I had the very unfortunate experience of having to go to the hospital today. I started feeling a litte burning yesterday, and feeling like I had to pee, just seconds after I did. Like, while I was still pulling my pants up, seconds later. I knew the sensation was the start of a UTI, and immediately started on a high dose of probiotics, and guzzling cranberry juice. It was already so late in the day I knew I wouldn't have been able to get into my PCP, but 9 out of 10 times I am fine with a little discomfort that goes away within a day or so and never is anything serious, my body fights it off by itself. Not this time.
I was up all night long with the feeling of having to go, but wasn't anything in there to let out. So I called my midwife Faith this morning, well, texted her actually. This is how the conversation went...
Me Can I take AZO (over the counter uit relief meds) while pegant, I really don't want to go to the ER, and I can't get into my pcp until Monday at the earliest. I have been drinking cranberry juice and water by the gallons and can't get relief
Faith Have you tried a major regimen of max dose vit c and asidophilous every 4 hours yet?
Me I have been taking the probiotics, but didn't up my vit c yet. By this point I am burning so bad though, is the AZO sae to take, do you know?
And I didn't hear back from her. Not happy with my midwife today, as you can probably tell. I usually love her to death, but she kind of let me hang there this afternoon. Yes, she gave me a suggestion of something else to try that would be more natural, which she knows is what I really have as a goal this pregnancy, but she never did answer my original question and didn't even respond in the end.
So by about 3pm I started having more frequent braxton hicks contractions. I knew I wasn't going into preterm labor or anything like that, but also knew the infection was irritating my uterus and couldn't keep going until Monday, so I decided to go ahead and go to the ER to get some antibiotics and some relief.
I texted Faith again and let her know I was going to go ahead and go in, she seemed shocked that it was that bad already, and apologized for not realizing how much I was hurting earlier in the day. I guess it's easy to misinterpret by text messaging, but I can't get her to answer the phone half the time. She only really answers calls if she is on call, and she is not right now, and has been in and out of town the last 2 weeks, especially on the weekends.
So I check in at Hillcrest around 4pm. They triage me, and tell me to wait in the waiting room because they might have me go to the Women's Pavilion since I am so far along in my pregnancy. Which is a shock to me, I'm not in labor, I have a dang UTI! I knew immediately I was gong to have a fight about the home birth topic, and they are probably going to want to monitor and check the baby and possibly even dilation. Great, not the fight I was up for today, already feeling like crap.
I actually tell the transport lady that I was prepared for the fight, but in a jokingly, friendly way. She asked me why, and when I told her I was a home birth patient, she nodded knowingly, and admitted yeah, I was probably right. That was another thing I dealt with, I had to ride in a wheel chair over to the women's center, they wouldn't let me walk. Although at this point, I knew I had many battles that would be possible and figured I might as well choose them wisely!
It really didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would. When we got to triage, the nurse at the front desk, asks me who my OB was, I told her I had a midwife, and gave her name. So she shakes her head, and says "but what clinic is she at?" No clinic, home birth. This is where it got kind of funny. She really says "home birth, but how are you going to do that at home?" Well, I wasn't exactly sure if she wanted the whole process spelled out for her or not. I didn't know how to answer the question without making her look more stupid. So I told her it would be the same basic process as the hospital, only with less interruption, people I actually know taking care of me, and I would be at home. The other nurse saw her floundering and took me away before she could say any more. I was slightly amused by this point.
I still am not quite understanding why this had to be such a big production, but because I am pregnant they are apparently unable to treat anything until they have done a complete check of the baby, so on go the monitors, pee in a cup, and change into a gown. Ugh. This is why I am having my baby at home, soI don't have to do this anymore! But this nurse was very sweet. Had me do the whole prenatal history, past birth history and so on. As I told her more and more about it she seemed to acknowledge more and more that I might actually be capable and not out to kill me baby with my home birth choice.
Baby boy was hyper too. I don't remember him being that active before, it was like he was doing cartwheels in there trying to get away from the monitor they had to keep rearranging. He obviously didn't think it was needed, and neither did I, but again, I figured I had better pick my battles, especially since this is the hospital I will go to if I end up needing to transfer care for any reason.
Finally, a midwife from the OU clinic came in to talk to me about what was going on. She was so sweet. I liked her a lot actually and completely forgot to get her name when I left, I had already forgotten it a few times by this point, due to notorious preggo brain that I am not so fond of.
She ckecke my blood pressure again, it had been high he first time right after I had come in (I wonder why, having to argue with the birth Nazi and all) and it was back to normal, better than it has been in while actually. I contribute it to the soothing sounds of baby's heart beat, better than those ocean tapes any day!
We talked about me home birth choice. Only she dd it in a more friendly, just making sure you know what you are doing and have weighed all options type of way, not a condescending way. I was very grateful for that. When I told her how big Kayla was (10lbs. 2oz), and that I pushed her out in less than 20 minute, sunny side up, she laughed and told me some women are made for birthing, and I must be one of them.
Finally she gets to the point of my visit. My uti. Tells me the resident OB (who I never met, more on that later) wants to monitor me a little longer because I have been having some contractions. I remind her that this is my 5th baby, braxton hicks do start a lot sooner, and if they will treat my infection the will go down to a normal frequency, to which she agrees. Tells me that she will write up a prescription and have me out soon.
So I wait......
And wait....
And wait some more....
When she comes back in, she has the supplies ready to do a vaginal exam. Looks at me very apologetically, says he wants her to check my dilation because of the BH's. This was the battle I was waiting for. I was trying to be light, but still firm about not wanting one. During my pause of how exactly to go about doing that tactfully, she says how unfortunate it is, but that when you come to the hospital, most OB's want a check before you can leave. So I asked her how he would feel if I traded permission for a rectal exam on him, and she laughs, tells me I can decline if I wanted to. I told her I really didn't see a reason to push any kind of germs in that area closer to my cervix if I already was having trouble with BH's, and to let me know if there was really a valid reason, but if not, I would rather just skip that part. She giggled again, and said well, at least it is well thought out and practical reason, not just that I was squeamish on getting checked. And left me be.
Big sigh of relief it didn't take more than that. But then there was more waiting.
After being there for about 4 hours. I finally get discharged. Midwife comes back in, tells me she's sorry. Admits to me that the OB was trying to give her time to talk me out of a home birth, giving me risks etc. I asked her how that went for her, and she says " The way I see it, you have a relationship with your midwife we can't even compare with at our offices, let alone one visit to triage. Not to mention, your body is a pro at doing this already, and after talking to you, you really know your stuff. How am I supposed to compete with that?"
And I am finally free at last! Sent home with an antibiotic, and some medicine I can't remember the name of, but seems to do the same thing as the AZO, and turns my pee oompa-loompa orange, lol.
Things I learned tonight?
1)Those dang monitor things are super uncomfortable.
2)I hate having to explain my choices to everyone when those choices go against their procedure.
3)My midwife ticks me of sometimes, but is still 1,000 x better than dealing with all the chaos of the hospital any day.
4)If I can convince a hospital MEDwife, that I am capable, and know what I am dong, I might actually have the confidence to go through with it :).
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