I heard my OB was going to retire through a midwife at the hospital and she wondred if I would be under his care still as she thought he finished up before my date, so I decided I had better ask at my appoint yesterday. It turns out he is not retiring he is relocating due to ongoing conflict with the hospital. After 21 years of service, leaving seems to be a big deal and on my due date . He has been picked up as head of OB at Sandringham hospital and going to start his own practice down there, so no slouch!!! I have picked his wifes brains for all the info, she is his receptionist and also a midwife for many years, turns out the hospital has employed a 70 year old OB who does'nt like to come in under emergency conditions and authorizes extended labours to fit in with daylight hours and a younger OB is all about natural childbirth apparently at any cost, one woman has died along with a number of babies and many have had their first helicopter trip to Melb within days of birth due to complications, she believes that many of these children will have brain damage, but a lot won't show up until later.
I had wanted to try for a VBAC, but am really concerned about my and babies health, if I don't go into labour before my OB goes away. He is very sensible and I trust him competely that he has my best intersts at heart, he is happy for me to try naturally as long as everything goes along smoothly which is how I want it also, apparently these others are inducing woman who have had had previous C-sections, letting them have extended labours without monitering, midwifes are telling woman to push way to early, pain relief is being denied and C-section delayed.
My ???? are what would you do?
I am thinking maybe I should try to do as much as possible to go into labour early, accupunture etc and perhaps if baby still does'nt come book myslef in for a C-section with him as late as possible before he leaves.
It goes against the grain for me not to try, also this is my last baby and labour is a part of all this for me and little ones at home afterwards easier with natural birth, but I am more fearful of something happening to me or my baby, my chances are slim after 2 sections to birth naturaly anyway, because of not being able to be induced, no extended labour etc.
Do I travel further afield to another hospital, or maybe even to Melb to my OB, although does'nt sound like a great plan 2 hours in labour in the car
Anyway any thoughts would be great, someone might be able to think of something I have'nt???????
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Last edited by blackduckies; July 16th, 2008 at 12:05 PM.
All I can say is OMG, what is the hospital thinking?
Honestly, if you don't want to risk the 2 hour drive to Melb while in labour, then a C-sec with the Ob you trust is the best option IMO. Do NOT go to a Dr that you don't trust and who doesn't seem to have your best interests at heart.
Is it possible to change hospitals or are they your only option?
Thanks for the reply, hospital an hour away, but further from Melb or one 45 mins away closer to melb, but no experience with either and both country hospitals, harder for visitors etc: I think if I was going to travel I would try to go to Melb for better care but..........all so hard!!!!!! Maybe I will go early, I have once before, but unfortunatley with both the girls overdue and by heaps.
Follow your ob, Pam! Two hours' drive is better than taking your chances where you are. Tell your ob, if he's leaving, he has to take you too! He might be able to give you a heads up when you're getting close to going into labour and you could head down to Melbourne a little bit beforehand. I'm planning on heading down to Wagga when it gets close to time as I'm nearly three hours' drive away from Calvary Hospital. And if I were to go into labour here and need an ambulance, they'd take me to Griffith Base Hospital as it's closer.
BD - do some research locally with people you know - maybe even look at the recommendations. the one 45 mins from here, on the way to Melb, has a FANTASTIC reputation - i know of people closer than either of us to the local, and they've travelled to W for their births. they're apparently very proactive with VBAC's too... definitely look around. you may need to change OB's late in the game, but if it means you get a local-ish, and stress free birth...
i'm assuming it is Dr S from T'gon that is leaving??
Thanks Kerry and BG, Kerry I would love to follow, a bit hard with the pther kidlets and a bit of a pain if it turned out to be false labour, but could'nt afford to hang around at home and wait either. BG might take your advice and check it out, thanks!!! Yes it is Dr S and I think it is going to leave a huge hole down this way????
there goes the assumption i'll go back to him when i'm UTD!!! FS works out of his offices at the moment, so i just made an assumption i'd transfer back to him... ah well - obviously have to reconsider that thought!!
How inconvenient!!!!! I wonder where FS will go, you would think he will stay in T must be loads of business, but what a pain.. Dr S has been great, really tough shoes to fill and also an effort to change now, how do you get to trust someone at such short notice???????
Pam - I am sorry your OB is leaving, but by the sounds of it with good reason. I would stick with who you can trust, and if he is willing to give you the c/s before he leaves then I would be inclined to do that. I would be too scared to risk anything going wrong.
Thanks girls, I have to say I am being swayed that way I think I will book in for his last CS date and if something happens before hand well and good we will sensibly go with the flow, but if things don't go excatly to plan I am not going to be a hero.
After more homework and advice from my US/OB and seeing my gorgeous baby girl again on Monday, I think I will be booking in for the C-section after talking with the guy that does the US (he is also an OB) he trained with my lovely doc, he has recommended to go with it!!! Reasons why...... After 2 c-sections the scar is weakened further, making the risk of rupture higher, being in a hospital that only does 1000 deliveries per year means that in general they are less experiened with this kind of thing (part time staff, causal midwifes and even inexperienced docs) and studies have shown that they are 30-45mins behind in picking up the problem. If I was going to go to a big Melb hospital eg:3000-6000 births a years and resident anthesatist and surgery staff yes cause they are equiped to deal with it and surgery can be performed quickly, in the smaller hospitals you have to wait for them to come in and if the babies head breaks through into the stomach cavity, it's all over.
Next problem 1in 20 women will have an unexplained stillbirth VBAC, they don't know why but.....it happens.
Same figures apply to maternal problems eg: huge blood loss that keeps you in hospital for heaps longer, endo why I have no idea??? and other women related problems.
Labour shopuld be no longer than 6-8 hours, you should'nt be induced all due to pressure on the scar, no epidural, labour needs to progress smoothly etc, then at the end of all that being an older woman it is harder for me to give birth naturally anyway, so my chances are slim and the risks are sounding great.
I am thinking my doc is very brave to even consider allowing me to try, although he has tried to sway me the whole way.
As this doc said this would be how a conversation between OB's would go doc x has a patient who is 41 years old has 2 previous C-sections and a high risk pregnancy with bleeding through to the fourth month and he is willing to give her a trial of scar, we would just look in disbelief and say well if it all goes wrong he is going to have 3 years to think about his decision, in between litigation, court etc, and if it went well and she delivered naturally we would slap him on the back and say well done mate you were lucky. His final comments were if I wanted to go ahead good luck, but just remember the hospital staff feel a bit down if something goes wrong but go home to there families we are the ones left to deal with a sick, damaged or dead baby/mother and the repercussions that go with that. Scarey thoughts hey, but the wake up call I needed!!!
Pam - Ohh hun, I am so glad to hear you have made your decision. It certainly is a scarey wake up isnt it, I would much prefer come home with a healthy baby then to have tried a VBAC and end up with a very sick baby with lots of problems or no baby at all. As you know, I too am having my 3rd c/s, and way too scared to go VBAC, especially with such long and hard labours as what I have, sends a shiver thru me with the thought of things possibly going wrong. I was in th frame of mind, of seeing if the DR's would let me go into labour on my own and then giving me the c/s, but after reading one of the other members experiences, I am not going to push the subject with the DR's. If I happen to go into labour before my scheduled c/s date then I will face it then otherwise, I am quite happy to have them book the c/s.
Anyway again hun, so glad you have made your decision.
I have to say it still feels weird to actually book for the C-section, there is a part of me that could be easily swayed and I have to say I am secretly hoping I go into labour during the day (JIC surgery is required ansd it will all be set up if something did go wrong) and it progresses along smoothly and fairly quickly and it just happens. If I was going to a bigger hospital I think I would still give it a go.
When everything is taken into account it makes sense to have the baby here with the OB I know and trust, then I can have vistors after the baby is born, no travelling and taking the chance, and minimal distruption to the other kids, also they can se me easily afterwards, if it was only me to think about maybe a trip to Melb to deliver would be on the cards, it easier to stay down there somewhere. As it is I have a big DD who has a part time job and school and little ones who are going to a good friends when I go into labour if I was in Melb I would'nt have that, DH's brother is in Melb but their daughter is expecting 4 days before me, so that's out of the question, my brother and SIL have younguns of there own and my sister is working full time so hard to drop everything easily. As you can tell I have so much running through my head still thinking of options and ruling them out as I go, probablly will until the day.
I should know by now that the best laid plans go astray, I have planned things out in previous labours and they have'nt turned out how I thought, not been devestated because I did'nt have anything set in stone, but ......... know people who have been really shattered!!!!!
Anyway thanks for the dribble always good to get it outPam.
Pam - Dont worry about the dribble, I have loads going thru my head too. Still havent worked out what I am going to do with the kids yet, but will get to that as time gets closer. I really hope everything runs smoothly for you hun.
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