Me: "Who has the best seat in the house, me or daddy?"

Adam: "Well, Daddy's is nice, but yours is best. Your's is squishier."

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Unexpected Celebrations

 
My heart has wings today.
 
 
On Sunday night at 9:40 the phone rang.  I was surprised when I saw it was the hospital, but figured it would be a recorded appointment reminder.  Instead, a pleasant voice on the other end introduced herself as Deborah, Chief midwife at the South hospital.  She called to talk to me about our birth.
 
We have been in negotiations for the past two weeks between our High Risk OB from the North hospital and South hospital's OB administration where we want to have the baby.  Our OB was worried about the lower risk hospital being able to manage my blood thinners, but South's only concern was actually having me be on continuous monitoring while in the labor tub, a sometimes difficult feat.
 
I told her I would make it my priority to keep heart tones on baby or get out of the tub. We talked a long time.  I didn't have to convince her how important birth was to me, she is a midwife, she gets it.  
She said I was "extremely reasonable" in my expectations, and by the end of the call gave me her schedule for the month, saying she hoped she would be my midwife on the day I gave birth.  She promised to advocate for me with the doctors to help me get the birth I hope for.
 
But a lot depended on today's big appointment...
 It has become our routine. 
Weight, samples, blood tests, non-stress test,
 amniotic fluid level test, brain blood-flow test...
 
We have gotten so used to scary news that it has come to be expected.
But today was all good.
 
The baby's heart rate was great,
baby is estimated to weight 5 1/2 lbs,
fluid levels are perfect,
and most importantly, baby's brain blood-flow is perfect.
 
And because of those results, some things changed,
and in a very good way.
 
First, and my favorite...
 we just added a week to this pregnancy. 
 It's official, I am going to get to stay pregnant for 39 weeks! 
A successful induction that does not end in a cesarean
is far more likely at that point. 
 
Next, though we are still waiting for confirmation from the South hospital,
 we have been given the thumbs up by our high risk OB
 to birth at the South hospital where they have:
labor tubs,
"Baby-Friendly Accredidation"
(the only hospital in Sacramento that can boast that,
which means more natural practices, lower intervention rates
 and 24 hours midwives),
and a big thumbs up to be attended by
a midwife!
 
I am keeping my mind open to the possibilities of things not playing out that way. 
 My pain level is pretty high, and when push comes to shove that may change things.
 I am getting really good at accepting change.
But for today, I will enjoy the great news we have had,
and hope for more to come.

Keely's beautiful artwork.

 
A few of our traditions have managed to slip past the interventions and complications. 
Respect and honor for pregnancy has always been part of my role as a doula, and something I enjoy as a mama.  We had no idea we would still be pregnant at this point, so I am tickled to have had the opportunity to celebrate this growing belly with henna.  Who knows that we might not still be able to bring this baby into the world more naturally than we had supposed?

No comments: