The above picture was taken the day before my projected due-date.I am 40-weeks pregnant.
As you can see, I am still pregnant. We fought the power, and we won...well, we at least got our wish, which was to avoid induction. My doctors could not say anything was going wrong, which would convince us that induction was the safest course of action, and so we were able to get past their 39-week induction date. After several e-mails, back and forth, my doctors agreed to continue providing us with prenatal care and regular check-ups to make sure things continue to go smoothly. The only real down-side, now, is that they appear to want to take our appointments and turn them into continued guilt-trips over our decision not to let them step in and take my baby out of me.
Our first post-induction-date appointment was yesterday (May 3rd, our projected due-date). We went in at 7:30am and had a non-stress test. This is where they strap me to a machine that measures my baby's heart-rate and movement. The non-stress test usually takes 20 minutes, but my baby was a bit sleepy (it was too early in the morning for both of us) and didn't wiggle around as much as they wanted her to...so they kept me strapped to the machine another 10 minutes to see if she would "liven up". A little after 8am one of the doctors came in to check the print-out from my non-stress test, and let us know she was ready for us to get our AFI (amniotic fluid index) ultrasound. She was clearly disappointed with us, over our refusal to be induced, because she made some scrunched-up face when she walked into the room, and she didn't even acknowledge me when I said "good morning".
We met the doctor again in the ultrasound room a few moments later, where she was set up and ready to get our ultrasound done and over with. As we walk into the room she continues to look like she smells dog-shit as she coldly asks "so, what is it that we're doing here?". I wasn't sure if she had been updated by the primary doctor (the one I'd been e-mailing through the whole induction refusal process), and so I listed off the plan that doctor and I had set up for my continued prenatal care and check-ups. The doctor's face changed, slightly, as she proceeded to let me know she was aware of our current appointment schedule. While we talked, she quickly goo'ed up my belly and took a few measurements of my amniotic fluid with the ultrasound machine...she didn't even have the screen set up for me to see, at all, but my husband was able to see the screen, so he kept an eye on that while the doctor and I continued to talk. "Is there anything scientific I can tell you, today?", the doctor snarls as she wipes the goo from my belly. I tell her all I'm interested in are the results from our non-stress test and ultrasound. "Just because THAT'S okay (she gestures to the non-stress test print-out and ultrasound monitor) doesn't make THIS okay (she makes a circling motion with her hand, indicating "this situation")." We remain silent, and so she continues on to explain to us that according to "the study" people (in my situation) who refuse induction at 39-weeks were "four-fold" more likely to end up with a c-section due to complications during birth...and that the babies born to "those people" were also "four-fold" more likely to end up in the NIC Unit (neonatal intensive care unit). My husband and I instantly figure she was just pulling crap out of her ass with those scare-tactic stats, and that she clearly wasn't aware of the difference between "four-fold" and "four times"...but neither of us said a word.
This is not the first time she, or the other doctor, has attempted to scare us into believing our baby would be sick, damaged or dead as a result of not doing EXACTLY what they recommended. We'd heard them threaten our baby with SIDS, we'd heard them threaten our baby with Fetal Death during delivery...and now, apparently, I'll HAVE to have a c-section which will result in an unhealthy baby that needs to be in the NIC Unit to recover from the damage we're causing her by keeping her in me as long as she wants. Now we've done our research, and we've spoken with other medical professionals, and we've quickly realized these are nothing more than scare tactics and "witches curses" usually reserved for the most rebellious of patients. My husband and I are confident our baby is fine and healthy (and we have evidence of this with EVERY test, measurement and scan our doctors have performed on me and my baby), and we do not see any reason why we won't be able to have a health and natural labor and delivery...resulting in the most awesome baby in the world. OURS!
So...my husband and I reacted differently to our appointment with the doctor because we each walked in with a different idea of what was going to happen. I was confident the situation had been ironed out, and that the doctors had realized we were right in wanting to continue without medical intervention as long as things continued to go smoothly. And so, when the doctor treated us like idiots, I was taken back and shocked at the levels to which she stooped to try to guilt us into changing our minds. My husband, on the other hand, thought we would end up facing much stronger resistance, and persuasion, from our doctors as a result of telling them we did not agree with their "profession medical opinions". As a result, I left angry and on the verge of telling them that if they weren't going to be of any help to us that we didn't need them...while my husband was more relieved and seemed to be impressed with how easily we escaped their potential wrath. Hee-hee!
After our doctor's appointment, we had an acupuncture appointment set up in the hopes of "inspiring labor, naturally". The particular session I was going to have, which was my first experience with acupuncture, was designed to induce the signs and symptoms of labor based on the body's current level of preparation. Which means that labor would not be started unless the body was fully prepared to do so...but that by manipulating certain meridians, the acupuncturist could encourage the body's preparation. Our birthing instructor recommended the acupuncturist, and said that every women she'd sent to the acupuncturist went into labor within 24 hours of their appointments with her. I kept this nugget of info in my head during the whole session and the rest of the day, in the hopes that my mental preparation might make up for any lack in physical preparation. Keep in mind I was not set-in-stone with regard to my due-date, but I did think it would be pretty damn cool to at least go into labor on my due-date. We went to bed, that night, with visions of labor "pains" dancing in our heads...and so, when I woke up feeling relatively fine, this morning, I have to admit I was a wee bit bummed. But, I already had vowed to follow my Gummi Bear's lead through this whole process...and that's exactly what I plan to continue to do.
So I guess we sit and wait for her to decide it's time to check out of her own personal floating condo...I'll keep ya'll informed.
- Angel & Gummi Bear
