So, we had our first midwife appointment. I have always been fascinated by pregnancy. Seriously, some people are completely awed by the solar system or the idea of quantum mechanics. Well, that is how I am about pregnancy. It just blows me away. And I have always dreamed of how I want my pregnancy to go. And what type of pregnant woman I will be. I have also been careful to remember that pregnancies rarely go how you dream them up. So far, even with ALL of the countless hours of research I have put into pregnancy it is going nothing like I dreamed of.
First off, I wanted to deliver away from a hospital setting. I probably am one of those people who believe that birth is a natural thing. I do not think birth necessarily requires many medical interventions. But that is not the biggest reason that I wanted to be away from a hospital. I also want to have more say in my birth plan than a hospital birth might allow. I don't want to be hooked up to anything. I want to walk around. I want to do what feels right when it feels natural to do so. I want options. I don't want to feel rushed. I want to be comfortable (okay, as comfortable as you can be when pushing a melon-sized object out of your pikachu). But really, the biggest thing I want is that comfort! I know that hospitals save lives. And I am very grateful for them because they saved my husband's life. But they also bring back a lot of memories and these are not good memories. I know that if I am in a hospital, lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines that beep, I will be flooded with memories and I will not have the birth experience that I want.
If it was my decision solely I would probably opt for a birth center. But my husband was not comfortable with this. And it's his baby too! We made a compromise and decided to go with midwives INSIDE a hospital. The midwives will limit the amount of medical interventions as is safe to do so. And if something bad does happen, I will still be inside a hospital and can get urgent attention.
Now, the reality of the situation. I have always been plagued with weird medical issues. I was hoping my pregnancy would be different but alas, no such luck. First the subchorionic hemorrhange. I thought that would be the extent of weird medical stuff. But at today's midwife appointment I learned that the blood test I completed last week indicates that I have a low platelet count (it is supposed to be 150 but mine is only 117). I now have to meet with a hematologist and have more tests run. The danger with a low platelet count is that my blood may not clot correctly. This can cause a high-risk pregnancy. I might not be able to deliver with midwives. OR this could just be a weird hormonal thing and my platelet count could return to normal. OR it could be a sign of some other problem. Lots of unanswered questions. Ironically, when I asked the midwife if I could deliver my baby safely with a platelet count of 117 the answer is: Yes, except I would not be able to have an epidural. I didn't want an epidural anyway so this will just be an absolute to prevent me from getting one. But man, another thing to attempt not to stress over. I will get more answers next week.
First off, I wanted to deliver away from a hospital setting. I probably am one of those people who believe that birth is a natural thing. I do not think birth necessarily requires many medical interventions. But that is not the biggest reason that I wanted to be away from a hospital. I also want to have more say in my birth plan than a hospital birth might allow. I don't want to be hooked up to anything. I want to walk around. I want to do what feels right when it feels natural to do so. I want options. I don't want to feel rushed. I want to be comfortable (okay, as comfortable as you can be when pushing a melon-sized object out of your pikachu). But really, the biggest thing I want is that comfort! I know that hospitals save lives. And I am very grateful for them because they saved my husband's life. But they also bring back a lot of memories and these are not good memories. I know that if I am in a hospital, lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines that beep, I will be flooded with memories and I will not have the birth experience that I want.
If it was my decision solely I would probably opt for a birth center. But my husband was not comfortable with this. And it's his baby too! We made a compromise and decided to go with midwives INSIDE a hospital. The midwives will limit the amount of medical interventions as is safe to do so. And if something bad does happen, I will still be inside a hospital and can get urgent attention.
Now, the reality of the situation. I have always been plagued with weird medical issues. I was hoping my pregnancy would be different but alas, no such luck. First the subchorionic hemorrhange. I thought that would be the extent of weird medical stuff. But at today's midwife appointment I learned that the blood test I completed last week indicates that I have a low platelet count (it is supposed to be 150 but mine is only 117). I now have to meet with a hematologist and have more tests run. The danger with a low platelet count is that my blood may not clot correctly. This can cause a high-risk pregnancy. I might not be able to deliver with midwives. OR this could just be a weird hormonal thing and my platelet count could return to normal. OR it could be a sign of some other problem. Lots of unanswered questions. Ironically, when I asked the midwife if I could deliver my baby safely with a platelet count of 117 the answer is: Yes, except I would not be able to have an epidural. I didn't want an epidural anyway so this will just be an absolute to prevent me from getting one. But man, another thing to attempt not to stress over. I will get more answers next week.
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