"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
...
Congratulations, Lucy!

I vaguely remember that you seemed to disappear not long before I found
out I was expecting, I was worried about you because you'd seemed
anxious and though computer troubles was a much more logical
explaination, I also wondered if posting had just become too much for
you, so I'm really glad to hear a positive update!

Given we're now living in the US, I've been working through the pros and
cons of the different systems between here and the UK, what you went
through has definitely given me questions to ask. Midwives here don't
have the same "duty of care" concept that we have in the UK, I have a
horrible suspicion that having a pulmonary embolism in pregnancy would
make them unable to continue to give care, it was always reassuring to
me, that in the UK because of "duty of care", that you could have a
really dire situation, if you stood your ground, they'd still have to
come to a homebirth.

On the other hand, I feel like the quality of midwifery care I'm getting
is like having an independent midwife in the UK, but it's covered by
insurance (though obviously this depends on your insurance company and
which state you are in).

Cheers
Anne

Ooh, you're expecting again?! Congratulations!! How many weeks are you?

In regards to the homebirth, the primary midwife that delivered Kieran
admitted to be slightly worried, especially when she saw I still had ECG
pads on, that I'd missed as they cover you in them lol. That, coupled with
the sudden prospect of an iminent breech delivery, freaked her slightly, but
the hospital is 45 mins away, even by ambulance transfer, and I think she
knew we wouldn't have made it even if he had been breech - I don't hang
about!

I was really grateful to have had him at home. I was truly sick of
hospitals, and the arrogant consultants - on one occasion, I felt truly
bullied. During an internal on the day I was discharged and re-admitted, the
consultant went and got two more male consultants, and they stood in a row,
deliberately (this, they admitted) between me and DH. They told me my family
were not a priority, and that they were to have no say in my decision to not
go back to hospital - not pleasant to be ganged up on when you're naked from
the waist down and feeling so vulnerable! It's a wonder that I didn't end up
with pre-eclampsia too.

As for the PE, I think if I'd still been on the blood thinning drug (I
forget what it was called, but was similar to warfrin), they'd have veto'd
the homebirth... I did bleed more this time, but that stopped as soon as I
delivered the placenta.

My only complaint was that they only brought one gas cylinder in, and that
was half empty, so I did the actual delivery with nothing at all! They did
have more in the car, but as they said, by the time they'd have gone and got
it, I'd have had him anyway... I am a little pleased, as I always wondered
if I could do it without, but ooh, it stung! I felt more in control though,
and if I do have a third, I'd like to try and do without.

My main acheivement was doing it without waking Jessica! Result!

Lucy x