Why in the World did Angela fire her OB 48 hours before her birth? – Episode 38

(You can see the steps Angela took to try to create the ideal birth for her.  It required a lot of her work on her part.)

Angela’s Hospital Tour

Hello all of my fellow Hypno-moms and moms to be.

I just finished the hospital tour of the place where we will be birthing (as of
now). While they say it is patient centered and focuses on the patient
experience is it a very standard -rule- treat you like your are a sick patient
type hospital and did not seem very natural friendly. I’m sure I would have had
a better experience if I had a private tour but no matter how many people I
asked they said it is not allowed and not done even by request. So this was my
only option.

I took in my sheet of questions and asked every one, even through some were
laughed at. I didn’t think softening the lights in the birthing room would be
so funny and awkward of an idea but it gave all of the nurses at the nursing
station a laugh. I didn’t appreciate their approach to answering my questions
even though I asked them calm and nicely. Luckily I was able to keep a strong
BOP through all of the guide’s comments of “p” management, and
c-sections..etc..and all other “standard procedures” that are done on all
patients and babies.

A few questions for those of you have used Hypnobabies in hospital births. We
have given our “Birth Preferences” to our Dr. and it has been scanned into my
file. We will also be taking the copies with us to the hospital as well as all
of our hypnobabies papers for the nurses. I also have been discussing them with
all Dr.s in the practice since I really don’t know who will be on call when the
Birthing time begins.

A few questions on how to approach the hospital:

1) they say “No Video” cameras allowed but I would like to video the birthing.
Any ideas on who I should talk to or what I could do to be an exception.

2) They say only Ice chips and water during birthing time. I would like to at
least have some juice. The lady giving the tour said that pretty much anything
(smells of food, or other drinks) would make you throw up. Should I talk with my
Dr. about juices and have them sign a note or something to add to my file?

3) they showed us the bed area for birthing..and the bed position for birthing
(laying on back with feet up) and said this is the way it’s done. They do have a
“birth ball type of thing…but should I just take my own instead? Also I’m
looking at seeing if I can rent a birth stool somewhere. Anyone know if those
type of things are available?

Any other advise or encouraging stories from Hypno-moms who are or have given
birth in a hospital would be greatly appreciated!

The important thing is I have a wonderful Husband and support team (my mom- who
is a RN and dad) and a group of Doctors that is open and interested in my
hypnobirthing approach. The Doctor I met with today has heard about using
hypnosis during childbirth but has never seen it. It seems like I may be a
first for this practice and one of first if not the first to use it in
childbirth at the hospital. Here goes for trailblazing a path for future
hypno-moms!

Thank you for any advise and encouragement in advance!

Angela
38 weeks and 3 days

Angela – Confident to Change Dr and Hospital 48 hours prior to due date

I have had a bit of a busy and overwhelming couple of days. My due date was the
13th (yesterday). I had a checkup last Thursday with my Dr. and she said me and
baby were healthy. I had shown her my “birth preferences” and while she said she
was supersticious about planning anything she would be ok with what I desired
(that was about a month ago). Since there are 5 Dr’s in the practice I made my
rounds and hadn’t seen her in over a month.

So back to Thursday morning. Me and baby are healthy. She checked my cervix and
it was “hard” (even though 2 weeks prior to it was “softening” by another
Doctor’s standards) so she wanted me to go directly to hospital to be admitted,
started on an IV, then Friday they would insert cervidal in my cervix to soften,
then start a pitocin drip on Saturday to deliver Sunday-Monday. I was in shock
and felt ambushed. I told her calmly “I respect your medical opinion but you
want me to be in the hospital for 3 days prior to induction then you want to
induce..No Thank you.”

I asked again if there was anything wrong with me or the baby and she said no
but it is practice policy to induce by or prior to the due date due to the 5-10%
chance of stillbirth in women..and she proceeded to tell me about how I am
putting my life and my babies life at risk..and that it would be my fault if
anything happened to the baby in the womb because I wouldn’t agree to the
induction.

Now I met with the chief OB the week before, showed her my prefrences and she
said that they wouldn’t mention induction until 41 weeks…now they are saying
that I misunderstood and that only by specific request will they not induce
prior to the due date. So she finally agreed after I told her “no to inducing
this week” to put off the induction until Wednesday the 16th…where she said my
cervix will still not be ready so they would like to start an IV on the 15th..to
induce by the 16th-17th.

I was not a happy mommy to be. My husband was at work in California (I was in
Arizona) and my family members in town were not supportive of my decision to at
least give my self a chance for a natural birth. My Sister in law delivered at
this practice with a scheduled induction 1 week prior to her due date because
they were worried about baby distress..and she has regretted the induction ever
since. It was a hard and highly medicated birth..that lasted for days.

So, I cried alot, called my husband and my parents (who have all been very
supportive from a far) and all were upset by the news. I also had random
friends calling to check on me so I thank God for wonderful people in my life
who listen to their gut on when to call…and give words of encouragement in
support of me and my husbands decisions.

At this point, I was ready to deliver at home with my mom (an RN) in my bathtub.
But I prayed about it..and thanks to Hypnobabies remained calm overall..and
thought through my options. Home Birth, change of Doctors, change of Hospital
(It wasn’t very natural friendly either)?

Thursday night I called all of the midwives on this side of town (all 3 of them)
and one called me back and said she’d be glad to help out but insurance wouldn’t
cover the costs and we had literally 1 week or less to come up with the money
and supplies needed for a home birth. She also gave me the name of the ONLY
Mid-wife/Doctor practice in the area (about 35 min away) that delivers at a
hospital.

Friday morning, I called the midwife’s office, told them my situtaion and they
were horrified. They talked with the midwife and she agreed to meet me at lunch
on Friday to make sure me and baby were ok as well as take me on as a patient
even though the due date was Sunday. What an Amazing Blessing! I met with her
on Friday afternoon: baby is healthy, I had high blood pressure upon arrival but
after an hour talk with the midwife it was back to normal. I also found out the
most natural friendly hospital where she delivers the majority of babies
(Phoenix Baptist). They even have Jacuzzi tubs and while they don’t officially
do “water births”..she said “Hey, if you happen to be in the tub when the
pushing phase begins..I”m not going to make you move..I’ll just hop in with
you!”

So here I am, with a Midwife and a Natural friendly hospital and I am confident
that me and my baby are going to have a wonderful birthing experience! Thank
you to Hypnobabies and the Moms in the Yahoo Group for the wonderful stories and
encouragement. I would have never had the knowledge or confidence to stand up
to a Doctor and CHANGE Doctors and hospitals just prior to the birth of my first
baby if it were not for you!!

I’ll let you know when she arrives along with the wonderful and perfect birth
story for us! Right now we are 40 weeks and 1 day but she’s my first so I know
she will come at her perfect time!

Blessings to all of you!!

Angela A.
40 weeks and 1 day
Phoenix AZ

Angela – Phone Call from the head OB

Thank you for all of your encouraging words.  It makes me smile and we are so happy with the change!

The head OB at the practice called me from her home on Saturday and left a message asking me to call her back on her cell.  My brother-in-law is the head neruologist in the area and she is one of his good friends. They also serve on several large medical boards here in the Phoenix West Valley.  So He called her and told her I was unhappy and that I must have mis-understood what the Dr. was saying about the induction.  He thought I misunderstood and the me and the baby were in danger and he wanted me to go to the emergency room.  Glad I have a strong husband who says..no thank you to his brother! We told him we had already met with another doctor and all was ok! He is the one who also had his wife induced at this practice (I mentioned it in the first post).

So I called the Head OB back yesterday to explain what happened.
I told her the story, and she said :

“well you must have mis-understood me in our meeting two weeks ago.  We may honor certian patient requests to not induce prior to the due date on certian occasions but IT IS OUR PRACTICE POLICY WITH ALL PATIENTS TO INDUCE BY OR PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE.”  She is the one who told me and my husband two weeks ago that they would not consider induction until after 41 weeks.

So this practice is NOT upfront about their practice policies and to me they were not exactly honest with me in my questions and requests.  She also told us in that same appointment to stay home as long as possible during birthing time knowing all along that it would be unlikely that I would even make it to that point..since all along they planned to induce prior to the due date.

Realistically they were not going to even give me a chance.

So I just told her on the phone, “thank you for taking care of me for the past few months but I will be delivering elsewhere because your practice does not align with our philosophies and desires for birthing our baby. I just wish I would have known this earlier.”

She said “Well I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

And that was it.

Just wanted to fill you in on the post-converstaion with the Owner and Head OB of the Practice.

We will be writing a letter and I will be sharing my story with fellow moms in the valley.

Blessings!

Angela A.
40 weeks & 2 days!
Phoenix, AZ

Birth Story!

This has gotten to be a very long post – so click here to read how Angela’s birth went!