May 29, 2010

So Complicated

Master and i are so pissed off right now, and i am stressed out beyond belief. i promised i wouldn't make this an "all about pregnancy" blog, but i really, really, really need to vent.

i knew i was having issues "down there" with some serious swelling. Master even commented on it. Well, since we home birth and have a lay midwife, she encouraged us to go make an appointment with the backup OB office that we had seen several times before (and they have always been nice and wonderful) to get a culture done to test for an infection.

Well, i was scheduled with a person on their staff who obviously was not a fan of home birth, and they made my life hell. They refused to do a culture, and Master and i left upset. We had made another appointment, and we figured well, we will just get the culture done at that appointment (2 weeks later) So, the other day, we go to that appointment. Nope. The person who saw us before wrote in the chart we didn't need a culture done. So this doctor wouldn't even look at my "down there" parts, and obviously wouldn't culture me either.

We called the lay midwife and of course i was crying and upset. She encouraged me to call the local hospital and see if they would do it. The next morning i called, and they refused to do it (even if i faxed over my records from the backup OB) because "if the backup OB is refusing to culture you, then obviously they don't see a need for it to be done, so we wont do it either!" They told me to find a family doctor to culture me. A family doctor wont culture me because this is pregnancy related, and they do not do anything pregnancy related whatsoever!

i just cried and told Master i was going to bed, and that evidently, no one cared about this baby like we did (and the midwife) the next morning, i began leaking fluid, cramping, and having contractions that were about a 5 on the pain scale. Master called the midwife, and she told us to head on over to her house. She checked me out and said, it's evidently an infection... and because it's gone so long without being treated because everyone is refusing to culture me, i was in preterm labor at 31 weeks!!

We went to the hospital where my backup OB's practice out of, and we insisted on a culture. i was hooked up to monitors, and i was really uncomfortable and stressed out being in that environment. What do you know? The results came back, and i have 2 infections! The one is kind of severe because it had been sitting so long. The doctor explained to me that it might be too late, so if i am still feeling the pre term labor symptoms, or if they get worse, that i need to go back in, have an emergency c-section, and have this baby live in the NICU for the next 8 weeks or so. (Mind you, the closest NICU to us is 45 minutes away... so talk about a lot of seperation!)

Well, i got the prescriptions started and all, and i felt relieved that at least finally, i was being treated for something i KNEW was wrong. Now, the anger is kicking in. We filed a formal complaint, and hopefully, it doesn't fall on deaf ears. Tonight, i started spotting, so i am really trying to take it easy and not stress. i have been crying on and off all night as Master has been at work, and i have been at home with the toddler running around. i just cant do it all.

Master has been sooo amazing and supportive through all of this. i am such a wreck to be honest. i do not want to give birth in a hospital whatsoever, and i will be so pissed off if my child is subjected to a less than ideal birth experience, and has her life endangered all because no one would do a culture on me that takes less than 30 seconds to perform. Not to mention, this will intervene with our bonding, breastfeeding relationship, and because of everything, i have no clue what would happen with our toddler son.... he cant be at the NICU... and obviously 45 minutes one way i cant just leave him with a sitter or something.

Master and i will be heartbroken if something goes wrong here. i just need this baby to stay in for 5 more weeks... and then we can have the home birth, and move forward!! So please baby, please just get through these next 5 weeks!! That's all we need to do! ok? ok <3

Master will be home soon, and i am very excited about that. i really need to curl up in His arms and just drift to sleep.

3 comments:

  1. I am so sorry to hear about this crisis! :( I can't believe how ignorant and callous people can be...especially people who have been trained to be compassionate and helpful! I was getting angry just reading about how they treated you... :(

    I hope all is well with you now and that the medications they've given you are helping. I'm sending all my best your way! :)

    Take care,
    Baby Girl :)

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  2. Sorry to hear this. I will keep you and the baby in my thoughts. Hopefully something can be done as far as their obvious malpratice and things.

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  3. Thanks for the comments!

    We have officially contacted the office to file formal complaints about the situation. After all, still birth is known to happen from situations like this. Ignoring something so simple as a culture to test for an infection is so beyond me it pisses me off. i firmly believe we were discriminated against because we home birth. *sigh*

    Things right now with baby are looking great! She is healthy, kicking me like crazy,and she gets the hiccups a few times a day which are neat to experience!

    Hopefully, we can keep this baby baking for another 4 weeks until having the home birth is safe :)

    thanks for the comments!

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