Monday, September 25, 2006

Upsetting News

I got a call today from my doc’s office that they needed to change this week’s appointment. I had originally been going to see our secondary doctor because our primary will be out of town this weekend, which I was already quite concerned about. They called to change the appointment with our secondary because apparently, he will be going with our primary and they will both be gone! We have spent the last couple of months trying to get to know these two docs and them getting to know us and our pretty specific desires and concerns about having this baby. And now to have to realize that if the baby comes any time in a 5 day window – which will be after my estimated due date and quite likely – he will be delivered by someone we have never met and will have no idea about us, our history, and our desires. We are a little freaked out.

The receptionist at the office originally tried to reschedule me for the following week, October 2nd! I had to explain to her, I am due to have this baby THIS week and I’d rather not skip an appointment during my due date week. So she got us squeezed in tomorrow to see our regular doc in the morning. It will be good to talk with him face to face about who will be delivering for us if we have him while they are both gone.

There is a third doc in their office but we have never met him. I have seen him, seen his pictures all over holding newborns he’d delivered, even talked to a patient of his that was very happy with him. I have no doubts he is a wonderful doctor, after all he’s a part of this office and we are happy with them, but the fact remains that we have not met him. We will discuss with our doc tomorrow the chance of meeting the other guy sometime this week, just for our own peace of mind and to let him in on our plan.

I will be making out a detailed birth plan. I had one before but want to make sure it is up to date and accurate with how I feel now. We’ll bring 2-3 copies with us so we can go over it with the other doctor. And we’ll try to meet with any doctors that may be on call this weekend.

It’s just really scary. I am sure this was a possibility all along. If we go into labor outside of regular hours, the on-call doc handles it I guess. Well, then why do we go through the relationship building with one doctor? I don’t get it.

And we did go through a lot to see this guy. We moved 2 months early so we’d be in town soon enough to have a few months to build a relationship with a doctor before the baby came instead of only a few weeks. We paid double rent for 2 months to be sure it would happen that way. We didn’t like the office staff at first though we have come to like them more over time, but we fell in love with the doc right away! Maybe this wouldn’t be as big of a deal as it is if we didn’t like these two doctors so much. And trust them so much. Our first doc of this pregnancy was not personable and was a know-it-all that didn’t listen well, so if it had been him perhaps we could have hoped for someone we liked more. Now we couldn’t imagine someone we’d like more and I my feelings are hurt that they are leaving. I understand life goes on and doctors, especially OBs cannot wait around for all their patients to have babies. It just sucks that this is our first one.

And we’ve had such a great pregnancy. We’ve hit almost no bumps in the road when it came to my health and the baby’s health. We’ve felt very safe and secure with this doctor knowing and understanding our desires. We’ve discussed things with him at every appointment. He’s given his opinion but been understanding of ours.

Honestly, right now it just comes down to the fact that we are scared. We’ve been scared all along, this is a scary thing, even if it wasn’t our first, but more so because it is. And now the rug’s been pulled out from under us.

There’s still a chance I could go in to labor tonight or tomorrow or Wednesday. But the chances are also great that it starts over the 5 days the docs are out. Still could be not until they get back and we’d have to look in to inducing. That’s part of what makes this so hard, the not knowing.

I guess we have an option of getting induced this week before they leave, but I don’t feel that is good for the baby or the mom when there is no medical reason for it. It greatly increases risks of c-sections and births of underdeveloped babies that end up colicky, miserable and full of health issues that could be avoided by a little more baking.

So we’ll be letting him bake. And if that means our two favorite doctors miss out on this birth, so be it. But we are nervous about being in the hands of someone we do not know. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers about this.

We plan to do all we have within our power to keep it our way. We will have our detailed birth plans with us and have copies for everyone. We will discuss our desires with every nurse, tech, doctor or orderly that walks in to our room so there is no question. But there is not much more we can do.

Perhaps that is how it always is and we just were under the wrong impression. Unfortunate if you ask me.

Just reiterates my desire for home births with midwives from here on out as long as we have no complications with this one.

Thank you again family and friends for your continued support and concern! Now let’s hope the phone calls start tonight!! Come on out Little Andrew, the world is waiting for you!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once you go into labor you wont care who delivers the baby. You'll just want him out and be over! Both of my children were induced and I dont think I would have it any other way. I knew when it was going to happen and was ready. I cant way to see pics of little Andrew on here!

Anonymous said...

You will just do fine and Andrew will come when he is ready! Andy's granny always told me that the baby will come when they are ready. So don't ever worry yourself about when. Just be ready all the time and when you least expect it, Andrew will decide to come.

Love Ya Both!
mom2