I have a neuro condition that is similar to parkinson's disease, but is controlled with medication. It is quite rare (1 in 2 million prevalence) and so the drs get a bit scared because they don't understand it. My symptoms improved with pregnancy last time. It is another reason why staying home would be better because stress/anxiety can make symptoms worse. I don't see this as making me any more 'high risk' than any other woman, but getting the medicos to understand this might be difficult.
With DD, i was told (and went along with) that for your first birth, especially with your medical condition, it is really important that you are monitored and go to hospital and blah blah blah. Next time you can go along with your crazy hippy ideas. Now, i am here for the second time (and understand that the first time it was all bull), i 'proved' myself by having a vaginal birth with a posterior bub and only using gas , and people seem to be backtracking on their support for me to do it my way 2nd time around. I think i need to make a decision and start demanding support, or looking elsewhere if it's not going to be given willingly.
Post birth it took me a few weeks to recover, but going to hospital didn't help at all with that last time. The lack of sleep due to PTSD (due to going to hospital) probably made the recovery slower.
I did a tour at the Birth Centre and the midwifes were awesome, but they have to work within the system. I spoke to one of them later, and she encouraged me to stay home ('Good on ya, F*** the hospital' were her words). I liked what i saw, but i don't want to be worried about toeing the line the whole time.
Maybe they thought they'd scare the crazy hippy out of you. Lots of first time mums get that message, implicitly or explicitly, even when in perfect health.
Sounds to me like hospital is a bad idea for you. I like the sound of that midwife, though.
Call the IM and have a chat. I'm not anywhere near getting pregnant but the thought of going back to hospital gives the me heebies - if I can't have my own midwife I dont' know what I'll do.
hotI: find your inner hippy and hold on tight! find the support, demand the support and do not compromise yourself or you wishes again! the medical system is just to hard to fight and sadly i dont believe any one of us can change it. i had two hospital births cause i didnt know better, OB suggested homebirth for my third so with her support had a lovely mw and homebirth, interstate and baby number 4 i feel back into the medical system and even though i knew better i just didnt priorities myself or my needs/wishes. i had a vaginal birth, nothing like the joyful experience i had at home with DS. if i ever have another then it WILL be born at home.
HotI: i too booked into birth centres with this last pg. my PTSD though really disagreed lol! i found the environment and all the rules a massive frikkin trigger and just kept having panic attacks. it wasnt until i actually had an IM in my dining room chowing down on choccy biccies with me, DH and DD that i realised that i wasnt a freak, but just needed to take a different route to bringing my baby earthside. it was instant how 'right' a fit having a HB was. it is the most miraculously, awesome and yet, normal thing to do ITMS. you will never regret a decision to go down the path of a planned HB that's for sure.
so i guess the gist of my story is get calling! call a whole bunch of IMs! and pick the one that really gels with you. you will know when it happens it is instant! i turned down 2 before i found Nic
I'm not anywhere near getting pregnant but the thought of going back to hospital gives the me heebies - if I can't have my own midwife I dont' know what I'll do.
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