sharp pains and contractions last week and he was out of town so they put me out of work for a week and to follow up with him as soon as he is back tomorrow.
I have been suggested a particular doctor at OU hospital up in the city who is highly recommended by the doulas in that area so that's my next call. I have a check up with my current OB in the morning to see what he says about everything that's been going on. I had another spell of sharp pains and contractions last week and he was out of town so they put me out of work for a week and to follow up with him as soon as he is back tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Back on the hunt
Now that I've had time to settle from all the events last week with the contractions it's time to get back to looking into all of my options for this birth. Yesterday I met with a wonderful local Doula named Jasmine. She had spoken with other colleges of hers about the possibility of a vbac and the chances of it happening here in Lawton aren't great because of Southwestern's policies. If we were military, Reynolds would be a great option that would be much more supportive but I dont have that option. She suggested I look into the options closer to Oklahoma City and the birthing center up there as well, Heaven Sent. I tried to get information on their website last night but it wasn't working completely. It loaded up and had the link options on the left, but clicking on them didn't load anything.
So far today, Jasmine suggested a friend of hers up near the city to call that is a doula. She is really experienced and would be able to offer me a lot of great advice on what my options would be in that area. I called her and she will be in the office tomorrow. I also tried calling Heaven Sent today to get information and left a message so I'm hoping to hear something back from them to find out more about how the birthing center works.
So far today, Jasmine suggested a friend of hers up near the city to call that is a doula. She is really experienced and would be able to offer me a lot of great advice on what my options would be in that area. I called her and she will be in the office tomorrow. I also tried calling Heaven Sent today to get information and left a message so I'm hoping to hear something back from them to find out more about how the birthing center works.
Monday, October 8, 2012
A weekend of complications....
Saturday started out as any normal day. I went to work for 3 hours to QA during the lunch rush and they thought they may need me to help out that night so I went home and cleaned up around the house for a while until I needed to call in and see. They didn't need me to come in so I went off to pick up the kids from my in laws. On the way over there I started feeling contractions which I didn't know was possible at 15 weeks. They continued for the next couple hours and I started to get concerned. I messaged a friend to see if it was possible to get contractions that early and she told me to contact my OB right away. I called L&D and they told me that they couldn't do anything about it since I'm not 20 weeks yet. They suggested I lay down and drink lots of water and try to relax. She then went on to say that they aren't able to do anything if they continue because the baby isn't considered "viable". WOW! That is the scariest thing I've ever heard and definitely didn't make it any easier to relax. I took it as easy as possible that night and felt a bit better in the morning when I woke up, but continued to have contractions each time I rolled over or got up to go to the bathroom. I went into work and let my manager know what was going on and asked if he could get me out of there as early as possible because of everything. I ended up working 2 hours and by the end of my shift I was having a lot more contractions than I'd had the night before and started having a sharp vaginal pain come and go. As soon as I got home I laid back down and got some water and grapes to snack on. After a while of laying down the contractions let up a lot and the pain dulled until it was gone. I was able to get my lower back pain gone by using a heating pad on low and felt a lot better until I moved a lot or got up for something.
This morning I gave my current doctor's office a call and told then what happened over the weekend. They told me the nurse would have to call me back between patients. After a while I got a call back from the nurse and told her what happened all over again. She then told me that it's normal to have a discomfort as the baby gets bigger and my stomach stretches to accommodate the baby growing. I then told her that this is my third pregnancy and by this point know the difference between contractions and my body stretching. She told me if I felt it was more than that then I could come in and get checked out but recommended I lay down if it was bothering me. I told her she obviously wasn't listening to my issues at all and I didn't feel comfortable being seen by that office if they were going to disregard concerns and hung up. I then called the office I was attempting to switch to so I could see if they received my records from my previous cesarian. They hadn't so I followed up with my doctor in Maryland and they assured me they would get them sent over. I called Dr. Jones' office back to let them know and asked if I could make an appointment anyway because of everything going on. They then told me I couldn't make an appointment until they received my current prenatal records, which they never told me I needed when I discussed transferring last thursday but said ok. I called Dr. zweig's office to see what I needed to do for them to send my records over to Dr. Jones and they told me to sign a release at the new office and have them request them for them to release them. They then asked my name. I arranged for my husband to pick up the authorization form from Dr. Jones so I could fill it out and bring it back. While waiting for the form, I got a call from the office manager at Dr. zweig's office apologizing for the nurse and asking me to give them another chance and it wouldn't happen again. She also told me the doctor was standing there and would love to discuss my issues with me and I was welcome to come right in and be seen if it was convenient for me. I told her I was concerned with my care in that office and didn't feel comfortable and had already started the process of getting my records transfered over to another office.
While waiting for my husband to get the authorization form back to Dr. Jones' office, I got a call from Dr. zweig himself. He told me how sorry he was and how wrong the nurse was and I should have never been treated that way. I told him he had made me feel the same way regarding a possible vbac and I had already been seeking another office that would be more supportive in my attempt for one. He told me he never meant to make me feel like he wasn't supportive and he has no issues doing them at all, his limitations are with the hospital guidelines. Because they have to have an operating team there and ready during labor for a vbac, they have a lot of pressure from the hospital if things dont progress quickly. He said the hospital pressures them after a while to just do a cesarian because they are paying that team to do nothing and dont want to. I may be crazy here, but as my doctor, he has an obligation to make decisions best medically for his patient. That does not mean force your patient into an unnecessary cesarian because the hospital doesn't want to pay their staff even though it's their policy requiring them to be there the entire time. Forcing a patient into an unnecessary surgery for convenience and cost efficiency of the hospital is not right. He agreed with me and told me he feels there are way too many cesarians and repeat cesarians being performed daily that are not necessary and it's not right. He also assured me he would do everything he can do ensure all efforts are made within the hospital guidelines for my vbac and be more supportive of it. I agreed to go in and check how the baby was because at this point that was important.
When I went in he immediately apologized to me as soon as he saw me which was just in the hallway. The nurse had me check my weight and do my urine sample and brought me back into one of the rooms. She started to take my blood pressure and as she was she chose then to say she was sorry for what happened over the phone and she understood why I was so upset and she didn't mean to make me feel that way at all. She then asked me if I still had the cramping. I told her no, I never had any cramping. She then asked, "so it was just the stretching feeling". NO. How she got that out of contractions and sharp vaginal pains I will never understand. I told her that's how I KNOW she didn't listen to a word I said at all and that was obvious cause I never said anything about either of those. I looked away and wouldn't even look at her after that. She then said she was sorry again and left the room to get the doctor.
Dr. zweig came in and apologized again for the issues I had this morning and told me they wouldn't happen again. He then suggested he do an ultrasound and check my cervix to ensure it hadn't dilated at all from the contractions. The ultrasound showed my cervix was still closed and no dilation which was great. He did notice that a small part of my placenta was a bit low and close to my cervix which he said could be causing the issues I was having. It's something that can correct itself as my uterus gets bigger which is good. He told me to take it easy and rest as much as I can. If the contractions continue then he'd have to put me out of work for a while, until things get better. The baby looked totally healthy though and was moving around a lot, also had a nice healthy heart beat. He kept trying to figure out if it's a boy or a girl and had a hard time getting a good view. He said he thinks he kept seeing something there which would mean boy but couldn't be sure cause of the view.
When leaving, he told me if I have any concerns at all or just want to check how things are going with the baby feel free to give them a call or even come by if I'm already out and he'd be more than happy to do an ultrasound and check the baby out for me at any time. It made me feel a lot better than earlier. The office manager also came and introduced herself to me and gave me her private line and told me if I have any concerns at all feel free to give her a call and she will be sure to take care of it.
I also got a call from Dr. Jones' office through all this letting me know that they got my records from my cesarian and he would not do a vbac for me but if I wanted to switch to him knowing that I'd have to have another cesarian they'd be happy to make an appointment for me. Thanks, but no thanks.
At this point, I dont know if I'll continue to see Dr. zweig through my entire pregnancy or not but I'm going to give him a chance. I honestly can't even think about what to do about doctors right now anyway. This day alone has been quite a whirlwind. I am incredibly thankful the baby looks completely healthy though and hope things get better from this point.
This morning I gave my current doctor's office a call and told then what happened over the weekend. They told me the nurse would have to call me back between patients. After a while I got a call back from the nurse and told her what happened all over again. She then told me that it's normal to have a discomfort as the baby gets bigger and my stomach stretches to accommodate the baby growing. I then told her that this is my third pregnancy and by this point know the difference between contractions and my body stretching. She told me if I felt it was more than that then I could come in and get checked out but recommended I lay down if it was bothering me. I told her she obviously wasn't listening to my issues at all and I didn't feel comfortable being seen by that office if they were going to disregard concerns and hung up. I then called the office I was attempting to switch to so I could see if they received my records from my previous cesarian. They hadn't so I followed up with my doctor in Maryland and they assured me they would get them sent over. I called Dr. Jones' office back to let them know and asked if I could make an appointment anyway because of everything going on. They then told me I couldn't make an appointment until they received my current prenatal records, which they never told me I needed when I discussed transferring last thursday but said ok. I called Dr. zweig's office to see what I needed to do for them to send my records over to Dr. Jones and they told me to sign a release at the new office and have them request them for them to release them. They then asked my name. I arranged for my husband to pick up the authorization form from Dr. Jones so I could fill it out and bring it back. While waiting for the form, I got a call from the office manager at Dr. zweig's office apologizing for the nurse and asking me to give them another chance and it wouldn't happen again. She also told me the doctor was standing there and would love to discuss my issues with me and I was welcome to come right in and be seen if it was convenient for me. I told her I was concerned with my care in that office and didn't feel comfortable and had already started the process of getting my records transfered over to another office.
While waiting for my husband to get the authorization form back to Dr. Jones' office, I got a call from Dr. zweig himself. He told me how sorry he was and how wrong the nurse was and I should have never been treated that way. I told him he had made me feel the same way regarding a possible vbac and I had already been seeking another office that would be more supportive in my attempt for one. He told me he never meant to make me feel like he wasn't supportive and he has no issues doing them at all, his limitations are with the hospital guidelines. Because they have to have an operating team there and ready during labor for a vbac, they have a lot of pressure from the hospital if things dont progress quickly. He said the hospital pressures them after a while to just do a cesarian because they are paying that team to do nothing and dont want to. I may be crazy here, but as my doctor, he has an obligation to make decisions best medically for his patient. That does not mean force your patient into an unnecessary cesarian because the hospital doesn't want to pay their staff even though it's their policy requiring them to be there the entire time. Forcing a patient into an unnecessary surgery for convenience and cost efficiency of the hospital is not right. He agreed with me and told me he feels there are way too many cesarians and repeat cesarians being performed daily that are not necessary and it's not right. He also assured me he would do everything he can do ensure all efforts are made within the hospital guidelines for my vbac and be more supportive of it. I agreed to go in and check how the baby was because at this point that was important.
When I went in he immediately apologized to me as soon as he saw me which was just in the hallway. The nurse had me check my weight and do my urine sample and brought me back into one of the rooms. She started to take my blood pressure and as she was she chose then to say she was sorry for what happened over the phone and she understood why I was so upset and she didn't mean to make me feel that way at all. She then asked me if I still had the cramping. I told her no, I never had any cramping. She then asked, "so it was just the stretching feeling". NO. How she got that out of contractions and sharp vaginal pains I will never understand. I told her that's how I KNOW she didn't listen to a word I said at all and that was obvious cause I never said anything about either of those. I looked away and wouldn't even look at her after that. She then said she was sorry again and left the room to get the doctor.
Dr. zweig came in and apologized again for the issues I had this morning and told me they wouldn't happen again. He then suggested he do an ultrasound and check my cervix to ensure it hadn't dilated at all from the contractions. The ultrasound showed my cervix was still closed and no dilation which was great. He did notice that a small part of my placenta was a bit low and close to my cervix which he said could be causing the issues I was having. It's something that can correct itself as my uterus gets bigger which is good. He told me to take it easy and rest as much as I can. If the contractions continue then he'd have to put me out of work for a while, until things get better. The baby looked totally healthy though and was moving around a lot, also had a nice healthy heart beat. He kept trying to figure out if it's a boy or a girl and had a hard time getting a good view. He said he thinks he kept seeing something there which would mean boy but couldn't be sure cause of the view.
When leaving, he told me if I have any concerns at all or just want to check how things are going with the baby feel free to give them a call or even come by if I'm already out and he'd be more than happy to do an ultrasound and check the baby out for me at any time. It made me feel a lot better than earlier. The office manager also came and introduced herself to me and gave me her private line and told me if I have any concerns at all feel free to give her a call and she will be sure to take care of it.
I also got a call from Dr. Jones' office through all this letting me know that they got my records from my cesarian and he would not do a vbac for me but if I wanted to switch to him knowing that I'd have to have another cesarian they'd be happy to make an appointment for me. Thanks, but no thanks.
At this point, I dont know if I'll continue to see Dr. zweig through my entire pregnancy or not but I'm going to give him a chance. I honestly can't even think about what to do about doctors right now anyway. This day alone has been quite a whirlwind. I am incredibly thankful the baby looks completely healthy though and hope things get better from this point.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
My journey for a VBAC
I haven't kept up well with my blog in the past but recent events have inspired me to make it a point to share about my most recent journey. I guess I'll start at the beginning...
I'm 15 weeks pregnant with my 4th child and have had 2 previous cesarian births. The first, I was induced before my due date and didn't dilate quick enough and had a c/s. The second pregnancy, I had twins. I was still a candidate for a vbac as long as my girls stayed head down, which they did, until 2 weeks before they were born. Because "baby a" turned transverse, I had no choice but to have another c/s. That was all when we lived in Maryland.
Now to more recent events...
We have since moved to Oklahoma and this is the first baby we've had that would be born here. It never fazed me I'd have much trouble to attempt to have a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarian) since my Doctor in Maryland had no issues with it, even with twins. Oklahoma isn't quite as easy to have one. I would have options in Oklahoma City or even Tulsa, but we are a good hour and a half drive from OKC and much further from Tulsa. The original doctor I saw (Dr. Lepp), which removed my IUD delivers at one of the 2 hospitals in town and that hospital (Comanche Memorial) does not allow vbacs to be performed due to insurance issues. They did however find out that Southwestern does allow them and got a few names of doctors that deliver there to try.
I called one and when scheduling my appointment they acted as if it was no problem at all and that the Doctor (Dr. zweig) had no issues with doing them. I went in for my first appointment and his nurse was asking me questions and we got to what brought me to that office. I told her I was switching because my current office wasn't able to perform vbacs and her response sent me into an instant panic. She told me that Dr. zweig doesn't either! She said in the 2 years she has worked there he had only performed ONE. She said I was more than welcome to discuss it with him though and see if it's something he would be willing to do. I decided to talk to him since I was already there and figured it was worth a try. After talking to him he seemed a bit open to the idea and said he'd need to get my records from my last c/s to be sure nothing was noted about my incision being thin or anything that could increase risk of rupture. I was skeptical but decided to give him a shot and see how things seemed once he got my records and I scheduled my next appointment.
A month later, I had my second appointment with Dr. zweig. He did an ultrasound to check the heart beat and make sure everything looked good which he said it did and then said ok see you in another month. But wait, what about my records? I questioned him about them and he checked the computers to see if they got them, which they had. He read them over quickly and said didn't really say much about it and tried to brush me out the door. I came out and asked him if the records showed anything he was concerned about for doing a vbac and he stated no. I then said, "So, I should be able to attempt to have a vbac then, right?" His response was far less than reassuring. He told me "Well, we'll just have to see when it gets closer to that time." His response gave me absolutely no hope at all to attempt a vbac with him as my doctor.
In the meantime, I had asked around on local groups about options as far as home births and other doctors that may be able to help me in the birth I really want. In that search, I found a wonderful local doula, Jasmin Williams, who was incredibly willing to help me any way she could. She suggested I try a doctor in Duncan. She had attended births at that hospital and said the environment was very calm and the staff was wonderful at sticking to the patients wishes, birth plan and anything else they needed. After the negative feelings I got with Dr. zweig, I decided it was time to give the doctor she suggested a call. I called their office and waited for Dr. Elfrink's nurse to call me back to help me with the questions I had regarding my possible vbac. When she called me back, she informed me that the hospital in Duncan does not allow vbacs to be performed either due to insurance limitations. She was very concerned for me and listened to what I had figured out so far. She suggested a doctor she felt very highly of that delivers at Southwestern, in my town. She wasn't sure his stance on vbacs but knew he delivered at the hospital that would allow them.
Today, I called the doctor that the nurse suggested to try to get some answers and possibly some hope. They said the best thing for me to do was to get them a copy of my records from my previous birth so they could look them over and make sure nothing indicated I would be at higher risk of complications. They were incredibly nice and assured me that Dr. Martin Jones does do vbacs and they would know more about my possibility once they had my medical history. I contacted my doctor in Maryland to have them send over my records and filled out the release and faxed it back. At this point I'm in limbo, waiting for Dr. Jones to review my records and give me a call to let me know if I'm ok to proceed at this point.
I also called my insurance company just to double check if we had any coverage for a Doula or a Midwife home birth. They dont cover a doula at all and while they cover midwives, it's only if you have a birth in an approved hospital under a licensed doctor they work under. They told me they do not cover planned home births AT ALL and they consider them "medically inappropriate." I actually found that a bit unsettling. Child birth is one of the most natural things a woman can go through and in most cases, there is no need for any medical intervention and no reason why someone couldn't safely deliver their baby at home. I honestly find it far more inappropriate the amount of unnecessary inductions and cesarian births and the huge limitations put on vbacs.
I will be sure to update with anything else that comes up through this entire journey and I hope, if anything, this is able to help someone else out there to attain the type of birth they feel is best for themselves and baby.
I'm 15 weeks pregnant with my 4th child and have had 2 previous cesarian births. The first, I was induced before my due date and didn't dilate quick enough and had a c/s. The second pregnancy, I had twins. I was still a candidate for a vbac as long as my girls stayed head down, which they did, until 2 weeks before they were born. Because "baby a" turned transverse, I had no choice but to have another c/s. That was all when we lived in Maryland.
Now to more recent events...
We have since moved to Oklahoma and this is the first baby we've had that would be born here. It never fazed me I'd have much trouble to attempt to have a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarian) since my Doctor in Maryland had no issues with it, even with twins. Oklahoma isn't quite as easy to have one. I would have options in Oklahoma City or even Tulsa, but we are a good hour and a half drive from OKC and much further from Tulsa. The original doctor I saw (Dr. Lepp), which removed my IUD delivers at one of the 2 hospitals in town and that hospital (Comanche Memorial) does not allow vbacs to be performed due to insurance issues. They did however find out that Southwestern does allow them and got a few names of doctors that deliver there to try.
I called one and when scheduling my appointment they acted as if it was no problem at all and that the Doctor (Dr. zweig) had no issues with doing them. I went in for my first appointment and his nurse was asking me questions and we got to what brought me to that office. I told her I was switching because my current office wasn't able to perform vbacs and her response sent me into an instant panic. She told me that Dr. zweig doesn't either! She said in the 2 years she has worked there he had only performed ONE. She said I was more than welcome to discuss it with him though and see if it's something he would be willing to do. I decided to talk to him since I was already there and figured it was worth a try. After talking to him he seemed a bit open to the idea and said he'd need to get my records from my last c/s to be sure nothing was noted about my incision being thin or anything that could increase risk of rupture. I was skeptical but decided to give him a shot and see how things seemed once he got my records and I scheduled my next appointment.
A month later, I had my second appointment with Dr. zweig. He did an ultrasound to check the heart beat and make sure everything looked good which he said it did and then said ok see you in another month. But wait, what about my records? I questioned him about them and he checked the computers to see if they got them, which they had. He read them over quickly and said didn't really say much about it and tried to brush me out the door. I came out and asked him if the records showed anything he was concerned about for doing a vbac and he stated no. I then said, "So, I should be able to attempt to have a vbac then, right?" His response was far less than reassuring. He told me "Well, we'll just have to see when it gets closer to that time." His response gave me absolutely no hope at all to attempt a vbac with him as my doctor.
In the meantime, I had asked around on local groups about options as far as home births and other doctors that may be able to help me in the birth I really want. In that search, I found a wonderful local doula, Jasmin Williams, who was incredibly willing to help me any way she could. She suggested I try a doctor in Duncan. She had attended births at that hospital and said the environment was very calm and the staff was wonderful at sticking to the patients wishes, birth plan and anything else they needed. After the negative feelings I got with Dr. zweig, I decided it was time to give the doctor she suggested a call. I called their office and waited for Dr. Elfrink's nurse to call me back to help me with the questions I had regarding my possible vbac. When she called me back, she informed me that the hospital in Duncan does not allow vbacs to be performed either due to insurance limitations. She was very concerned for me and listened to what I had figured out so far. She suggested a doctor she felt very highly of that delivers at Southwestern, in my town. She wasn't sure his stance on vbacs but knew he delivered at the hospital that would allow them.
Today, I called the doctor that the nurse suggested to try to get some answers and possibly some hope. They said the best thing for me to do was to get them a copy of my records from my previous birth so they could look them over and make sure nothing indicated I would be at higher risk of complications. They were incredibly nice and assured me that Dr. Martin Jones does do vbacs and they would know more about my possibility once they had my medical history. I contacted my doctor in Maryland to have them send over my records and filled out the release and faxed it back. At this point I'm in limbo, waiting for Dr. Jones to review my records and give me a call to let me know if I'm ok to proceed at this point.
I also called my insurance company just to double check if we had any coverage for a Doula or a Midwife home birth. They dont cover a doula at all and while they cover midwives, it's only if you have a birth in an approved hospital under a licensed doctor they work under. They told me they do not cover planned home births AT ALL and they consider them "medically inappropriate." I actually found that a bit unsettling. Child birth is one of the most natural things a woman can go through and in most cases, there is no need for any medical intervention and no reason why someone couldn't safely deliver their baby at home. I honestly find it far more inappropriate the amount of unnecessary inductions and cesarian births and the huge limitations put on vbacs.
I will be sure to update with anything else that comes up through this entire journey and I hope, if anything, this is able to help someone else out there to attain the type of birth they feel is best for themselves and baby.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A day off with a fruity ending....
This week I am only scheduled 1 day off, which was today so I was determined to do something fun with the kids. This morning I picked up around the house and vacuumed while the kids all played, then the girls took their naps while Nathan and I had some time together playing. Caitlyn woke up from her nap first, right around when I was going to start making dinner and was really clingy and upset so up she went onto my back. Even when she's not grumpy after a nap she likes me to wear her while I cook. It's nice for us to have that one on one bonding time together.
My grump <3
Caitlyn and I made cheese burgers and french fries for dinner and when it was just about done Christin woke up from her nap and was happy to see dinner was just about ready. We all ate our dinner and got all cleaned up. I put the dishes in the sink and cleaned up most of my mess from cooking so we could be ready for our project for tonight. This is something I've "pinned" a few months ago and been wanting to try for a while now. Fruity Play Dough. Having 3 toddlers, I knew this would go over big in our house and it did. Here's how it's made....
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 package Kool-Aid (any flavor)
1/4 cup salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2/3-3/4 cup boiling water
(Missing vegetable oil from the picture)
First, you'll want to put all the dry ingredients into a bowl together (minus the extra tbsp of flour) and mix them all together well. Then add the vegetable oil and water. After mixing it all together very well it was a bit moist so I added the other tbsp of flour then and kneaded it well and put it into a container to cool off a bit. Once cool, which didn't take long, I let the kids all play with them. They got really excited helping me mix it all together and even more to play with it.
I really love this play dough too. It's a great consistency, easy to clean up, makes about twice as much as in a can of store bought and it smells GREAT! Whatever flavor you pick will determine what color it will turn out to be.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Crafty mama day...
Ok I got a bit of motivation on my day off today and the kids really wanted to play outside so I took advantage of it. Fortunately my sewing table is set up right by the glass door so I can open the shades and watch them play as I sew. Smart right!?
Ok so the first things I made today were matching dresses for the girls to wear tomorrow on Mother's Day. They aren't perfect but turned out pretty cute. I followed a pattern I bought at JoAnn's and got the fabric there as well.
I made them in a combo of them playing outside and their nap time. Of course when they were playing outside they got into the dogs' water bowl though. I mean, what toddler doesn't though!?
And now that all 3 kids are in bed and I've completed several products I'm going to relax and watch Pretty Woman on tv.
Ok so the first things I made today were matching dresses for the girls to wear tomorrow on Mother's Day. They aren't perfect but turned out pretty cute. I followed a pattern I bought at JoAnn's and got the fabric there as well.
Christin's
Caitlyn's
I made them in a combo of them playing outside and their nap time. Of course when they were playing outside they got into the dogs' water bowl though. I mean, what toddler doesn't though!?
I was just about to clean up when one of my girls needed a new diaper and I figured out we were totally out of wipes. I knew I'd emptied the one pack but figured there was another one around here somewhere, as there always is. That reminded me that I had some flannel I got on clearance that had been waiting for a use so I found one today and made some cloth wipes. This will be our first venture with cloth wipes so we'll see how they go and we certainly need more but it's a start. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE having a serger? It made making these SOO incredibly quick and easy. I'd say less than 5 minutes to sew 9 perfect ones and 3 that were a bit smaller/not squared. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and can't wait to see how they work for us.
Monday, April 30, 2012
unconventional parenting...
I'm a bit of what even I'd consider an "unconventional" parent. There are many aspects of parenting I've become passionate about now that before didn't make me think twice. One of which came up and blew up on my facebook today and that was car seat safety.
I shared a link on my facebook for other moms to see that the guidelines for car seats and boosters have changed to help educate them in case they had not noticed yet and could make an educated decision on what they felt was best for their kids. I got numerous "likes" and a few positive comments, and then a negative comment. That negative comment turned into a bit of an argument, she deleted her comments then messaged me which lead to my being called a bad name and deleted from her friends. This really saddens me, not really to "lose" a friend, but to have someone argue facts and research that's right in front of them for silly reasons.
Reasons I heard:
- There were less issues "back in the day" when we were babies and most of us weren't even in car seats
- My baby is big so my doctor told me it was "ok"
- I only turn him around to take pictures cause I have a small car and that's the only way I can get them.
Now I personally, along with several friends, think all 3 of those are insane reasons to ignore research and guidelines. For one, there are ALOT more cars on the road now than there were years ago. There are also a lot more people out there who ignore the laws (not much unlike her) driving around which causes more accidents. Either way, there is ALWAYS a chance at being in an accident and that chance to me is enough to take precaution and go with what is safest for my children.
An another note, I also dont see how any doctor would tell you it is "ok" to turn your child's car seat around at 6 months (and ignoring the law) because they meet the minimum weight alone. An infant reaching the weight minimum does NOT mean their neck/spine is strong enough to withstand the type of impact that goes with a collision. In my opinion, that is a red flag from any medial professional to find a new doctor!
And the third suggested reason, pictures. I am an avid picture taker and snap pictures of my kids all the time as does most proud parents, but that in no way should ever put their safety at risk. Being able to take pictures of your child while riding in the car is not something that should trump the law and what's safest for them and is pure ignorance.
Now I'd like to leave anyone who is interested and open to learning about car seat safety with a few links to help them, as education was my intent for the link I posted on my facebook. This, as well as my FB post, is not meant to cause a debate on what people think is best, just to inform so people are able to make more educated decisions. I wish I'd taken the chance to research it when my oldest was a baby and am thankful we never had to find out the "hard way."
Crash Test
Crash testing, along with a touching story of an 18 month old who was involved in a crash while forward facing.
I shared a link on my facebook for other moms to see that the guidelines for car seats and boosters have changed to help educate them in case they had not noticed yet and could make an educated decision on what they felt was best for their kids. I got numerous "likes" and a few positive comments, and then a negative comment. That negative comment turned into a bit of an argument, she deleted her comments then messaged me which lead to my being called a bad name and deleted from her friends. This really saddens me, not really to "lose" a friend, but to have someone argue facts and research that's right in front of them for silly reasons.
Reasons I heard:
- There were less issues "back in the day" when we were babies and most of us weren't even in car seats
- My baby is big so my doctor told me it was "ok"
- I only turn him around to take pictures cause I have a small car and that's the only way I can get them.
Now I personally, along with several friends, think all 3 of those are insane reasons to ignore research and guidelines. For one, there are ALOT more cars on the road now than there were years ago. There are also a lot more people out there who ignore the laws (not much unlike her) driving around which causes more accidents. Either way, there is ALWAYS a chance at being in an accident and that chance to me is enough to take precaution and go with what is safest for my children.
An another note, I also dont see how any doctor would tell you it is "ok" to turn your child's car seat around at 6 months (and ignoring the law) because they meet the minimum weight alone. An infant reaching the weight minimum does NOT mean their neck/spine is strong enough to withstand the type of impact that goes with a collision. In my opinion, that is a red flag from any medial professional to find a new doctor!
And the third suggested reason, pictures. I am an avid picture taker and snap pictures of my kids all the time as does most proud parents, but that in no way should ever put their safety at risk. Being able to take pictures of your child while riding in the car is not something that should trump the law and what's safest for them and is pure ignorance.
Now I'd like to leave anyone who is interested and open to learning about car seat safety with a few links to help them, as education was my intent for the link I posted on my facebook. This, as well as my FB post, is not meant to cause a debate on what people think is best, just to inform so people are able to make more educated decisions. I wish I'd taken the chance to research it when my oldest was a baby and am thankful we never had to find out the "hard way."
Crash Test
Crash testing, along with a touching story of an 18 month old who was involved in a crash while forward facing.
Monday, April 23, 2012
home made egg rolls and cheese wontons
This is the 2nd time I've made these and the first time I got a lot of questions so I figured I'd take pictures along the way so I could make a post about how I did it. I first got this idea from a recipe on pinterest that I edited with things that we like in our family so the possibilities are endless on these....
Cheese Won Ton ingredients:
1 package of cream cheese
1 cup of finely shredded italian style cheese (5 cheeses)
1 egg
1tbs water
won ton wrappers
jar of sweet and sour sauce (if desired)
The amounts above made quite a bit of filling/wontons so you are welcome to cut it in half if you'd like. I only ended up making 12 and used about half of the filling to get an idea of how much it would make. First, you'll want to take the package of cream cheese out a bit earlier so it has a chance to soften up some. It will make mixing it much easier. Once softened, mix the cream cheese with the shredded cheese. I used a fork so it could kneed through the cream cheese well to mix it well. Then, you'll want to make your "egg wash" which will help keep the won tons together when you seal them. For that you mix 1 egg and 1tbs of water together. Now for the wrapping.... Put about a nickel to quarter ball amount in the middle of the won ton wrapper
Repeat this for each wonton until they are all made. I fried them in my deep fryer on 350 for about 4-5 minutes until they were nice and golden brown and crispy.
Egg Rolls:
For the egg rolls I did 2 different kinds. One was teriyaki and the other was with wing sauce. Like I stated above, the possibilities are endless depending on your taste so dont be afraid to try different combos.
First, I boiled chicken (3 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast) and let cool a bit. Then, I used my food processor to chop it up pretty small but you can cut it to whatever size you'd like. Then, I mixed 2/3 of it with the teriyaki sauce (I used KC Masterpiece honey teriyaki marinade) with the chicken so it's all moist and let that sit for a bit so it soaks into the chicken (kinda like 15-20 minutes), then mixed in finely shredded cheddar cheese. I didn't measure but used 2 pretty big handfulls.
With the other 1/3 chicken I mixed it with wing sauce and let sit a bit, then added shredded cheddar cheese to that mixture.
Now down to the wrapping.....
You'll want to use the same egg wash you used for the won tons (1 egg, 1tbs water) to seal these as well. take a fair amount of chicken mixture and put it long ways in the middle of the egg roll wrapper like this....
Then take the bottom corner and bring it up to wrap the mixture and tuck some of it under the mix to help keep it secure like this...
Then, dab a fair amount of the egg wash in the middle of the rolled portion and fold the left corner up and place the corner in the middle on the egg wash like this....
Then repeat with the right corner and rub the edges with a dab of egg wash to help seal it up well. Then, put cover a the remaining corner with egg wash about 1 inch down and roll it to the corner to close it up. I also like to run my finger over the edges with egg wash to ensure they are well sealed for the frying process. It should look like this when done...
Continue with the rest of the mixture until it's all rolled up. Then you're ready to fry these up! I used my deep fryer for these as well. I found I could fit about 4-5 in at a time and fryed them for about 5 minutes each until they were nice and golden brown and crispy.
I served these with store bought sweet and sour sauce and rice (chicken friend rice for me and the kids and white rice for hubby).
Cheese Won Ton ingredients:
1 package of cream cheese
1 cup of finely shredded italian style cheese (5 cheeses)
1 egg
1tbs water
won ton wrappers
jar of sweet and sour sauce (if desired)
The amounts above made quite a bit of filling/wontons so you are welcome to cut it in half if you'd like. I only ended up making 12 and used about half of the filling to get an idea of how much it would make. First, you'll want to take the package of cream cheese out a bit earlier so it has a chance to soften up some. It will make mixing it much easier. Once softened, mix the cream cheese with the shredded cheese. I used a fork so it could kneed through the cream cheese well to mix it well. Then, you'll want to make your "egg wash" which will help keep the won tons together when you seal them. For that you mix 1 egg and 1tbs of water together. Now for the wrapping.... Put about a nickel to quarter ball amount in the middle of the won ton wrapper
Then, put a dab of the egg wash on the top corner and press it together with the bottom corner with the points going straight up above the ball. Then, put a dab of egg wash on the right corner and wrap that around the points sticking up already so it's sealed well. Do the same with the other corner and brush all sides with egg wash to seal them against the rest of the won ton.
Egg Rolls:
For the egg rolls I did 2 different kinds. One was teriyaki and the other was with wing sauce. Like I stated above, the possibilities are endless depending on your taste so dont be afraid to try different combos.
First, I boiled chicken (3 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast) and let cool a bit. Then, I used my food processor to chop it up pretty small but you can cut it to whatever size you'd like. Then, I mixed 2/3 of it with the teriyaki sauce (I used KC Masterpiece honey teriyaki marinade) with the chicken so it's all moist and let that sit for a bit so it soaks into the chicken (kinda like 15-20 minutes), then mixed in finely shredded cheddar cheese. I didn't measure but used 2 pretty big handfulls.
With the other 1/3 chicken I mixed it with wing sauce and let sit a bit, then added shredded cheddar cheese to that mixture.
Now down to the wrapping.....
You'll want to use the same egg wash you used for the won tons (1 egg, 1tbs water) to seal these as well. take a fair amount of chicken mixture and put it long ways in the middle of the egg roll wrapper like this....
Then take the bottom corner and bring it up to wrap the mixture and tuck some of it under the mix to help keep it secure like this...
Then, dab a fair amount of the egg wash in the middle of the rolled portion and fold the left corner up and place the corner in the middle on the egg wash like this....
Then repeat with the right corner and rub the edges with a dab of egg wash to help seal it up well. Then, put cover a the remaining corner with egg wash about 1 inch down and roll it to the corner to close it up. I also like to run my finger over the edges with egg wash to ensure they are well sealed for the frying process. It should look like this when done...
Continue with the rest of the mixture until it's all rolled up. Then you're ready to fry these up! I used my deep fryer for these as well. I found I could fit about 4-5 in at a time and fryed them for about 5 minutes each until they were nice and golden brown and crispy.
I served these with store bought sweet and sour sauce and rice (chicken friend rice for me and the kids and white rice for hubby).
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