Very Encouraging Doctor Visit!!!

I took my sick self to my OB appointment this morning. It went great!

The clinic was very plain, sparsely furnished, with paper signs... But a lavish clinic wasn't exactly an important criteria. It was clean, and he seemed to have everything he needed. I felt at ease when he came in, energetic and smiling.

He was right on time, and it turns out he speaks perfect English. Not a requirement for me, but definitely a bonus.

He seems to be everything I am looking for in a birth attendant. He says he doesn't ever do anything the client doesn't want. He was extremely open to dialogue and my input. When it came the time that he would normally do an ultrasound and I expressed my concerns, he was totally ok with that. He told me that the intensity of exposure has dropped over the years and the recommendation is for one ultrasound per trimester, but he was happy to work with my wishes.

He took my blood pressure (a little low- maybe that explains my coldness?) and had me jump onto the exam table. He watched to make sure that motion wasn't an issue for me, then he checked my feet and hands for edema (none) my hands for circulation (good), my nails (perfect) and my abdomen and back for kidney problems (none). He felt my uterus (yep, there it is) and my heartbeat (very low, must be my elite athlete status, ha ha).

We talked for a while more and he told me I was smart and enthusiastic about my health. Finding out that he let his wife go 5 days with ruptured membranes told me he puts his money where his mouth is. He told me he does few internal exams, which I also like very much. I wouldn't mind avoiding them altogether if I can help it.

He sent me for labs which was an experience in itself. He said he likes the lab because they're very non interventive with the tests. The place was a weird combination of house and office and lab. The doctor who runs it was labouring to breathe so much he was obviously very sick with some condition. He gave me a jam jar for the urine sample which was almost too tall to fit under me. But he was very good a drawing blood! I didn't feel a thing. I'll pick up results on Monday.

Thank you so much to those of you who prayed about this- they were obviously answered. I'm feeling quite comfortable about my care now. All signs are now pointing to hospital waterbirth, as this doc would support a homebirth but wasn't too excited about it. I do sometimes daydream about having this baby in a pool in my living room (so nice not to have that uncomfortable car ride to the hospital! and just jump right into my own wonderful big bed with my family afterward) but if my support team doesn't feel great about it then I probably wouldn't push it. Unless I started to really really have strong feelings about it, I guess.

So now my prayer requests and concerns centre around the time after the baby is born. I asked about suctioning and eye ointment and he said they both are standard. My research indicates that neither may be necessary (depending on the baby and mom's status). He said that the pediatrician may give mom and baby as long as 10 minutes together after the birth. I'd prefer to have much longer together undisturbed, and for my child not to be suctioned or given eye ointment as a matter of course. I'll have to start photocopying and highlighting! And have a chat with our pediatrician to see where he stands on this stuff.

Overall I feel really encouraged. Whoohoo!