Week 15: The System is Down

Last week was my first appointment with my and Bugomatic’s OB and I came in with one question, but I’ll get back to it later. Bug & I are both healthy and we’re all right on track with where we should be. I’m getting the tiniest bit of bump (see Dailybooth) and while I’m not quite in need of maternity pants just yet, I have gotten a Bella Band for my super cute jeans that are just too snug.

Okay, so I couldn’t button one of them before the baby anyway. Don’t judge me.

BTW, Bella Bands are basically the fake-out shirts* we wore in high school but a billion times better and I’ll probably wear mine forever because it beats the crap out of layering camisoles.

*I went to high school in Huntington Beach (read the stoner hub of the OC). At my high school, instead of cracking down on the drug problem that faced our over-privileged, under-supervised village of teeny-bopper suburbanites whose lives were SOOOO hard, (seriously, in my 4 years of high school, there were something like 8 drug related deaths in the district and 5 of them were students from my alma mater) supervision decided to crack down on the dress code. That way, they wouldn’t get sued.

So if you raised your hand and any piece of skin was exposed, you were sent to supervision and forced to wear an XXL Doc Marten’s tee. Ridiculous when kids were getting high out of a Bic pen in class, but hey! An inch of skin is a distraction! Because everyone can see an inch of skin when you’re sitting in a super cramped desk in an overcrowded classroom. And being sent out of class in the middle of everything isn’t a distraction. And neither is the teasing associated with the God-awful Doc Martens shirt. Anyway, we started wearing “fake-out shirts,” which were basically Bella Bands but less expensive because we’d just cut off the top of a camisole and wear it under or sew it to a shirt that would otherwise get us sent to the chokey.

But back to the appointment, Bugomatic no longer looks like shrimp! While the sea monkey look was rather cute, the human fetus look is far more becoming. Because it’s skin is still translucent, we caught a glimpse of it’s spine and holy wow was it cool to see the little’s control panel! Ultrasounds are below – cool, right? BTW, if you can tell me what I’m seeing in the second one, I’ll give you a prize. Seriously, I’m sure it’s arms, but I’m not sure what angle I’m supposed to view it and it’s rather confusing.

Everyone asks, so I’ll just say it now: Bugomatic is still an “it.” I may or may not have more information after our next appointment in September. I’m hoping that we’ll know by then, but I still have a strong feeling that it’s a girl.

I really hope I don’t regret putting that in writing later.

So anyway, I didn’t have many questions for my OB because I’m such a smarty-pants-know-it-all-nightmare-of-a-patient-because-I-know-too-much-but-not-really, but then again, she wasn’t offering much information either. Of the few questions I had, though, the most important was whether or not I’d be able to have a water birth at Kaiser’s facilities. As suspected, they don’t do water births. “But there are showers!”

Because that’s what obviously I want. A shower birth.

On top of that, we (babydaddy & I) realized how booked my OBGYN is and how difficult it is to get any kind of appointment with her. I mean, I really do like her, but if she’s THAT booked just for consults, imagine if the baby comes early- I trust my doctor, but I’d just be concerned that it might be hard ensure she’d be there. I don’t want some random person I don’t know strolling in last minute for my baby’s birth, knowing nothing about me or my preferences and dictating my experience. Not-uh. Not happening.

The thing is, I’d initially wanted a hospital/doctor birth because I was a high risk C-section and babydaddy was a high risk C-section preemie. I wanted all resources available and on-hand as a just-in-case measure. However, my mom miscarried my twin in her first trimester and she was a high risk pregnancy in general. His mom had him later in life, which has it’s own associated risks. I’m low risk thus far and very healthy and honestly, there is no medical reason at this time that says I would NEED to be in a hospital to have a healthy labor and birth.

So I’ve decided, for the time being, that I’m going to look into having a home birth with a midwife. If any complications arise, I’d be fine with transferring to a birthing center or hospital and I’ll still see my OB for checkups and ultrasounds and the like. I’d just rather not be bound by my insurance’s limited maternal care options. Additionally, I’d rather experience my child’s birth with someone who built her practice on the belief in what my body was built to do more than a belief in knives and needles.

That sounds harshly critical, doesn’t it? I understand and appreciate the value of surgeons and physicians – really. I wouldn’t be here without them for many reasons. There is a clear need for them, and my baby and I are fortunate enough, in this moment, not to be among those in need of a surgical birth.

So I’m on the hunt for a locally based midwife. Any OC mommies have recommendations or referrals to share? I’d much oblige.

And for those who have asked, yes, babydaddy is being wonderfully supportive and encouraging all of my choices and has been there every step of the way. He’s also excited to be the birthing partner, which blows my mind. I’m not sure he’s really aware of what he’s getting himself into, but I’m beyond grateful.

All in all, I’m really enjoying this thus far. Sure, I can’t have sushi (and wow do I miss it), among other things. But hey, I can charge a Designated Driver tax after 11.

Also, I’m starting a side business. Pregzilla’s Designated Drivers: It’s cheaper than a cab and it smells better.

But it’s been lovely, and figuring out where the baby is situated is pretty awesome. Especially when it’s lopsided and looks like something straight out of Alien. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on whether or not you’d want to see an oddly lopsided bump in the cube next to you, it only seems to do that at 3 in the morning when the sprinklers go off and we’ve both decided that it’s time to wake up and lay there for an hour.

Yes. Bugzilla has a sense of humor.

On top of it all, it’s been kinda nice to enjoy what the ever insightful Kia so perfectly deemed “the secret time with your bump before it becomes apparent to the rest of the world.” It really has been lovely.

Especially when I’m just laying there peacefully, enjoying some me time and quietly trying to feel for any flutters or movement, and my mom plants her face in my stomach yelling “NANA LOVES YOU!!!”

Really a lovely time.

Be Sociable, Share!

•