Today I took Little Girl to the pediatrician’s to have the spot examined from which, three weeks ago, I removed a tick mercilessly feasting on my innocent baby (okay, it was really small, and had no blood in it, but the gall of that thing, to attack my child!). She still has a little pink bump there and I wanted to be sure all was well. It is. Little Girl, though, was so wackily giggly, running laps around the little room, demonstrating hysterics at every opportunity, that the doctor was moved to ask, warily, “Is she always like this?” From a pediatrician, who sees toddlers all day!
You understand, then, the alacrity with which I filled the prescription for a new diaphragm I got when I went to see the OB/GYN who delivered Little Girl for my yearly appointment (even though, like IUDs, it’s not covered by insurance. Like a pregnancy and birth of mine would somehow be cheaper!). I had a long series of questions for her. I was quite interested by what she said about the office’s VBAC policy. Mostly that it differed remarkably from what I’d been told by repeat c-section moms I know who go to this same practice–that the circumstances under which VBACs are not permitted seem to be more limited to those in which they are (everyone had told me the doctors said they didn’t do VBACs; I suspect the discrepancy has something to do with birth spacing). I didn’t get any numbers to demonstrate how this translates into reality, but it was encouraging.
Unfortunately, it’s true my preeclampsia risk is heightened from having it before, and whatever it was my RE had found that made them put me on aspirin for my pregnancy is still true, and she agreed it was possible I had undiagnosed GD, given Little Girl’s birth weight (8.5 lbs) at her gestation when born (37 weeks). The doctor was very pleased with my weight loss (thirty pounds since when I got pregnant, forty since I got married) and said that the likely better nutrition that led to that would help with any further pregnancies. Not that I have any planned. Not that that can always go according to plan.
25 September 2008 at 7:50 am
Funny about N running around crazy in the doctor’s office. My kids are often not themselves at the doctors’; last time the doctor assumed S was the chatty one and J the quiet one.
Wow on asking all these questions about subsequent pregnancies. When S&J were still in the hospital my OB started talking about being at increased for preeclampsia because I had it once before. So wasn’t thinking about that at the time (or, quite frankly, now). But there are plenty of people who manage all of those potential problems, especially when they know what to expect, so you shouldn’t be too discouraged if you decide that’s what you want.
25 September 2008 at 1:23 pm
I am glad everything is fine with Little Girl. I just recently pulled a tick off of myself, and there was a red bump at the sight for at least a month.
25 September 2008 at 11:03 pm
Several things about this post made me giggle and I could relate to several other things. Like I really don’t get the insurance company logic of paying for a birth and pregnancy but not paying to prevent it. Even though it’s a non-issue for me now it still makes me irritable thinking about it. It does make me sad that so few doctors and hospitals do not allow VBACs. Even though I still had a c-section I am glad I tried a vaginal birth with my second one.
Every trip to the doctor’s office has some story attached to it. Fortunately our doctor has a way of winning over my kids no matter what mood they seem to be in.
26 September 2008 at 9:50 am
Just be wary of the many OB’s out there who say “of course we are supportive of VBAC’s!” and then once you hit the third trimester, your baby is either “too big” or you’re “low on amniotic fluid” or whatever other excuse they can come up with to just cut you open and get it over with. It’s important to get the stats on their VBAC success rate. And GD my ass. My OB’s always thought I MUST have undiagnosed GD from my 9.5lb babies but no. I just make big babies.
1 October 2008 at 9:04 am
Okay. This post makes me feel like a freaking idiot. I’ve been reading your blog for however long and I never realized (or, worse still, I once knew, but forgot) that you had preeclampsia?
That loud noise you hear is the sound of me slapping myself on the head.