I am 34-Weeks Pregnant and I have had quite the adventure since my last entry...to say the least. At 28-Weeks I was initially tested for Gestational Diabetes. This test is routine, these days, and when my scores came back "abnormal" I was scheduled for an additional test (at 30-Weeks) to determine whether or not I had actually developed Gestational Diabetes. My second test did indicate Gestational Diabetes and I then began a strict diet program to manage my blood glucose levels. After 3 weeks of just diet and exercise, it became clear my scores were not staying within the healthy ranges, and so as of a little over a week ago I have incorporated 2.5mg of Glyburide (an oral pill alternative to Insulin) in order to aid in my treatment. Since I began taking Glyburide my scores have remained well within the healthy ranges, although in order for it to work effectively, I still have to maintain my strict diet and schedule.
Once Glyburide came into play my OB no longer felt it would be "safe" to allow me to continue on my path toward natural labor and delivery. Now that medication is being used to manage my blood glucose levels, my doctors believe labor induction is the ONLY way to go about delivering my baby. Keep in mind my blood glucose levels are "normal" with Glyburide, my pregnancy weight has remained "normal", my urine tests have remained "normal", my stomach-measurements have remained "normal" and my baby's heart-rate has remained "normal"...so if everything is still going normally, why would the doctors need to interfere with the natural order of going into labor when my body and my baby is ready to?
We were told that now that I am medicated, we will be expected to attempt to "naturally inspire" labor on our own as early as 37-Weeks (which is a little less than 3 weeks from today). We were given a list of techniques to try, ranging from sexual intercourse to acupuncture...if we are not successful in inducing my labor ourselves, my doctors then want me to be admitted into the hospital for a medical induction at 39-Weeks. First of all, no attempts (of our own) to induce my labor will work unless my body has already prepared to go into labor naturally. So any attempts, on our part, would be in vain if the timing isn't right...and any attempts by my doctors could be complicated if the timing isn't right. Right now we are at a crossroads. Neither of us are convinced induction (of any kind) is needed.
At this stage in my pregnancy I'm more concerned with what my doctor has planned than I am about the actual labor and birth of my child. I fully believe this can be a natural event, as with any no-risk pregnancy, and the fact that my doctor insists on interfering with that natural event is a bit confusing. We don't see why, as long as everything is going smoothly, we can't just go into spontaneous labor on our own and have our daughter the way we always intended.
Our questions have been met with resistance and threats by my doctors, and we cannot understand why a self-proclaimed "intervention-free" facility would be so forceful and unmoving in what they call their "policy" of inducing labor in women with medicated Gestational Diabetes (regardless of any complications, or lack thereof, at the time of "full-term"). When we hypothetically suggested avoiding medication for the treatment of my Gestational Diabetes, offering instead to be more vigilant with my diet and exercise, my doctor instantly threatened to "drop" us from her care. When we voiced our concern over the idea of induction, we were threatened with words like "SIDS" to indicate just how important my doctor thought early delivery was in our case. ((Keep in mind, everything is still going "normally" with mine and my baby's development))
Needless to say we are confused and hurt by the unnecessary stress my doctors are placing on us...especially at a time when it is crucial to be relaxed and positive about the birthing experience. Our birthing classes focus on peaceful, painless, natural labor and delivery. The main goal is to avoid fear and tension, which can cause unnecessary pain during the birthing process. We reconnect with how natural the event of giving birth truly is, and we reclaim the non-medicalized birth that women have experienced for thousands of years. We are not planning on leaving my doctors, just yet, because we feel there is still a way we can avoid all the medical BS my doctors are trying to shove down our throats...in fact we believe there is a possibility our baby may decide to come early, on her own, without any complications as predicted by the so-called "medical experts".
There is also a possibility that my doctors can prove to us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that early delivery is necessary...in which case we will follow suit. We just cannot accept the vague information and idle threats of doctors who are unwilling to listen to our concerns and desires for our own birth. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out. I'll keep you posted as I know more.
- Angel & Gummi Bear
Once Glyburide came into play my OB no longer felt it would be "safe" to allow me to continue on my path toward natural labor and delivery. Now that medication is being used to manage my blood glucose levels, my doctors believe labor induction is the ONLY way to go about delivering my baby. Keep in mind my blood glucose levels are "normal" with Glyburide, my pregnancy weight has remained "normal", my urine tests have remained "normal", my stomach-measurements have remained "normal" and my baby's heart-rate has remained "normal"...so if everything is still going normally, why would the doctors need to interfere with the natural order of going into labor when my body and my baby is ready to?
We were told that now that I am medicated, we will be expected to attempt to "naturally inspire" labor on our own as early as 37-Weeks (which is a little less than 3 weeks from today). We were given a list of techniques to try, ranging from sexual intercourse to acupuncture...if we are not successful in inducing my labor ourselves, my doctors then want me to be admitted into the hospital for a medical induction at 39-Weeks. First of all, no attempts (of our own) to induce my labor will work unless my body has already prepared to go into labor naturally. So any attempts, on our part, would be in vain if the timing isn't right...and any attempts by my doctors could be complicated if the timing isn't right. Right now we are at a crossroads. Neither of us are convinced induction (of any kind) is needed.
At this stage in my pregnancy I'm more concerned with what my doctor has planned than I am about the actual labor and birth of my child. I fully believe this can be a natural event, as with any no-risk pregnancy, and the fact that my doctor insists on interfering with that natural event is a bit confusing. We don't see why, as long as everything is going smoothly, we can't just go into spontaneous labor on our own and have our daughter the way we always intended.
Our questions have been met with resistance and threats by my doctors, and we cannot understand why a self-proclaimed "intervention-free" facility would be so forceful and unmoving in what they call their "policy" of inducing labor in women with medicated Gestational Diabetes (regardless of any complications, or lack thereof, at the time of "full-term"). When we hypothetically suggested avoiding medication for the treatment of my Gestational Diabetes, offering instead to be more vigilant with my diet and exercise, my doctor instantly threatened to "drop" us from her care. When we voiced our concern over the idea of induction, we were threatened with words like "SIDS" to indicate just how important my doctor thought early delivery was in our case. ((Keep in mind, everything is still going "normally" with mine and my baby's development))
Needless to say we are confused and hurt by the unnecessary stress my doctors are placing on us...especially at a time when it is crucial to be relaxed and positive about the birthing experience. Our birthing classes focus on peaceful, painless, natural labor and delivery. The main goal is to avoid fear and tension, which can cause unnecessary pain during the birthing process. We reconnect with how natural the event of giving birth truly is, and we reclaim the non-medicalized birth that women have experienced for thousands of years. We are not planning on leaving my doctors, just yet, because we feel there is still a way we can avoid all the medical BS my doctors are trying to shove down our throats...in fact we believe there is a possibility our baby may decide to come early, on her own, without any complications as predicted by the so-called "medical experts".
There is also a possibility that my doctors can prove to us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that early delivery is necessary...in which case we will follow suit. We just cannot accept the vague information and idle threats of doctors who are unwilling to listen to our concerns and desires for our own birth. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out. I'll keep you posted as I know more.
- Angel & Gummi Bear
