Good appointment for Jordan and I

We had another appointment with the doctor today… We’re finally at the point where we need to go every two weeks. I’ve gained weight… a lot of it is water from all of my travels. I’m hoping to lose some of that when I go back in another two weeks.

Anyway. The heartbeat is strong — she can’t avoid the doppler anymore. There isn’t any room to hide anymore. We talked about her placement — and my doctor said it seemed very obvious that where the heart is, Jordan is head down and VERY low. (Like I didn’t know that)

After the standard question and answer period, I started shooting out some questons about what I was hearing about the hospital where I plan to deliver the baby. I had heard that every woman who is in labor is require to wear a port in her arm just in case they need to give her an IV. I won’t do that. I just won’t. I had Cameron without an IV or the need for an IV. I don’t need to bruise the hell out of my arm JUST IN CASE. I told that to my doctor, and she kept asking me to do it. She couldn’t convince me. So at least she told me how to sign a waver on that issue and how she’ll put information on how I do not want the port in my documents so the hospital knows I won’t do it.

I’d also heard that the babies are immediately taken from the mother after birth to go to the warming table. I want the baby cleaned off on my belly and given to me for breastfeeding. I think that’s really important to help the body naturally get rid of the placenta. I’d heard they like to give women a shot of pitocen instead. I don’t want that. My doctor supported my desire… And we discussed how I would accomplish that. It’s all about the nurse I get. Apparently the evening nurses are more open to delivering the baby and placing her on the mother’s belly.

So it’s very obvious that my birth plan is very, very important. My doctor also said she would try to attend the birth — she’ll put the request for the hospital to page her when I’m in labor. Who knows what will happen. Randy and I agree that it would be more likely she’ll be there if Jordan arrives around the due date. If she’s early, lord knows who will attend the birth. We’ll have to team up together to fight for what we want.

Sad that you have to fight… But I’m not fully open to the idea of going to a birth center. I want a hospital environment for the possible “worst case scenario” but I don’t expect we’ll need that. I didn’t realize how relatively progressive the hospital was in Grand Rapids.