I have to say, the experience was so very extremely different than it has been seeing my regular pregnancy doctor down here. Sure, the drive was over 1 hr longer than we usually have to do. Sure, we couldn't find parking too close so had to walk a few blocks (this clinic is not where we'll give birth though, so no biggy). But not only was the wait amazingly shorter (despite the fact our doctor got called away for a quick surgery upstairs!), but the consultation was amazingly more comfortable as well.
Has all to do with the philosophy of the birthing center. I went over my birth preferences with the doctor, and she was 100% ok with all of my raised points, of which many are options/standard at the birthing center, while my doctor down here has said we'd have to sign waivers, or that this-that-or-the-other is hospital policy, and always makes me feel like we're in a total rush and there's no time to discuss and my requests are unreasonable sometimes (or unmedical at the least) - that I would not be willing to listen to her even if it was a medical emergency, etc.
Our birth-doctor however was calm, encouraging, understanding, and the only tiny item was it seems she's not too familiar with using hypnosis during child-birth, but it doesn't phase me at the least (I have Judge and Angie - my doula). AND she did our ultrasound herself.
At the birthing center we got to sit down with a nurse and I got to ask her what the standard procedures are for checking in, during delivery, and after. I know I could have just asked Angie since she's helped with births there tons of times and is familiar with everything and all the procedures, but I wanted to hear it more from the nurses' perspectives, so that I could know more what points I wanted to go over with Angie and set up a 'game plan' (though most often the nurses just leave the couple alone except for some check-ins and monitorings until Angie goes and gets them, as they're used to working together).
From the visit I learned that the points that I will be asking Angie for special help and advocacy about are limiting internal checks to zero or one (why internal exams are unnecessary - this wasn't the original link I wanted to give, but I can't find the other really good one at the moment), figuring out how to deal with the intermittent fetal monitoring (nurse said 30 min per hour..I'd like 20 min max, and if possible to be mobile), and that I don't want them telling me when and how hard to push. The rest are all options in the standard tick-and-submit birth plans they provide to us - including items I haven't even specified on my preferences (ie music and scents). Super impressed!
At the birth center we also got to see three freshly born bebes resting in the baby-holding area - so super tiny and cute.
After the birth center we had lunch with Judge's best bud from his military days, and then we picked up a sleek 2nd hand pack-and-play for cheap.
All in a Taipei's day-trip.
Here're my birth preferences - most of which would have to be a fight or signed wavers at a regular hospital:
General Environment
· I would like my labor room to be quiet and calm
· I would prefer no overhead ‘spot-lights’ (if necessary, handheld spotlighting preferred)
· Please refrain from references to pain
· Please direct questions to Judge (my husband) or Angie (my doula) or wait until between birthing waves to address me
Labor/Delivery
· I wish to have continuous labor support from Judge (my husband) and Angie (my doula)
· I wish to walk, move around, and change positions throughout my labor, and determine what the best position to labor and deliver in is
· I wish to not be administered an IV unless medically necessary
· I wish to eat and drink as desired during labor
· Please conduct intermittent monitoring only, no more frequently than every 20 minutes per hour
· Please perform exams or procedures only with my permission
· I do not wish to have internal exams unless there is a medical reason
· I intend to avoid all* interventions unless there is a medical reason and assurance that they are safer than the low-tech alternative or doing nothing
· Please do not offer medications or labor augmentation
Delivery
· I wish to direct my own pushing – no counting or commanding
· No routine episiotomy – we will use warm compresses and/or olive oil
· Cord cutting AFTER the cord has stopped pulsating only
· Placenta to be expelled by me on my own (no cord traction or manual removal)
Post-Delivery Wishes
· No mouth or nose suction unless medically required
· Immediate skin-to-skin contact
· No rough rubbing/’get baby to cry’ handling unless medically required
· No routine pit administered to me
· Baby not to leave us unless medically urgent and discussed with us
· I plan on feeding baby breast milk only
· Vit K and prophylactic eye ointment to be done after initial bonding time, when requested by me (a gentle reminder is welcome if I for some reason forget~)
· Heel stick preferably performed at around 48 hrs after birth
· Baby to be bathed (in room with me) only after requested by me
*Including but not limited to:
· Stripping of membranes
· Manual breaking of waters
· Pitocin or other labor/contraction inducing drugs (1st, 2nd and 3rd stage labor)
· Episiotomy
· C-section
· Tummy pressure
· Managed 3rd stage labor (i.e., cord traction)
As I will complete the tick-and-submit birthplan as well, I will be including NO for having an enema administered and being shaved (both of which are standard procedures in regular hospitals here, as are epistomies and most of the other items on my 'including but not limited to' list; including the very small item of that if there is not 1cm dilation progress per hour they will suggest a c-section due to 'failure to progress' - I got the hand-out about this at my last doctor's visit down here).
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