Good morning!
I thought, since I have received some questions, that now would be a good time to explain our position on having a midwife and why we are choosing to not to intervene and help labor to start.
I have nothing against doctors. Having children like Malachi and Nathaniel who have had medical problems, that’s obvious. Because of my experience with Nathaniel’s birth, and other reasons, I want to avoid the hospital scene if at all possible. Of course, if something arises and there is a need to go there, I will not fight it. If it needs to be done for someone’s safety, then it should be done. But I don’t think I’m there yet. The baby is moving just fine, I have no swelling, my blood sugar is perfect (for hypoglycemia) and I know my blood pressure is fine. The only things is, is that I’m medically considered “overdue” ( which, by the text book, is 42 weeks or more.) and while it’s a pain in more ways than one, there is nothing medically wrong with me. It’s all very possible that if left the it’s own device (meaning no medical intervention to keep things going), my other births would have gone like this as well.
“Going” this far is really not that unusual, at least not in the countries where midwives are primarily used. In our country, where doctors are used more,it is not that common simply because I believe the doctors heavily suggest,if not tell you strait out that it will happen,that things get started, even when it’s not time. There are certainly times when interventions like that are needed, for either the baby or the mother. If there is no medical reason for it, I don’t agree with that practice.
The only way to get labor to start (using synthetic drugs), for someone like me who has had a previous c-section, is pitocin. You can’t use the gel or anything else, for they are too strong on the scarred uterus and can’t be controlled like pitocin. And I can only get so much of it. Other bodies can stand far more of it than mine could because of the scar. After the pitocin, there is only so much they can do before you are looking at another c-section. There is nothing herbal to start labor, only to keep it going, like Blue or Black Cohosh, Castor oil and other things.
To be honest with you, my last entry was while I was having a bad moment. I suppose that didn’t give you a fair view of how things are going. I’m feeling much better today. I do have my bouts with negative feelings, maybe even a bit depressed. But truly, for the most part, I’m doing okay. Yes, of course I’d like this baby to be born like 2 weeks ago! :0) But I really trust God in this. I have told Him from the very beginning that I will wait for His timing and I meant it. Sure I have the temptation to take something to see if it work on getting things going, but that seems so dishonest with me. Did I mean that I would wait for Him or not? And this truly is a test to my faith and commitment. I go between begging Him with tears to end this and telling Him I’m okay to wait. It makes me crazy, so I can’t imagine what He thinks of me!!
If I believed, or my midwife believed, that there was a medical reason for me to go to the hospital, I wouldn’t hesitate to go. But as it is now, there isn’t any (and my being impatient for this to end isn’t much of a medical reason). Thank you for praying for me and I still need it, for I’m not done yet!! Adam assures me that I won’t be pregnant forever and since I have 5 children already, I suppose he’s right. :0)