As for our medical care, it's still unknown even at this late stage in the game. I'd gone into the South Hospital for a 3-hour blood test a couple of weeks ago. (The blood testing took from 10am-2pm and I waited in the waiting room occupying my time by crocheting a baby blanket for a good friend.) When I could finally leave, I decided I'd scope out where to park when in labour so that we could be prepared, and walk on up to the maternity ward to get a quick tour of the new facilities.
The maternity ward looked pristine. The nurse at the desk was very nice and another nurse took me to see the rooms. In this new hospital your stay in one room for delivery and postpartum. Each room had the typical bed, it's own bathroom including a huge shower and all of the birthing equipment right in the room, including the bath area for baby and bassinet. What was different was that there was a kind of huge window seat, which they turn into a bed for your spouse, so they can stay the entire time with you. There's also a room service menu that I've heard you can order from whenever you like and a flat screen tv.
Now being our second birth, I don't really plan to stay at the hospital for any extended period of time, but the amenities of this new hospital looked amazing to me compared to the room we had at an older hospital last time.
As I was leaving I stopped to talk to the nurse at the front desk and she casually asked who my OB was. "Uhh, I don't have an OB this time. I'm low risk." was my reply. To which, she explained that there were only 8 OBs delivering at the new hospital (only delivering "high-risk" pregnancies currently) and anyone else would be sent to one of the older hospitals "in an ambulance" as she put it. (I could just picture us giving birth in an ambulance on the side of the road enroute to someplace else..)
Naturally as I was walking to my truck, I called the Low Risk Maternity Clinic where I'd been going for care thus far, and who'd originally told me to go to the new hospital when in labour. They explained to me that they were originally hoping to practice there, but do not. I asked when they were going to bother to tell me this important information, seeing as we live out of the city now and the driving difference between hospitals is not small. In rush hour traffic we basically wouldn't make it to any hospital than the new one. So began my crusade to find a new OB at 31 weeks pregnant...
I contacted my new doctors office in our small town. I was told they didn't have my records so couldn't give me a referral to an OB. I contacted my old doctors office (the one where my amazing family doctor moved back home to Australia in April). They told me to make an appointment and come in to see my doctors replacement. I waited a few more days and went in. Then was told that this was no longer my family doctor so they also couldn't give me a referral. Ugh. I managed somehow to explain my situation well enough to convince this doctor to put the paperwork through to get us an OB. They told me it was a very slim chance since we were now 32 weeks along and that an OB likely wouldn't take us. Sigh.
Back in August I'd cold called every OBs office I could find online in an attempt to get us an OB in place but had zero luck with finding anyone who would take us, and even less luck finding anyone who was practicing at the new hospital.
My last resort was to email our doula, Tracey, and ask her for some advice. She got back to us a few days later with the news that she may have found a midwife who could take us on. Good news finally! I quickly called the midwife, who then explained to me that she was from out of the city (in the complete opposite direction) and could not help us but may know someone else who could. So we waited for yet another call.
Then it all happened at once. We got a call from the OBs office based out of the new hospital saying we had a referral and now an appointment to see an OB this week! At the same time, we got a call from a midwife who scheduled us in for next week, but she can not deliver at the same hospital and we would have to drive quite a ways to get prenatal care and to deliver.
I am looking forward to meeting with the OB and seeing if we accept his care if we will be allowed to deliver at the new hospital or not. Pending that, we can then go with the midwife if all else fails. It's still up in the air but at least we are getting much closer to having a birth plan in place for where to drive to, and who to see. I was beginning to think Phil may just have to deliver this baby on his own!
Today we also got the results of the bloodwork and ultrasound we'd had recently done. My blood testing is normal. The ultrasound is normal. I am low-risk and happy to be that way. At the ultrasound (done at 32w0d) baby was measuring large. It's head was 35w4d, and all I could think was "well, it's definitely a Smeltz kid". Overall baby measured between 2-3weeks on the big side, and it's weight was estimated to be 4lbs11oz. Adding approximately 0.5lbs per week for the next 6-7 weeks and I'm preparing myself for a big baby who could be somewhere in the ballpark of 8lbs11oz if their growth were to continue this way. Luckily, I've read that typically the babys growth slows down about now. I am aiming/hoping for a 7lb baby.
 |
| 32 week profile picture. Taken Sept 30/13 |
