K has left to return home to Kent, following a crazy busy week so far of baby related dates and I think it's safe to say our heads are in a spin - with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
My scan yesterday confirmed that baby is still breech. He's happy and healthy though, no other concerns and right on target weight still so that's excellent. We followed that by seeing the doctor at the antenatal clinic and things went a bit downhill.
We had hoped to see the same senior doctor we had seen 4 weeks ago, who was very approachable and with whom we all seemed to have a good rapport with but we ended up with, as happens all too often at these clinics, his junior. Sadly this particular doctor obviously missed the lectures at Uni on good beside manners!
Of course we were offered an ECV (version, to turn the baby) but since Boo's been breech consistently, we had already had that discussion between the 3 of us and decided it wasn't for us and so knew that we wanted to go straight to scheduling a c-section. Except Dr No Manners wasn't going to let it go that easily, no, he wanted to patronise us by telling us that Google can make anything seem good or bad and that just because we'd probably read on there that a version was often unsuccessful, didn't make it true. Duh, really? So, strike number 1 against him for assuming that we were that naive and not able to interpret interwebz data neutrally. He then went into what felt like a 15 minute lecture about how he has done lots personally and never had a woman need an emergency section/95% of women find it uncomfortable but not painful/how they are professionals and do this all the time and how it has between a 30-80% chance of being successful. Well, that's great, I'm pleased that he's competent and pro-version but for us, in our very unique situation, it wasn't something we wanted to do however.
We were very open and honest that a section would also be a good option for us, in terms of me being able to sort out childcare, my husband booking time off work, K & B being able to book appropriate accommodation over what will be a very expensive time of year and them ensuring they are here in time. Yes, there is an element of a section being convenient for us all and I'm not ashamed to say that.
The doctor took that particular element and ran with it, in my opinion and disregarded any other reasons we gave for preferring a section which irked both K and I. Also, he irritated K because he kept referring to it as my baby, which legally it is blah blah blah but some sensitivity given the fact he knew our situation, wouldn't of gone amiss. And then when he started talking at us, it was like adding fuel to K's fire.
There is also still the issue that if we rock up for our section on the planned date, if baby has turned then they will send us all away to await natural labour and delivery. Now, if we all lived just down the road, it was just me and the father involved and it wasn't the festive period then that wouldn't be so much of an issue but that's not the case. We asked the doctor if there was any flexibility with that 'rule' and he blew it out of the water and said without clinical need, they wouldn't perform one. Now, that didn't sit right with me for 2 reasons - number 1, due to a change in guidelines, any mother can request a section and have it considered, there does not need to be a medical need any longer and number 2 - they allow elective sections, where the reason for that being granted, doesn't materialise so how is that then clinically justified? Exactly, it can't be can it? There is flexibility and doctor discretion but he just wasn't going to agree. K and I were really unhappy by this point to be honest and the meeting had pretty much gone stale by then.
Dr Rude told us that he had an information leaflet on how this particular hospital does versions and the success rates etc and that we should take it way with us, read up more, talk amongst ourselves and then come back in a week to discuss it further. We pointed out that if we were to come back in a week, just to confirm what we were already telling him, it would more than likely be just myself because of the logistics of K & B getting back down here - which would be annoying and unfortunate because actually this was a discussion that both of them should be involved in, especially since it involved making a critical decision about the delivery of their child.
The dr made the appropriate smug noises to signal he took that on board but then went off on a tangent again about how that's the nature of having a baby, it's unpredictable etc. Which was fine if it was a comment made off the cuff, rather than him talking at us like we were stupid once again.
I told the doctor that I would take the leaflet, we would go away and discuss options again but that I really wanted to get a section booked in so that I was in the queue and not losing any time, should we decide to continue with that option. He went off to get the leaflet and book the section - 27th December is baby-eviction date!
And that was the end of that appointment. I'm due to go back next Tuesday to discuss it further but with the more senior consultant, who we got on well with. Our minds are almost certainly made up though. If you want to look up ECV on Youtube, you'll see why straight away but that coupled with the leaflet the doctor gave us, where the odds and statistics are pretty shocking, then you'll understand why we're going for the section instead I think.
Both K and I have already begun researching NICE information (clinical guidelines that are issued for health care matters in the UK) and feel we have a pretty strong case to present next week regarding getting a section guaranteed in the event that Boo has turned.
We rounded off a long day with a tour of the hospital in the evening, even though I knew all about the place and how things work, it was lovely to go along with K and experience that milestone with him regardless and now it won't be so alien to him on the big day. I did tell K afterwards though that the Portland (super posh hospital in London, where celebs have their babies) definitely was a much nicer option! Actually though, you go to the hospital to have your baby and come home, not to get 5 star luxury treatment so it's all good.
Early this morning, before K headed home, we went to an antenatal class with a community midwife. Again, I don't think there was much that I didn't already know and definitely not that much more that K learnt from it but it was great to be able to go along together and experience that part of pregnancy. After all, these are all exciting points in a 'normal' pregnancy and I don't want them to miss a single thing. We were both laughing about B not being able to make the class - he doesn't do well with bodily talk and there was talk about snapping your bum muscles like an elastic band, stitching up of lady parts and of waters breaking and running down legs! LOL. I'm not sure he'll be all that sad he missed it when K gives him a briefing later on.
On a side note, when we walked into class, we spoke with the midwife running it who I know very well and she asked about the scan outcome. We voiced our concerns about the section being off the cards if he's turned. Straight away she said that he wouldn't turn now, if he'd been consistently breech and this is a very experienced midwife who tells things like they are so I trust her judgement. Of course, babies being babies, they don't always conform to expectations but I'm going to try not to worry he will flip and if he does, well, we'll deal with that at that time.
So, that's where things are currently. Either way, we're well on the way to meeting this little monkey in the very immediate future. If all stays the same, 3 weeks from today and my journey will be over and K & B's will be really starting! I can't believe it, we're almost there, we've almost done this and completed the miracle - go team KHB!!
No comments:
Post a Comment