Deb in all the books of read they have never mentioned that weight is an issue, so maybe it's not??? I'm not 100% sure though.
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Deb in all the books of read they have never mentioned that weight is an issue, so maybe it's not??? I'm not 100% sure though.
I'm not really sure either Deb. But I do know that a c section for a bigger lady is a bigger op as there as more layers to go through (sorry, didn't know how else to say it)
So the way I see it, there is another pro VBAC thing ;)
Trish - I think any surgery is a bigger risk to larger people for a multitude of reasons. I think the anaesthetic and drugs are dangerous? I know that's why a lot of plastic surgeons won't work on people until they've gotten down to a safe weight. Then of course there's all the extra layers... tis a fact so I'm not offended ;)
Sarah - it's good that it's not mentioned in the books. What are the books you have again? I should go and get them now that the silly season is over.
I've got Kelly looking for doula's in my area (or that are willing to travel to Hammo). I figure if I'm gonna do this, it'll be good to have the extra support. Haven't spoken to Neil about it yet but he's a "steady as she goes" type bloke. Too much stuff at once and he tunes out! LOL I think he'll be open to it tho.
I've decided that I don't want Mum there this time. Not sure how she'll react. I'd rather her look after Gabby. I know Gabby will be ok with her if Neil and I are away from her for a number of hours. Hopefully she'll be gracious about it.
Cool Deb, of course I should have mentioned the other things too. Lol.
Good on you for looking into having a doula. Maybe tell Neil you feel you need the extra support without your mum being in there ?? Even if this isn't the case :)
I've just emailed Neil with a link to a site that briefly explains what a doula is and what they do (in nice, plain language.... man's language ;) ). I'll see if I get a response today.
I reckon he'll be all for it then crack it about the cost. He's a bit of a tight-arse. Hmm... maybe I just won't tell him..... hehehe.
The cost was one of the things Mark whinged about with our HB. I just told him that women spend thousands on OB's who quite often don't turn up or just for the last 5 minutes. I got a whole lot of care for my $3000, plus after care too :)
Well... thankfully having a doula doesn't cost THAT much! LOL
You're right tho... people spend stacks in the private system so it's no different really.
I have to go to the hospital this week to get blood tests done so I might see if I can speak to someone about seeing a midwife to have a chat. With any luck they'll be open to it. I can find out how they feel about me having a doula. Being a country hospital they may not have a lot of that sort of thing happening? I really don't know.... I don't like to presume.
I'll also ask the midwives if they can recommend a Dr. at the clinic that's more pro-vbac. I'll be seeing my Dr. again a week after the bloods are taken but I doubt he'll want to discuss it further. He pretty much said I have to wait until 20 weeks (because a lot of women miscarry... blah, blah, blah... he likes bringing up the miscarriage thing). I've only seen him twice tho so I'll see how this third visit goes. I just can't wait another 10 weeks before discussing my options. I want to get my head around it iykwim? Waiting until half way through the pregnancy to even discuss things just seems silly!
Nice Dr, Deb. Sounds like he's a real positive man to be around.
Fingers crossed you can find a more supportive Dr.
Hahaha.... just got an email back from Neil:
"Up to you about the doula... so long as it's $150 and not $800". Told ya he'd be hung up on the money! Arrgh!
Just tell him you can take the money out of the baby bonus Deb ;)
As for my books I have
* Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth
* Silent Knife
* New Active Birth
Had a drama getting VBAC Companion, but will get it eventually. Check out Amazon, do a search for cesarean (yep I know wrong spelling LOL) or VBAC and they have heaps of different ones.
Thanks mate. I know you listed them earlier (or somewhere else?) but I'm lazy! hehehe
I'll definitely grab them and have a good read.
I managed to convince Neil that the cost of a doula isn't all that bad. He seemed happy that it doesn't have to be paid in one lump sum (always helps) and I think he can see that it'd be an investment. Now he just wants me to make sure she's good looking! Arrgh!! hahaaha
LOL at good looking Deb! And no prob about the book list :)
LOL Deb, Typical male wanting a good looking one.
When it comes time for you to have your baby he'd better not be checking out your doula, I can imagine there would be more for him to look at ;)
Hehehe Trish... I had a "hot doctor" deliver Gabby so Neil was checking her out while I had my guts open!! PMSL
Naah... he's not that bad really (making him sound like a sleaze).
PMSL Deb. As long as he is leaving you alone and not being a pain all in good fun then hey. Same as me with Mark :)
Although I do remember when Teh was in hosp, there was this really cute Dr doing the rounds. Mum and I were like, MMm I hope he's Teh's Dr. And he was ;)
LOL Trish... nothin' like having a perve when you're preggo, hey? I had a hot student doctor a couple of times. He was lovely and gentle too (well, too gentle so he couldn't quite find Gab's head... so I told him he could be more rough if he wanted). Hahahaha.
HAHA, just tell him you like it rough hun ;)
Had my bloods done today. I figured while I was at the hospital (clinic, hossy and pathology all in the one spot) that I'd go and inquire about seeing the midwives. I was sent to obstetrics where I explained that even tho I am not 20 weeks along that I'd like to speak to a midwife soon because I've got a lot of things to get my head around. She seemed understanding but couldn't get me in until Feb 5. Oh well, still better than having to wait until 20 weeks. I'll be a bit over 15 weeks. At least then I can talk to them about having a VBAC (with as little intervention as possible), having a doula/support person in with me and also whether there's a doctor at the clinic that would be more supportive of a VBAC. I see my doc again next week. I figure I'll give him one more chance. Tho I doubt much will change as he doesn't seem keen to talk about anything major until 20 weeks. Maybe I am just being impatient? Possibly. Either way I'll at least be able to get a few things sorted out in my head.
Posted this in the VBAC/EBAC discussion too:
Ok... have been looking for a few books...
Have found a good online store that has a lot of childbirth/pregnancy/maternity type books.
Capers Bookstore? dot com dot au
Anyway... it has Silent Knife ($77!! ARGH!), The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth and New Active Birth.
There's one there called "Vaginal Birth After Caesarean" by Elizabeth Kaufmann. Anyone heard of this one? Any good?
Deb, Capers is pretty expensive compared to other places. If you go to Seek Books which is in the recommended reading list, you can see the difference and also support BB at the same time, we get a small percent of sales. They are cheapest I have found online by far. Also hard covers are heaps more expensive.
OOo okies... will do, Kelly :) Thanks for that. I thought it was a good idea to check here before going ahead with buying them. I'll probably have to get one at a time anyway.
BTW, I've got a couple of emails from possible birth support people so thanks for asking around for me :) I'll be speaking to them on the phone at some stage next week and possibly meeting them to see how we feel. Either way, it's a positive step to helping me figure this whole thing out. Thanks heaps!
ETA: Woah! Just looking at seekbooks and they are HEAPS cheaper!!
Except for Silent Knife... it's $77 with Capers and $92.66 with Seekbooks. I wonder if they price-match? Hmm...
Yup :) Thats why I recommend them. Huge range, great service, fantastic prices - I use them alot :)
You'll feel even better after meeting with those people, will give you more confidence. I even hear the director of the ABA contacted you :) We chat so she let me know ;)
Hehehe... yes... oooerrr!! ;) How cool would it be if I could say that the director of the ABA was at MY birth??? It's great that she's not all that far away from me either.
You'd get great breastfeeding support!!! :)
One word - EBAY!! Or even try 2nd hand book shops Deb.
Or, someone nice might lend you a copy hehe! Just sent you a PM.
I sure would, Kelly. I tell you what, that advice wouldn't go astray! Tho I do plan on BFing like a champ this time round. Nothing's gonna stop me! Muhahahaahahahaha!!! (ok... woman posessed!! hehehe).
Sarah and Christy - thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!!! I really appreciate the loan (and the thought :) ). I promise I'll look after the books Christy!
Another question...
I've just been starting a basic birth plan that I'll work on as I read more. There was one bit I'm not sure about:
"I’d like an un-rushed physiological third stage, and I would rather not have the routine Syntometrine injection".
What is the issue with the synto injection? I thought that it helped to deliver the placenta aswell as help to establish breastfeeding? I think I remember being told this in antenatal classes.
Nah Deb - better all natural.
I think (but I know there is a better thread where Shannon posted a pile of good stuff) that it just basically speeds up the whole uterus shrinking thing. But when you are breastfeeding, this happens all by itself! My uteruse contracted really, really quickly. Like super fast, which was proabbly why I had such shocking afterpains (puts it in persepctive that morphine didn't even take the edge off it!!!). As the midwife said when she did her first check of my tummy - "lucky you didn't get the shot!".
Hey Deb, check out this article on the main BB page, might help.
Thanks guys! I was just curious..... it's so hard to comprehend all this info when you've got different people telling you different things.
Went to the Dr. today and things went better this time. I'll write about it properly in my pregnancy journal and in the VBAC discussion but, basically, he was a little more forthcoming with information concerning a VBAC. He was a little guarded still (saying something about a gyno checking to see if the baby will fit through my pelvis... urrgh! That old card!) but he was also encouraging when I said I was doing a lot of research and reading so that I made informed choices. He seemed to take me more seriously this time.
Deb, good to hear that your appt went better this time. Pfft at your pelvis not being big enough. Mark's SIL was told the same thigna dn they gave her 3 c sections without even letting her try to give birth naturally and she's not even a small person.
Yeah I'm a bit befuddled by it all, Trish.
I've read the article on the BB main page about the pelvis issue and I'm just wondering why on earth it's even still a reason given by doctors?? It's not like I'm a little speck of a thing!! LOL
Also was never an issue when preggo with Gabby. Not one person said to me "Oh we better check your pelvis to see if the baby will fit" and Gab was 8lbs! Hmmm.... if it wasn't an issue then, why would it be now?
Anyway... I'll humour him. I'll go see the gyno and, with any luck, he'll say "Yep, no worries" and it'll be all guns a blazin' for a VBAC.
How are things going Miss Debbie?? Enjoying the books I hope?
Hey Sarah...
Yep... am halfway through one of them - "Thinking Woman's Guide"... and I'm enjoying it so far. Very eye-opening!
Yaaaay!!
I had a lovely midwife (Cath) from Warrnambool call me yesterday (thanks to Kelly :) ). I'd been meaning to call her but she chased me instead! Gotta love that! She was so easy to talk to! I'm considering having the baby in Warrnambool now after she talked some sense into me (I was worried about the fact that the hospital is an hour away and we've got very little support network here to look after Gab). I am also concerned because I want to stay at home as long as possible before going to the hospital to stave off intervention etc. So... she suggested what someone else from this area did. They headed to Warrnambool in early labour and hired a motel room. She then laboured there until she was ready to go to the hospital. That's a very good option. Obviously I'd prefer to be at home but if I can get a better VBAC chance at Warrnambool then perhaps it's worth the compromise?
She also listened to my issues regarding what to do with Gabby. We do have a couple of friends here (that have offered to look after Gabby when the time comes) but they'll have a 4 month old baby by then and I didn't want to impose. However... it was pointed out to me... why would they offer if they didn't genuinely mean it?? Too true. Perhaps I will use their help when the time comes. Leave Gabby with them until Mum can get here to look after her. It'll only take my Mum 2.5 hours to get here so it's not like Gabby will be with them for a long period of time AND she does know them (they have a 2yo that she likes to play with) so she'll be ok. I'm a bit scared about being an hour away from her but once Mum gets here I won't be as worried.
I'm still going to see the midwives at Hamilton Hospital armed with a question that Cath suggested I ask - will they let me go overdue? If they can't answer straight away or say "no" then it's a high indication that they'll be pushing for intervention that I don't want (for no good reason). Apparently I can be booked into 2 hospitals so it's worth me looking into Warrnambool as an option. I need to get a referral from my doctor to see the doctors in Warrnambool so that'll tell them that I'm serious about trying for a VBAC. Time will tell I guess!
Cath also said that if I do have the baby at Warrnambool that she'd be happy to come in for my birth if she wasn't working at the time! How nice is that! She hasn't even met me yet! Yet I felt so reassured just talking to her. She's doing a home birth in Hamilton so she suggest we meet for a cuppa next time she's down for her weekly appointments. I'll definitely take her up on that.
I'm thinking about joining the ABA too and going to a couple of meetings. Might help me meet some people and also with BFing after I have Little Bee.
YAYAYAY Deb, sounds like you've found a fantastic midwife :D Just what you needed!! And as for Gab, that's great news that someone has offered to look after her while your mum gets there. You never know it might be in the middle of the night & she'll barely notice ;)
Deb - I didn't do the stay at home as long as you can thing, and it worked for me. Why can't you go to hossy when you think its the right time, and bugger them if they try to send you home ;)
Labouring in the birthing unit at Geelong was fine. By the end of the 2 days I spent in there (most of my labour plus a day afterwards) I felt very comfortable in there :D
Hehehe yeah more than likely, Sarah. Tho if it's the middle of the night we'd have to wake her up and take her to their house.... although maybe one of them could come here until she wakes up in the morning? I guess that's what we'll have to discuss. Gab's pretty good. She'll probably just go back to sleep once we get to their house.
Fi - I want to stay at home because I reckon I'll be more relaxed and labour better at home. I also worry about intervention-happy doctors trying to do things to speed labour up if it's not going fast enough for their liking (as they do). So I'd rather stay away from the hospital iykwim?
YAY Deb that all sounds so promising! We had serious issues with finding people to look after Matilda and then something hit me. I would offer to look after an older child & I would leave my 2 with Pete and go myself. To me it would be an honour to look after the older child so the mum can labour in peace.... well ykwim. I think a clear head about your first baby is so important for labour. So if you would love to look after a child for labour, then you think they might like to have that honour as well ;)
Labouring at home. Whatever works best for you. I went to hospital earlier than I planned but mainly because I needed to get out of the house... no rational explanation other than I needed to make noise & didn't want to wake up Matilda.