Saturday, July 28, 2012

Green Bean update #1

We made it to the 2nd trimester! Yay! It seems like I'm fibbin' when I say I'm 4 months pregnant, but according to the baby books, it's true (of course, it's just the first week of month 4, but it counts!)

We had our first ultrasound around 11 weeks and the doctor measured the baby and put us around 10 weeks, 1 day. He gave us the due date of January 30th. Based on LMP, we're due January 25. According to me, this has been the hardest one to pinpoint. I guessed Madeleine's, was off by one day with Gracen, but this bean has me stumped. I'm just hoping for a January baby. We already have 8 birthdays to celebrate in February! 1/31/13 would be a fun date to be born on!

10 weeks:

13 weeks:

See any difference yet? We have our 20 week ultrasound set for September 13th and I cannot tell you how much I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. We will be more than joyful with whatever the Lord determines for our family, but it's no surprise most everyone is hoping for baby to be a boy.

I'm trying to work every angle with Kaiser to have a water delivery, but I am not having much success. We have our first meeting with Kaiser's Certified Nurse Midwife who will supervise my development and hopefully that conversation will merit some headway into my preferred method of pain relief. And while I'm trying to avoid being that girl, I am ending up being THAT girl. I refused my labs at the intake appointment because they wanted my blood to test for anemia and sickle cell and Rh positivity and other things that I don't have. They wanted my urine to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia and syphilis which is almost an insult should it come to a legal battle (if I really wanted to be THAT girl).

I want Kaiser to tell me that it would be cruel not to offer pain relief during labor and delivery and then explain why they can't allow me access to personal pain relief. I want them to tell me why they are willing to pay for the drugs and the anaesthesiologist to skewer me, but they absolutely refuse to fill a big tub of warm water for me. I'm not so sure why my preferred treatment for pain relief is unavailable under their plan anywhere but Roseville, CA. We'll see what we yield as we get farther along.

My favorite part of our intake appointment is when the nurse was listening to me explain my philosophy of birth and how I wanted a water birth and what info she could give me to help me figure it all out...she started telling me that Kaiser uses the best research to facilitate care in their hospitals and how those other alternative practices are not deemed safe by Kaiser. That Kaiser wants me in a "controlled environment, that way...if the baby's heart drops, we just c-section them out and they are safe." Honestly, it wasn't the place to start a dogmatic discussion on the medical model versus the homeopathic one, so I just tried to focus on the necessary information and requirements at hand. As I started to kindly counter her with reasons I didn't want to do the glucose test and other future labs, she looked straight at Tim, whirled our paperwork from in front of us and re-checked some information saying, "You're a firefighter/paramedic right?" as she checked over his employment history. "Yes, you're a paramedic...and you agree with all this, all her opinions about this?" she asked pointing her finger back and forth between us with an aghast look on her face.

"Yeah, I do" the devastatingly gorgeous and overwhelmingly manly firefighter/ paramedic replied.

Between the appointments, just enjoying dreaming of that sweet little babe coming soon.

Love, Lauren

6 comments:

Ali Winter said...

You really look amazing! I love how your beautiful family is growing. I always love finding out what I'm having too. So sorry you have to put up with the pain of birthing at Kaiser. I hope it works out for you.

Erin said...

Love reading your pregnancy updates! September will be here before you know it. Are you feeling like it might be a boy this time?

Didn't you have Kaiser with Gracen? Was the experience different, or have have you changed your mind on certain things this time around? Kaiser can be frustrating, I have to say if we have another baby I hope we don't have Kaiser anymore.

Love, Lauren said...

Hey Ali- thanks! And I'm lovin' your updated header. :) Yes, I read your blog...stalker status- ha ha!

Erin-I just don't want to play the game this time. Last time I did what they wanted, and I just don't want to. Also, last time I had not driven 30 minutes to a hospital in transition. That is not something I want to repeat. With both girls, I have lost focus at a critical point and I want to be somewhere I can stay where I can control more factors (like lighting or monitoring or even birthing position). My goal this time is to not tear. I feel like if I can slow down, be more in the moment and not so distracted (like with Grace) it might be better. With Mads, I was just scared...after 30 hours and a sucky midwife, I was afraid and looking back that was really a factor. Plus, the tub just feels amazing!!!! I just want a warm bath, is it too much to ask!?! :)

Erin said...

That is not too much to ask at all! I can only imagine the frustration of it all. I hope you are able to birth the way to want with Kaiser :)

Oh and January 25th is a great day to have a baby(it's my birthday) but 1/31/13 would be a fun birth date to have.

Look forward to future updates, you are totally making me want a third!

Unknown said...

Little cheers in my heart for tim and for your courage! I seriously almost cried! I love that he is so supportive of you, but also you are both on the same page :) I love you both!!

Shar said...

Oh, we'll be at Powell.....hope you'll text us with the gender reveal! I am so happy that your husband is extremely supportive and immediately voices that support.