Today we toured the Newly! Renovated! Hospital Birth Center! I suppose... it used to be more depressing.
I guess they're trying. But a class before you can even think about a waterbirth? Anyone for a rousing chorus of LIABILITY? And that inevitable hospital-antiseptic smell. And a model of care that involves being wheeled about whilst in labor. And... and... and... I want someone to take away the scary surgical-looking lamps and the ugly hospital bed and the weird birthing tub thing. I want my other midwives and their big comfy bed and jacuzzi and jangly ankle bracelets and peculiar love of moxibustion.
I expect, when the time comes, I'll be too busy having the baby to really care. And I like these midwives.* They are doing their best to provide low-intervention care in a high-intervention environment. I understand that they can color inside the lines, or take their toys and go get fired.
I am also, I confess, a tiny bit nervous about this labor. With Bug, my water broke at 2 PM, I was having serious contractions about 5 PM, and he was born at 10 PM. "Faster" doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun.
Whine, whine, whine.
(It could be a lot worse.)
* With current insurance: other midwives $4000, these midwives $0.
Coming fresh off a 5-hour labor (which includes the extra hour I got after FINALLY getting my epidural) -- faster isn't really better or worse, it's just ... faster. You don't really have any time to think about anything other than getting through the next contraction. This labor was actually easier to get through for me, even though I ended up with a baby that was almost 2 lb heavier than my first.
ReplyDeletei hated, hated, hated our hospital tour. it was...the WORST. partly because the tour guide was a rude moron who refered to all partners as "dad" -- gayness aside (and sugar was there and isn't butch and we did introduce ourselves), it's vomitously twee. and partly because it all looked awful.
ReplyDeletebut actually, it was totally fine. as you know, there are parts of my labor i wasn't such a fan of, but the actual stuff in the room and so on? no biggie. and lots of what the tour guide said about what wasn't allowed turned out to be total garbage. hope the same is true in your place.
Well, of course last time I could barely see my own fingertips, so what was in the room was largely irrelevant. :) The midwives were the ones giving the tour, poor dears (they did not refer to anyone as 'dad', as far as I remember). Nonetheless, I also hope it's okay!
ReplyDeletethat's the spirit: maybe you'll be blind!
ReplyDelete