Sunday, January 22, 2006

Best Laid Plans....

Yeasterday morning I finally got my shit together and spent two hours on the 'puter typing up my Crunchy-Deluxe Earth-Mother Birth Plan. 7 pages later and I had every possible contingency covered. It was a veritable thesis on Natural Birth. Not that I'm a control freak or anything, but I do like to have my bases covered and people to know where I'm coming from and what I will not have under any circumstances and okay so I'm a control freak.

Half an hour later I got a call from the hospital.

My placenta is still considered low lying and therefore I have been kicked out of the Birthing Unit and sent directly back to regular old Antenatal where they like to Do Things To You. I've been told to make an appointment with the Registrar on Monday to assess the situation as to whether its possible for me to have a normal birth.

Umm...this wasnt on the Birth Plan. Nowhere did I mention anything about planned caesarian. I've been quietly freaking out ever since, it being above 40 degrees (108F) here and too hot to freak out with any gusto.

The worst case scenario is that as the uterus thins and stretches even more I start bleeding sometime in the next couple of weeks, require constant bed rest in hospital as they try to keep the pregnancy going until 36weeks, when they do a c-section. Best case scenario is that the placenta stays attached and moves up with the uterus, moving out of the "danger zone" and allowing me a completely normal birth.

I knew it was all too good to be true. My body just HAD to screw up somewhere along the line.

Now I have to try to get my head around the possibility of a c-section, something I have diligently not thought about because it wasnt part of The Plan. How am I, someone who shakes uncontrollably in the dentist's chair, supposed to cope with being conscious for open surgery?

Nope, they'll have to rethink this one. I'm not going to have placenta praevia. Lalalalala not listening....

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:46 pm

    Darlin'.... given the size of his massive head... a c-section might just be a blessing in disguise... I'm just sayin'...

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  2. I'm going to see a birthing unit today. Have my glucose tolerance test on Tuesday and am hoping they will accept me at the unit. The hospital I will go to if I can't go to the birthing unit likes to medically intervene...

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  3. Good luch Panda, I hope that placenta does the right thing and you get to stick to your plan. But if you have to go with Plan B (or C) well, that's ok too, just...different.

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  4. Anonymous10:36 am

    oh holy fucking hell! Getting your mind around THAT is going to take a heroic effort worthy of that toy they had when we were kids with the rubber arms and legs that stretched from here to kingdom come. I don't know what else to say except...can I borrow your birth plan?

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  5. Anonymous7:30 pm

    My [crunchy granola] birth plan was thrown out the window also with my c-section. My son was 9lb 10 oz and his head was 36cm.

    I'm with Manuela on this one, my love. :-)

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  6. It's never easy when our plans are sidelined by our bodies. Will be hoping that you get all your wishes. However, if you do end up having the C-section and want to know more about what's in store I've been reading a good book on the topic (there's a 50/50 chance I will also have a planned c-section)

    The book is:
    The Essential C-Section Guide : Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth

    Yeah the title is too damn long but the book has helped me work out a birth plan (at least in my head) that includes the possibility of this option.

    *fingers crossed for you*

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  7. Anonymous2:29 am

    I'm sending some serious Placenta-moving vibes your way - MOVE, Placenta - MOVE!!!!

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  8. I too have a crunchy granola birth plan and I really don't know what the hell I would do if it couldn't happen as I've planned. Everyone tells you it's only important that the baby is born and is healthy and ultimately that is the most important thing, but honestly, it's still very importnant to have the birth you most desire. I wish you all the luck in the world you get to do it your way...

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  9. I too had low-lying - but now (w/3 weeks to go) - the placenta is suddenly 7cm away from the cervix. I was quite surprised but I guess anything can happen.

    On the other hand, I have no birth plan! My husband's only contribution so far is that he's going to bring cookies. (?!)

    good luck, good luck!

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  10. Anonymous1:21 am

    I can very much relate to your situation. I had placenta previa with my 3rd pregnancy and ended up having a c-section (something I had definitely tried to avoid previously!!). I just wanted you to know that it is not always so bad--really I am saying that. It just takes looking at your baby after to realize it was the only way to have a healthy baby. Although it definitly sucks to not even come close to your birth plan, but I realized with my first two that never happens anyways. I am not trying to minimize your emotions about a c-section (I had them too) I just wanted to offer some comfort that a c-section is not that bad. As for being awake, it really does not hurt and the pressure they talk about in those baby shows on TV (where it always seems the women is in pain--those freaked me out during my hospital stay before the c-section) just feels like someone is pushing hard on your stomach. All that being said, if your placenta is just low at this point then you have a good chance of it moving! Good luck.

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  11. Anonymous2:44 am

    I can very much relate to your situation. I had placenta previa with my 3rd pregnancy and ended up having a c-section (something I had definitely tried to avoid previously!!). I just wanted you to know that it is not always so bad--really I am saying that. It just takes looking at your baby after to realize it was the only way to have a healthy baby. Although it definitly sucks to not even come close to your birth plan, but I realized with my first two that never happens anyways. I am not trying to minimize your emotions about a c-section (I had them too) I just wanted to offer some comfort that a c-section is not that bad. As for being awake, it really does not hurt and the pressure they talk about in those baby shows on TV (where it always seems the women is in pain--those freaked me out during my hospital stay before the c-section) just feels like someone is pushing hard on your stomach. All that being said, if your placenta is just low at this point then you have a good chance of it moving! Good luck.

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  12. Just a random stop here. I just had my son four weeks ago and I learned something very important, as with all of life, if not even moreso when it comes to kids, things never go as planned.
    I never actually wrote or typed my birth plan but I didn't plan on having an epidural or an episiotomy. I ended up with both. He was not fitting at all. I wouldn't have had the epidural if I hadn't stayed dialated at 9cm and they ended up givng me evil Pictocin, making my contractions terrible.
    Good luck though!

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  13. I too had low-lying - but now (w/3 weeks to go) - the placenta is suddenly 7cm away from the cervix. I was quite surprised but I guess anything can happen.

    On the other hand, I have no birth plan! My husband's only contribution so far is that he's going to bring cookies. (?!)

    good luck, good luck!

    ReplyDelete

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