Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Thanks, y'alls

Well, aren't you all just lovely? Thanks to all of you who commented or emailed about my dilemma. I appreciate the helpful tone and the respect for me and each other.

I decided to go for a repeat c-section--until eaaarrrly this morning when I had an OB appointment and a big old wrinkle got thrown into the plans. My doctor had mentioned before that his birthday was a week or so before my due date, and I realized this could cause an issue. Oh, well, a couple days here or there won't make a difference, I thought.

And so they wouldn't.. What would is the fact he is going out of town for a WEEK. He's turning 40 and his wife is taking him to the islands, very nice, BUT WHAT ABOUT MY BABY???

Ahem.

So, my options are as follows:

Have an amnio to make sure the baby's lungs are mature and then do the c-section at 38 weeks, in early Feb.;

Do it when he's back, periously close to the actual due date. If I was sure I'd go late again, I would choose this option. But when I told him I wasn't worried about going into labor early because I was late with Maggie and all of my friends seemed to follow the "once late, always late" pattern, he said that isn't in fact the case (and I am going to trust an OB with more than a decade's experience over my own particular social circle, there).

Hope the other doctor in the practice, who is due to deliver any minute now, is back from her leave by then. I had some bad experiences with her when I was pregnant with Maggie and while my only experience seeing her this time was good, I still would rather Dr. B do it.

At least I know her--if I go into labor on my own, I am dealing with whatever doctor is on call or the doctor he refers me to. This doctor delivered his kids, so he obviously trusts her, but you don't want to meet somebody five minutes before they slice your abdomen open, you know? Awkward...

So, 38-week C-section, which could be bad for the baby according to some recent studies. Wait, and hope I don't go into labor on my own and deal with whatever doctor happens by L and D that day. Or do it at 39 weeks and have a stranger do it.

Not great choices, eh? Love my doctor, glad he's getting a nice vacation with his family, he totally deserves it, but GEEZ. I'd finally made up my jellolike Gemini mind about what to do and now there's some more factors to consider.

In other news, I am turning into a blobby hormonal weepfest right on schedule. Here, for your amusement, is a partial list of things that made me cry today (and don't worry, the doctor situation is not one):

Hearing Band-Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" on the radio. "Yes! DO they know it's Christmas? Poor sick sad starving people! Why can't I feed the world? Why must people suffer?"

Everything on "the baby block" on Discovery Health, which I had on in the background while doing my Strollerderby posts for the day. And I do mean everything, including the commercials, and let's not discuss what went on when a baby was actually born. Except when they were all gross and blue and vernix-y, then I was revulsed. And still crying.

Thinking about saying goodbye to Maggie when I go to the hospital.

The fact we don't have a Christmas tree yet. I literally forgot last week, and then there was the snowstorm, and now my husband is sick.

(oops, speaking off Maggie, I hear her dulcet tones now. Long nap, yay).

6 comments:

apt said...

Oh my. That's a lot to handle after your careful consideration. Good for you on making decision #1, now you have #2. I'm sure that no matter who presides, you'll have a safe, healthy, and much better than before birth.
And early Feb? You know I'd vote for Feb. 2. Cool 2/2 birthday, and you could name him Phil, after the groundhog.

Aw, the emotions running high... hang in there.

abernier said...

I would avoid choice 1 (early c-section) because it might be bad for baby, and there's a good reason baby is *in* still at that time, and not *out*.

Then, it seems as if choice 3 (wait for your doctor) seems best, since there's at least a chance that your guy will be back. If not, then the outcome is the same as choice 2 - stranger doing the c-section.

So that's my opinion. Good luck with deciding!

abernier said...

What a dilemma!

I would avoid choice 1 (early c-section) because it might be bad for baby, and there's a good reason baby is *in* still at that time, and not *out*.

Then, it seems as if choice 3 (wait for your doctor) seems best, since there's at least a chance that your guy will be back. If not, then the outcome is the same as choice 2 - stranger doing the c-section.

So that's my opinion. Good luck with deciding! I really hope it goes the way you want it to!

tripmom827 said...

I know that you will weigh and measure all of your options carefully and pick something that works best. I'd go for 38 weeks with the lung maturity caveat, of course, but that's just me!!

Weepy, eh? Yep, you're getting close. When you start telling people to f*** off because they told you to have a nice day, well, then this young man is just days away from making his entrance! :)

caramama said...

Good luck with your decision! I don't know if my experience will help you any, but here it is:

I ended up going into labor (and having my subsequent C-section) when the doctor we liked least from our practice was on call. We'd met him twice before during regular appointments, but didn't really like his style. It turned out that he was awesome for the labor and the C-section, and I am so glad that it was him! It was a surprise to us that we liked him so much during the high-stress times, but a pleasant surprise.

BTW, thanks for the tip about the tree on the table to keep out of grabby baby hands. It worked like a charm!

In the thick of it said...

Oh goodness! Can't anything ever be easy? I think I might try the amnio (although even that word gives me the shivers). On a totally anecdotal note, I delivered Jonah at 37w5d (induction started at 37w3d). No amnio was required though I was warned there could be complications which scared me senseless. But I was more scared of another bad outcome. I got lucky and Jonah was born with mature lungs.

In your situation, I might chose to wait it out. I think you have a good chance of not going into labor. If you do go into labor, well... a trial of labor is good, even for inevitable c/s babies. So there's that. And you might get a great (albeit strange) doctor. My second choice would be to go at 38w. I would not go with the other doctor in the practice. I'd take a new doctor over a known doctor who I had a bad experience with any day.

Good luck! Hope you guys had a fantastic Christmas!