Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Thanks Team!

Wow team, thanks for all the love!! I have to say that through blogging and facebook, I have realized that I have a lot of really cool and supportive people in my life:) Thank you!

This will be brief as I have a long list of household chores to get to in the next couple of hours...
1. So I've been reading on VBA2C's and was all ready to go until I met with the OB I would use at Surrey Memorial Hospital. He refused to take me because I've had 2 C-sections. I do understand his point because they no longer have an anesthesiologist on call on the labour/delivery ward at all times anymore and if there is an emergency, you have only 20-30 minutes to get baby out via C-section. The reason I was surprised is because based on the books I've read, it just seemed like such a realistic option. My success rate with a VBA2C and having a 9+lb baby would be about 66%+ which was totally high enough in my opinion to try. I meet with my midwives tomorrow and I'll see what they say. I believe I still have the option of meeting with OB's at the Women's Hospital in Vancouver but even then I have a low chance of them accepting me. I'm not sure if I want it THAT badly as I sort of felt really defeated after the appointment on Monday. He is quite convinced that I truly do have CPD (cephalopelvic disproportion aka head too big for my pelvis). Obviously, the safety of the baby and myself is #1 and there is definitely a higher maternal risk if I end up with another emergency C-section. Also, with two previous babies in the 9.5-10lb range, without gestational diabetes, it does make things a bit more difficult. I just really, really, really despise the C-section recovery. Especially the first 2 weeks.

2. Kai loves watching sports. He likes to record who scores in hockey and is downstairs as soon as he is allowed (6:30am) to watch sports highlights. He had his last skating lesson today and he ended up not passing. He was pretty upset. I thought he met all the criteria but he is still doing too much `running' rather than skating around. I was a bit disappointed with the teacher because she didn't work on it with him once. I understand there are 4 other people in the class but I wouldn't mind if she took a minute or two to focus on him individually. So, Kai's dream of being a goalie for the Canucks is maybe getting a dose of reality:)

3. This is usually the toughest week of the year as Gary has basketball games (8-10pm), Winter Campout and a Staff Retreat. This means doing it all on my own and missing certain activities (like aquafit) and having to get babysitters for certain appointments etc. I'm thankful the boys are older so this year it's not so tough:)

Okay, off to laundry, bathrooms, and dishes:)

Have a wonderful week and again, thanks for the baby love!
Love, Louise


7 comments:

  1. That's too bad about the doctor! Hopefully the midwives will have some insight for you regarding the VBA2C. I love that Kai likes sports so much. His skating teacher sounds totally lame!

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  2. Love your use of Latin terminology (cephalopelvic); sorry to hear about the change of plans. Remember, every healthy delivery is a good delivery no matter the route.

    I think Kaiser still has a chance at the Canucks. I'm still up for some skating practice with him (provided time/scheduling allows).

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  3. Hmm. I'm confused about the CPD discussion from your dr and how he is able to label you as having CPD, as if it is something you get once and have for the rest of your life. CPD is a determination made only after a baby is born and even then it is difficult to determine if that truly is the only thing to blame for a baby not being to exit vaginally. It is not possible to predict you will have it in a future delivery (that is regardless of whether you truly had the last two times or not). CPD is based on the size of your pelvis, which presumably has not changed, in relation to the size of the baby's head, which no one can even predict how big this baby will be yet. Why does he need to make the determination of CPD now? Is it not possible to wait and see how baby is growing in the third trimester to estimate the potential risk for CPD? Is there really no anesthesiologist on call at night? So do they not take any women in labor in the night because of this? I don't get it. Don't give up just yet, Louise, if you do have other options to check out.

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  4. Hey Jen, there is an anesthesiologist in the hospital BUT only one for the whole hospital. In case of a rupture, they would need the baby out in about 20 minutes which they can't guarantee.

    In regards to CPD, I hear you. I know when they did the C-section with Kai, the OB did say during the surgery that it truly was CPD. However, with Koen, I wonder if he could have made it out. He was still big but his head was normal.

    Don't worry, I'm not giving up yet:) My midwives were surprised and are looking into options. We will see...

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  5. Awesome! I love the reveal! So great. And it was fun seeing that it was in the snow, tho it probably wasn't that fun being in the snow. =) Your daughter will have lots of photos to look back on, to see how she was celebrated!!


    I'm quite convinced you HAD CPD with Kai, too; your story is pretty textbook. But that doesn't condemn you to a lifetime of CPD, and I'm pretty sure this baby will be smaller (premonition, plus Koen's head size, plus baby girl, plus measurements are smaller this time, plus you will be trying with diet to keep babe from porking out as much as is possible in 3rd tri). Remember last time how your hips always felt like they were "falling apart?" That's your ligaments stretching and your pelvis loosening. That equals more room. Like you said, stats are 66% or higher, and that's good enough to try. =)

    Your photos look amazing btw. You make a very pretty pregnant lady. =)

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  6. And, with an anesthetist on the ward with the spinal cathetar in his hand, it would STILL take longer than 20 minutes for them to get that baby out. It is rare, rare, rare for surgery to happen that fast. What if all the ORs are full? Or the stuff not sterilized? Or the nurse on her break and doesn't hear the page? Or simply the time it takes to assemble a team for surgery. The standard is 30 minutes. Sometimes they are faster, but to get in there before 20 minutes is very ambitious indeed.

    This is probably why research shows that having an anesthetist on site does not improve outcomes for VBACs. That, and the fact that VBAC is relatively low risk.

    I like what Jen said.

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