My First Time Mom Moment in Memes

 I'm one of those First Time Moms (FTM) who would rather go to a medical professional than trust the internet.  I know, crazy right?

This past weekend, Baby Buckshot started making a gasping noise.

He seemed fine and was his usual active self.  Even laughing and smiling during gasping episodes.  I figured he was playing with a new sound. I listened for congestion, he was fine.  Totally not worried.

Then on Monday morning, one of his gasping periods ended with coughing. Then my scared mom gene kicks in.

We went to the pediatrician immediately to get him checked out.  A nurse brought in a blood oxygen meter. She tested him, got a 76 reading and said "That can't be right." She gets another nurse who comes in with another machine. The machine reads 81, and they both get more alarmed and say "That doesn't make sense."

 A third nurse comes in with another machine which gets a 100 reading and all the nurses calm down.  All but one leaves and says:

 Actually, she says, "Oh, he's fine.  Probably just overly excited."

Once I find out that there's absolutely nothing wrong with my baby, I take him to my mom's so I can go to work.  I tell her the story of what happened and then BB makes the gasping sound.  I exclaim, "It's that noise!"

My mom then tells me, "Oh... he might have learned that from me.  I make that sound to him sometimes and it makes him laugh."

Vaccinations: Hospital and 2 Month Old

If there's one topic that can rile up a room full of parents (just one? lol) it's vaccinations.  Personally, DH and I talked back and forth about it.

DH's cousin had an adverse reaction to a vaccination at a young age which resulted in seizures.  The hospital treated the seizure with another shot and now his cousin is in her 20s with the mental age of a 5 year old.  We still don't know if the problem stemmed from the vaccination or the anti-seizure medication.

Our neighbor, like many mothers of Autistic children, pinpoints the moment her son started exhibiting signs of Autism to his vaccines.  She says she can't say one way or another if it's truly the vaccine or that so many vaccines are administered at one time.

But in Southern California, babies have died from Pertussis and I would never forgive myself if BB contracted a disease that killed him when I could have protected him against it with vaccines.

So after much research, online and through books like The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child (Sears Parenting Library), we decided on a delayed schedule. I felt it reduced the risk of vaccinations by spreading them out.  The trade off is BB being unprotected from some diseases a month later than the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends.  BB isn't in daycare, nor does he come into contact with many people, so I'm not that worried about the month delay.  I'm more worried about BB having an allergic reaction to one of the vaccines and being so loaded up with various vaccines that the doctor's wouldn't be able to treat his allergic reaction with the least amount of risk.

With the option to delay and reducing risk, why would you not delay?  Some parents hate to see their children in pain and deal with the aftermath of a vaccinated child. They tend to feel under the weather and fussy. After all, it's easier to see your child stick with a needle once every two months than every month right? And some parents don't have the time or resources to add an extra doctor's appointment.  It's not that easy to take time off and some insurance coverage makes those appointments very costly.

The AAP recommends the following vaccinations:

At Birth
Hepatitis B (HepB). Hepatitis can result in loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, tiredness, jaundice and pain throughout the body.  Chronic infections may occur resulting in liver damage in the form of cirrhosis or cancer and may result in death.

2 months
Hepatitis B (HepB)

Rotavirus (RV). Rotavirus causes diarrhea, vomiting and fever often resulting in dehydration.

Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP). Diptheria causes a covering on the back of the throat leading to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and even death. Tetanus can cause lockjaw and deal in 2 out of 10 cases. Pertussis causes coughing and can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death.

Haemophilius Influenzae type b (Hib). Haemophilius Influenzae is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis which can cause deafness or brain damage.  The bacteria can also cause pneumonia, swelling of the throat obstructing breathing and blood infections.

Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13). Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause blood infections, pneumonia and meningitis. Meningitis can lead to many problems including deafness and brain damage.

Inactivated Polio Virus (IPV). Polio when it still existed in the US killed and paralyzed.  Now it only exists in a few countries.

Dr. Sears recommends the following delayed schedule, adding a 3 month appointment between the industry standard 2 month and 4 month checkup appointments:

At Birth
None

2 months
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP)
Rotavirus (RV)

3 months
Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13)
Haemophilius Influenzae type b (Hib)

Dr. Sears also doesn't believe in combination shots and doesn't believe newborns for the first two months of life need to be vaccinated for HepB since it is sexually transmitted.  He also delays the Polio vaccine until 9 months because Polio hasn't been found in the United States for over 30 years.

Potential reactions to the vaccines:
Hepatitis B (HepB).  Commonly results in soreness at the administration spot and fever.  In extremely rare cases (less than 1 in 1 million), people will adverse reactions have died.

Rotavirus (RV). Commonly results in irritability, mild diarrhea or vomiting.  In rare cases, the oral vaccination may result in bowel blockages that must be treated in the hospital.

Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP).  Commonly results in fever, redness/swelling/tenderness/soreness at the injection site, fussiness, tiredness and vomiting.  More rare but serious problems may include seizure, nonstop crying, high fever, coma, lowered consciousness or permanent brain damage.

Haemophilius Influenzae type b (Hib).  Commonly results in redness, warmth and swelling at the injection site and fever.  Allergic reactions may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, elevated heart rate and dizziness requiring immediate medical attention.

Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13). Commonly results in drowsiness, loss of appetite, redness and swelling at the injection site, mild fever and fussiness.  More serious side effects are extremely rare.

Inactivated Polio Virus (IPV). Commonly results in a sore spot where the shot is administered. Virtually no reported side effects.

My Experience:
I had the HepB administered at the hospital because I didn't want the off chance of some kind of hospital contamination effecting the baby.  I was a neurotic mess at the hospital.

That being said, I was unaware that many doctors only offer the combination Pediarix shot which has the DTap, HepB and Polio vaccine in one.  If I had known, I would have asked that they split it since the market does carry those vaccines separately.  Most pediatricians administer Pediarix so that the baby is only given one shot to deliver all three instead of three shots.  So, during BB's 2 month appointment, I was only given the option to split a total of 4 vaccine sets.

I had them give the Pediarix to make sure BB was protected from Whooping Cough/Pertussis, because of the epidemic, first and the Rotavirus, because rotavirus diarrhea is not uncommon and can be deadly in infants. It's also orally administered.

PCV13 and Hib can wait a month.

BB fell asleep for 30 minutes after the doctor's appointment and then he woke up with an elevated temperature, obviously didn't feel well and nursed nonstop for comfort the first day.  The second day he was much better getting fussy only in the evening as usual.  He didn't seem to feel any pain at the point of injection even when the area was touched.

2 Month Check-Up and Vaccinations

Baby Buckshot had his two month check up today.  It's the first appointment since I went back to exclusively breastfeeding (with the occasional formula bottle in case of emergency when we're out and about) so I was concerned about his weight gain and his height.  I wasn't so concerned with his head circumference because it seems proportional.

Well, our little BB is in the 90th percentile for height, 75th percentile for weight and I forget his percentile for head.  But his head is well balanced and rounded, according to the doctor.

The milestones he was looking for was the ability to socially smile, cooing and babbling, the ability to track objects and people with his eyes, and head and neck control while on his tummy. BB smiled for the doctor, had a little baby conversation with him and maintained good eye contact.  Doctor said that BB had the head an neck control of a 3-4 month old because, when placed on his stomach, he was able to get up on his arms to raise his upper body in addition to being able to lift his head and turn it side to side. He also noted that the level of eye contact BB maintains is advanced.  Hurrah!

Then, it was time for the vaccinations.  I have opted for delayed vaccinations, the explanation I'll save for another post tomorrow, and opted for only the Pediarix (DTAP, Hep B and Polio) and the oral vaccine for Rotavirus.  I delayed Hib and PCV13, adding a 3 month appointment just to administer those vaccines, as to not overwhelm his system.  If they could have split up the DTAP from Hep B and Polio, I would have done that too but it wasn't an option for us.

Now the nurse said most babies like the taste of the Rotavirus vaccine, which BB did not.  BB also likes the taste of his Vitamin D supplements, which the nurse said most babies don't like so it seems my baby has the Chris Kimball of palettes.  He cried a bit after the oral vaccine and loudly after the injected shot.

He calmed down quickly as I rocked and shushed him and once I fed him a little he fell asleep for about 30 minutes.  Then he needed to nurse nonstop for about 5 hours before he would fall asleep without needing to be attached to me.  His temperature is also running high, which I was warned about, so I gave him a dose of infant tylenol shortly after the appointment to prevent febrile seizures.

I assume he'll be fussy for the rest of the day.

Birth Story: Part 1 - Pelvic Problems, Due Dates and a Bag of Waters

At my 36 week appointment, my OB, a previously gung-ho believer in me being able to have a vaginal birth despite what looked like a narrow birth canal, started to change her tune.  She had hoped that as the weeks progressed, my pronounced pubic bone would shift or that the baby would have enough space behind my pubic bone to descend.

I went proactively looking for a solution to my skeletal problem through walking, sitting on a birthing ball daily, doing hip circles, pelvic stretches, you name it.  I googled, binged and read everything I could on spinningbabies.com.  I was determined.

By week 39, my cervix hadn't changed, my pubic bone was still in the way and my OB suggested that even if I wanted a vaginal labor, if when I went to the hospital and I had labored for a few hours without result, I should ask for a C-section.  There was no need to labor needlessly if the baby wasn't going to be able to descend; it would end in surgery anyway.

My due date, September 9, also happened to be a major work deadline for my Dear Husband, who asked that if there was anything I could do to put off labor until after September 9, he would really appreciate it.  As though I had any control over the situation.  But given that I was a first time mom, I assumed I would go over my due date by about a week.

And my due date came quietly and uneventfully.  DH went to work and came home.  We had dinner and went through our typical nightly routine.  At around 8pm, I felt a trickle of water on my leg and went to the bathroom.  Urinary incontinence?  That's odd, I've been doing my kegels.  So I hopped in an epsom bath to clean myself off and to stave off some the pregnancy swelling and felt a few more leaks. "Hmmm... maybe this isn't urine?" I thought to myself.

As I dried off from the bath, I went to DH and said, "We might need to take a trip to the hospital tonight.  I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid."

"Did you want to call ahead to the hospital?" he asked.

"I'm just going to sit down for an hour and wait and see if the fluid pools up and comes out in more of a gush before I call," I explained after placing a pad to catch the fluid, while I sat down for a game of League of Legends to wait.

An hour later, I stood up quickly and there was no gush.  "False alarm I guess," I told DH as I headed to the bathroom.  I sat on the toilet and urinated and then felt a gush of water come out in the toilet.  I wiped and checked the pad and saw tinges of pink and decided it was time to call the hospital. They confirmed I should go head into the hospital.

DH went to go load the car as I went to take another shower, do my make-up and hair and pack up some last minute items. We loaded Charlotte Bark the Corgi in the car, called my mom and went to go drop Charlotte off at her house.  By the time we got to the hospital, it was 11pm.

Gestational Diabetes: The 1 Hour Glucose Test

Before we left for the babymoon, I went had my 1 hour glucose test.  Since I live within walking distance of my OB's office and lab, she allowed me to take the glucose drink home and then come in to have my blood drawn an hour later.

So at 8am I took the drink out of the fridge and drank it in minutes.  It tasted like over-sugared orange Kool-Aid.  45 minutes later, DH and I drove to the lab and waited until the hour mark and I had my blood drawn, with a baby's needle because that's how I roll.

After my blood draw, I went to my monthly OB appointment and while the Doctor was performing the ultrasound, I started getting dizzy.  My skin broke out into a cold sweat and I almost blacked out. 10 minutes later I had recovered but for the rest of the day, I was tired and weak.

What a great way to start the babymoon!  As I was headed into get my Mommy To Be massage, I received a message from my OB's office asking for a call back.  They knew I was babymooning and just asked that I call back on Monday.  Of course, I was sure I had failed the 1 hour glucose test. This was confirmed this morning when I checked my test results on my medical records website. My results were 191 while the normal range is 70-130.  That's a huge failure.

And while I'm wallowing in this pity party, feeling like I've failed my Little One before he's even arrived, I've decided to educate myself and come up with an action plan.

What happens after failing the 1 hour glucose test?

In my case, I'll need to go to take the 3 hour test at the lab.  They'll draw my blood for a starting point, I'll drink and even more heavily sugared glucose drink and have my blood drawn every hour for 3 hours.  Based on those results, they'll diagnose whether or not I have Gestational Diabetes.

In some cases, however, if the results to the 1 hour are high enough, depending on the medical group's policy, they may just immediately move to prescribing a diet, monitoring regiment or medication to control the diabetes.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational Diabetes occurs in 18% of pregnancies.  The placenta produces hormones that inhibit the production or effectiveness of the mother's insulin resulting in high blood sugar that is absorbed by the baby. This doesn't really effect the baby until the last trimester when the baby is fully formed.  The excess sugars end up being being stored by the baby as fat.

Though having a fat little baby doesn't sound bad, it can be damaging from birth into the baby's entire life. For instance:

-Large babies can need to be induced early and/or require birth by c-section.
-In the cases of natural birth, large babies can have shoulder damage because they are too large for the birth canal.
-Newborns of mothers with Gestational Diabetes can have low blood sugar as their pancreas produces insulin to deal with the excess sugars. They may also have breathing problems.
-Babies with excess insulin may become obese adults or develop Type 2 Diabetes.


What are risk factors for Gestational Diabetes?

According to the Mayo Clinic:

• Age greater than 25. Women older than age 25 are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.
• Family or personal health history. Your risk of developing gestational diabetes increases if you have prediabetes — slightly elevated blood sugar that may be a precursor to type 2 diabetes — or if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes. You're also more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you had it during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms), or if you had an unexplained stillbirth.
• Excess weight. You're more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you're significantly overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
• Nonwhite race. For reasons that aren't clear, women who are black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

How is Gestational Diabetes treated?

 In most cases, a change in diet and increase in exercise is enough to control blood sugar levels so that it doesn't become a problem.  In more severe cases, oral medications and even injections may be necessary to address the problem.

What am I going to do?

This week, I'll be switching over to a Gestational Diabetes meal plan and increasing my daily exercise from a few times a week to 30-40 minutes daily.

Here's a sample meal plan:

Breakfast

• Two slices whole grain toast
• Two tablespoons of peanut butter
• Half a cup of 100% juice

Mid-Morning Snack

• One apple
• One cup cottage cheese

Lunch

• One cup of lentil soup (or other bean soup)
• One serving of whole grain crackers
• Two ounces of low fat cheese
• One cup baby carrots

Mid-Afternoon Snack

• 20 raw almonds
• One cup grapes

Dinner

• Six ounces of fish of choice
• One cup steamed broccoli
• One cup brown rice
• One cup reduced-fat milk

More more meal plans you can visit Love to Know Diets and Gestational Diabetes at About.com.

Update: I passed my 3 hour glucose test with no signs of Gestational Diabetes!  Hurrah!

Picking a Pediatrician When Opting for Delayed Vaccinations

My OB suggested that we start looking at pediatricians now instead of waiting until the baby arrives since I have pretty specific views about delayed and selective vaccinations.  There are apparently two in the Kaiser Medical Office near us, out of eight, that are known to do delayed vaccination.

In my mind, the most important things were the following:

-Will the doctor respect my opinion about the care of my child or will he/she belittle my views and insist on his/her own way?

-Will the doctor take the time to explain his/her position and be well educated on certain vaccines and medical procedures?

-Does the doctor have the kind of bedside manner/demeanor that would be welcoming to children?

Luckily, we're with Kaiser, so I was more focused on the quality and perspective of care rather than the logistics of how the doctor's office handles dealing with my insurance group.

Here are the questions I asked and what he answered:

Do you do delayed vaccinations? Yes.  There is a recommended schedule but delaying is up to you.  The only concern with that is the small window of time you are delaying vaccinations.

How do you handle delayed vaccinations? We can go according to whatever schedule you want.  Some parents come in with a set schedule they want to adhere to.  Others just want to limit the number of vaccinations to 1-2 per visit.  In a scenario like that, you'll go from visits at one every two months to once a month or more.

What if I don't want to vaccinate for certain things like Chicken Pox? It's totally up to you what vaccines you want to skip, however, Chicken Pox can be quite severe.  And vaccines for diseases like Chicken Pox don't hurt the immune system's ability to create a overall stronger immune system, like the common cold or flu vaccine does.

What are the medical decisions I need to make for the baby at birth? The big decisions are the Hep B vaccination and Vitamin K shot.  Hep B is only a concern in case it was missed in the mother. Vitamin K is required if you are going to circumcise but is recommended regardless.

How do you feel about circumcision? The American Academy of Pediatrics recently came out with the recommendation that male babies be circumcised to reduce risk of STD spread, like HPV.  This is of course up to you and doesn't need to be done at birth but is only covered by insurance up to one month after the baby is born.  Anything after that is out of pocket as it is considered elective surgery at that point.

What is the visit schedule after birth? You will come in to visit 3-5 days after the baby's birth to check weight and health.  If the baby is fine, the next appointment is 2 weeks later and then once every month to two months depending on how he's meeting his milestones.

What is the purpose of each visit?   Mainly to make sure the baby is meeting his weight gain requirements and later to discuss developmental milestones.

We decided on him fairly quickly.  He was a reasonably young doctor, laid back demeanor and no ego about him at all. 

If you are with an HMO or PPO, here are some additional questions you might want to ask from The Bump.

[   ] How long have you been practicing?

[   ] Do you have any sub-specialties?

[   ] What are your hours? Do you offer evenings or weekends?

[   ] Do you offer same-day sick appointments? How far in advance do well appointments need to be scheduled?

[   ] What if my baby gets sick when the office is closed? Who covers in an emergency if you aren’t on call?

[   ] Is this a solo or group practice? If it’s solo, who covers when you are gone? If it’s a group, how often will we see you, and how often will we see other members?

[   ] Do you have separate sick and well waiting rooms?

[   ] Do you respond to questions by e-mail? Do you accept calls for routine and non-emergency questions? If I leave a message, how long does it usually take you to return the call?

[   ] Will your initial meeting with my baby be at the hospital or the first checkup? What is your schedule for well baby checkups?

[  ] Will you discuss my child’s general growth and issues like discipline and social development?

[   ] What are your views on… Bottle feeding? Circumcision? Parenting techniques? Getting babies to sleep? Alternative medicine? Antibiotics? Immunizations? Childhood obesity?

[   ] What hospitals do you work with?

[   ] Do you take my insurance? Is there an extra charge for…Advice calls during the day? Advice calls after hours? Medication refills? Filling out forms? Will any other fees apply?

[   ] What are your policies for insurance claims, lab policies, payments and billing?

[   ] What tests are handled in the office, and what is done elsewhere? Where?

Colds, Flus and Other Ailments while Pregnant in the First Trimester

There is nothing more cruel than being in a weakened immune condition like pregnancy and not being able to take anything for it.

I have been battling the worst cold/flu I have experienced in over a decade.  There's head congestion, chest congestion, sneezing, coughing and a general feeling of death.

I waited a few days to see if it would pass, like most colds usually do for me, but a few days, I had gotten worse.  When I finally saw my Primary Care Provider, I was told it was a virus and that there was nothing they could prescribe, like handy antibiotics, to make it go away. 

She did mention I could take Tylenol, Robitussin (the alcohol free version) and Sudafed.  Being extra careful, I called my Labor and Delivery department and searched the internet to double check that these three medications were actually safe for someone in her first trimester.  As a result, Sudafed was out and only Tylenol and Robitussin stayed options.  And they didn't help much.

As someone who previously miscarried, I'm naturally a paranoid person and prefer natural remedies over medication anyway. 

Here are the things that did that actually did help:

Ginger Lemon Honey Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic
3 slices from a knob of ginger
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 a lemon
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1/2 a cup of filtered boiling water

 Take 3 slices of ginger and place into a mug with 1/2 cup of filtered boiling water and allow to steep for 1 minute.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the same mug. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Stir until honey is dissolved and drink quickly.  Repeat up to 3 times per day.

Neti Pot/Sinus Rinse
I used the Neilmed Sinus Rinse, though we have a Neti Pot also.  The Neilmed Sinus Rinse comes with directions.  Basically, fill the Sinus Rinse container with water up to the denoted line and microwave the bottle to disinfect and heat the water. Add the saline mix to the water and shake until dissolved. When the water has reached a comfortable temperature, place in the nasal opening and gently squeeze the saline solution into the nasal cavities while allowing the fluid to flow out through the other nostril until half the solution is gone. Repeat on the other side.

I repeated this once in the morning and once in the evening. It gave me immediate congestion relief that would last up to an hour at the beginning and half the day towards the end.

Vicks Vaporub
As a child, my mother had a magical green bottle of eucalyptus oil that was a cure all.  Headaches?  Dab some on your temples.  Stomachaches? Dab some on your stomach. Unfortunately, that miracle oil is not safe to use on pregnant women.  My mom claims that it's simply too strong to be used on pregnant women.  I think it might be that they haven't done the proper testing to prove that it's safe for us with buns in the oven.

Regardless, Vicks Vaporub, though not as strong as the green oil, acts much in the same way.  When rubbed onto the chest, it relieves some of the chest congestion.  At least it relieved enough to help me fall asleep.

Hot Towels and Heat Packs
When pregnant, heating pads are not recommended because it's easy to overheat the body which causes issues for fetal development. What helped me were hot face towels that would create a steam effect when on my face and rice based heat packs that I warmed up in the microwave and placed on my chest.


Chicken Stock Based Soups
As a child, my mother would always make Chinese chicken rice soup with ginger from scratch when anyone in the house was sick.  She made me some as soon as she heard I was sick and swore by the healing properties of fresh chicken broth and ginger.  DH, not being a Chinese mother, picked up a variety of canned chicken soup for me to choose from while I was at home.  My favorite is still Campbell's Chicken Noodle.  Either way, there's nothing more soothing that a blazing hot bowl of some chicken broth based soup while sick. It's just enough food and heat to lull me to sleep.

It took almost 2 weeks but I'm fully recovered and back in the throes of nausea and vomiting because of morning sickness instead of laying in bed, immobilized and congested.

8 Week Appointment

Last year, DH and I switched over to Kaiser Permanente from Healthnet because I was expecting to under IUI since we were approaching 2 years with no results.  After comparing benefits between the different insurance companies we found that Kaiser does unlimited IUI under our plan so we switched.

Low and behold, before the end of the year before the switch to Kaiser went into effect at the beginning of the year, we were pregnant.  No IUI needed.  But we had already switched to Kaiser.  I had not done any research about Kaiser's actual prenatal care since I was so obsessed with fertility treatments!

Kaiser doesn't schedule the first doctor's appointment before 8 weeks!  During my last pregnancy, I had already seen my doctor at 4 weeks to confirm the pregnancy and by 7 weeks had miscarried and scheduled a D&C.  A lot can happen in 8 weeks and I was extremely paranoid from my previous miscarriage.

Luckily, when I arrived at my first appointment, everything went so extremely efficiently.  Here are the highlights:

-No wait time!  My old OB/GYNs (I have been through a few because I am one of those annoying patients who will leave a practice if I don't like the doctors or staff) have always had at least a 10-15 minute wait even with an appointment.  At Kaiser, it's a well oiled machine.  I went from checking in to starting my exam in 5 minutes!

-My new OB was patient in answering questions, didn't feel rushed at all and was extremely calming.

-She also recommended that I try natural/vaginal birth.  I explained that previous doctors had suggested c-sections because of my narrow birth canal.  She explained that what is narrow now can completely change towards the end of pregnancy and that many OBs suggest c-sections in order to avoid middle of the night calls and manage their patient load.  It's easier for them to schedule c-sections than deal with the unpredictable nature of natural birth.  She, on the other hand, feels that elective c-sections are unnecessary surgeries in many modern cases.  I was thrilled to hear that.

-Turns out that the OB/GYN services at Kaiser in Orange County is ranked top in Southern California! This is an instance that I lucked out with good care without doing my prior research.

-We heard and saw the baby's heartbeat.  It was the most amazing thing ever.  I didn't get to that point in my last pregnancy so this was monumental.  My OB also told me that since there was a heartbeat, my risk of miscarriage dropped to below 10%.  I almost cried.

All and all, my first OB appointment with Kaiser was a wonderful experience and I even got baby's first picture!  This is it ya'll.  I'm baking a bun!

Note:  These posts have been delayed because we have waited to announce our pregnancy until after the first trimester.

New Doctor, Scarier Day

After my doctor fiasco and my immediate need for Clomid because I have run out of patience, I went to an interim doctor.  As in an OB/GYN that I will likely only visit once between now and when my insurance switches over to Kaiser.  She, however, voiced some of my greatest fears.

In order to diagnose why I'm not a mommy yet, she went through the gambit of questions:

Are you charting your temperature?  Yes, daily like clockwork. 

Do you know when you're ovulating? It's been fluctuating since I did some traveling the past couple of months.  Anywhere from 10 to 25 days into my cycle, I get a dip and then a temperature increase. I am using OPKs to confirm ovulation though.

Are you having intercourse during your ovulation?  Yes, one day before, the day of and the day after.

Well then I don't know why you haven't gotten pregnant.  I'm going to prescribe you Clomid and if you haven't gotten pregnant in 3 cycles, we'll have to run tests to see if there is uterine scarring or blocked tubes as a result of the miscarriage and D&C. *cue crashing sounds* Do you really think there could be damage from the D&C?

************

When I had my D&C, it was because I had started spotting and then bleeding.  The ultrasound showed based on the size of the fetus that I had miscarried 2 weeks before but my body hadn't registered it so everything remained in my uterus.  The D&C was to happen within a few days of discovering the miscarriage and I had slowly started to bleed as though it was a regular menstrual cycle.

After my D&C my doctor had noted that it seemed that I had passed all the tissue and I should have told him.  How was I supposed to know that I passed all the tissue?  I was still bleeding and he didn't tell me what to look for anyway.

He had me back in his office a couple of weeks later for a follow up where my hcg levels were still unusually high for post miscarriage bloodwork.  I was tested again a couple of weeks later and my levels went back to normal.  My doctor recommended I take a 6 month break and then come back for a check-up and then start trying again.

He retired slightly before those 6 months were up. 

 ************

Now that the interim doctor has worries of scar tissue and blocked fallopian tubes in my head, I'm worried that my D&C has rendered me permanently infertile. My heart sank and depression set in.

What if this isn't just a little detour in my journey?  What if this is the end?

Switching to Kaiser for Fertility

We've been with Healthnet for the past three years and over the past two years the premiums have doubled twice and the copays doubled once.  And as irritating as that is, when I compared their coverage with the less expensive Kaiser, they didn't include a lot of treatments that are now important to me while we are TTC.

For instance, Healthnet didn't cover acupuncture.  Kaiser does which means my $60 visits turn into $30 per visit.

Healthnet also covers only 6 cycles of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) for a lifetime while Kaiser covers outpatient IUI at no cost with no limit.

Neither, however, cover IVF. 

After 2 hours on the phone with varying answers from each company's reps, we've decided to go the Kaiser for half the price with more coverage related to fertility.

I Am Done With My Current OB/GYN Office

I have been avoiding going to my OB/GYN.  Mainly because I think they doesn't give a damn about whether or not I get pregnant as long as they get a co-pay.   It's a husband and wife team that took over the office from a kind hearted, excellent OB/GYN who had retired.  The previous doctor was excellent and I was disappointed when his practice was sold to this couple.

The last time I went to this doctor's office I had a 20 minute wait in the waiting room, then another 20 minute wait for the female doctor to come in and talk to me while I was already in the room and another 20 minutes wait between the talk and the actual exam.  It had taken so long between between the talk and the exam that one of the nurses came in convinced that my appointment was over. 

And when I told the nurse that I hadn't had my exam yet she insisted that I had.  I explained that the Doctor just asked me to disrobe and change into the flimsy paper exam clothes and I was waiting for her to return she insisted AGAIN that my exam was over.  Then she yelled to the Doctor across the hall in Vietnamese (which I understand) "Her exam is over right?"  The Doctor said "No," and finally came in 5 minutes later to perform my exam.


Then, I asked her to run some additional blood work per my Eastern Fertility Specialist's request, she said she would run all the tests on the list but when I got the results, she had only run a fraction of them. 

While I was checking out with the front desk, I heard her on the phone with her husband arguing about who should go see a patient who had been waiting the whole day to be sent home at the hospital.  The patient couldn't leave until she was seen by her OB/GYN and here the couple of doctors were arguing over the phone about how neither one could do it because they were both so busy with patients between their two offices.

I don't want to be waiting in the hospital after surgery or childbirth because my doctor can't appropriately schedule their time.

Plus, the first time I had an appointment at this office, the husband did the exam and he brought in some creepy student that was shadowing him. As if a pap smear with a male OB/GYN was uncomfortable enough, he's got a side kick and the requisite female attendant to make sure there's no funny business.  That's an audience of 3 people in my first appointment with the new doctor and they didn't even ask if it was ok for the student to be there.  Augh.

The female doctor did recommend a prescription for Clomid since I had hit the year mark and I told her I'd hold off and call her if I changed my mind. When I called today to see if she could just send the prescription to my pharmacy and I would pick it up and I'm told that she no longer works in that office and I'll need to come in for a whole new exam.  As though they can't just look at my file?!

I'm done.  I have an appointment with a new OB/GYN next week. 

My OB and his Strictness

1.  shortmom replied to your photo: Good news guys, Jamba Juice is ok! Bad news, so…

   Not to make you nervous or anything, but I think your doctor seems very old-fashioned and un-knowledgeable?! How can we convince you to go see a different one? You can jog and do yoga and fly and c-section recovery is awful (I should know)!!!

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2.  happyhealthyheidi replied to your photo: Good news guys, Jamba Juice is ok! Bad news, so…

   Your doc sounds pretty strict… There were recently two pregnant marathon runners (of half runners) featured in Runners World. I flew at around 32 weeks. They discourage it very late in pregnancy, but I’ve never heard because of radiation…

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3.  beckyc liked your photo: Good news guys, Jamba Juice is ok! Bad news, so… block
4.  hifitness replied to your photo: Good news guys, Jamba Juice is ok! Bad news, so…

   Is the no jogging just for you, or is that what’s normally recommended? I thought jogging was ok if that’s what you’re used to doing.

   block
5.  runningmyassoff replied to your photo: Good news guys, Jamba Juice is ok! Bad news, so…

   UMMM YOUR DOCTOR IS CRAZY! You can jog- some mothers have completed half marathons while pregnant. Tea tree oil for pimples. I STILL use it. Flying is ok. I flew to Iowa for my baby shower at 34 weeks and Elin is Perfect!

Lol, I found these responses pretty on par with my response at first.  I was hoping that when I went to my OB he would tell me that I was being overly cautious.  I particularly hoped that he would be able to dispell a lot of the things my mom and mother-in-law warned me against (they are both very conservative when it comes to things like this and expressed their concerns about me jogging and running and what not.)

After meeting with him, it made me feel like I was actually not being cautious enough and I feel like I’m a pretty prepared type of person! 

In regards to the radiation worry, my doctor is talking about the new airport full body scanners which emit a higher level of radiation than previous screening processes.  1 in 20 people, more often in children, have a genetic predisposition to increased cancer risk from the scanners because their ability to repair the damage is inhibited. And because the scanners are so new they don’t know about all the possible side effects.  For instance, one recent study shows that the radiation intensity is actually 20 times higher than previously estimated.

As for the jogging and the running, I think it has to do with the fact that I wasn’t consistently jogging or running for an extended period of time before I got pregnant. I was only consistently jogging starting in November and ramping up to a consistent run in December when I got pregnant.  I’m sure he would say that there’s no problem if I had been running regularly for 6 months or so but I wasn’t.  :(  It’s not really his fault I didn’t start focusing on getting fit until a month and a half before conceiving.

He did say I could do Yoga, just that I should wait until my 2nd trimester (as do all the yoga schools recommend) and that I  might not enjoy it well into my 3rd trimester.  I am glad he gave me that warning because I might have bought a 6 month prenatal yoga package that might end up with 3 months wasted. But he said I could do it as long as I wanted to after my 2nd trimester.

As for the C-section, it’s kind of personal, but given a few different factors about my anatomy down there, I completely believe that he’s correct. And he’s an excellent surgeon.  I read a quite a few reviews of patients that had c-sections performed by him that said they were up and walking within 12 hours of the surgery with virtually no scarring.

I actually really trust this doctor.  He spent a good deal of time with J and I, he comes very highly recommended both by people I know and by numerous reviews from patients on review sites. 

I do totally appreciate all of your concern though!  The feedback really means a lot.

7 Week OB Appointment

Am I really at 7 weeks?  Holy moley. Why does 9 months seem so short and so long at the same time? 

Anywho, J and I walked around Disneyland and DCA last night for about an hour after catching dinner.  Yay for getting in a long long walk.  It wasn’t a very brisk pace but at least I was able to keep it up without getting so tired I wanted to sit down.

You know, the waves of tiredness really make me wonder if I’m just being lazy. All you wonderful fitblr mommies and pregnancy books have assured me that it’s just 1st Trimester fatigue and I believe it.  It’s just when it comes and goes like that it just makes me want to power through it which is probably the opposite of what I should be doing.

Lucky for me my OB appointment is today at 4:30.  I have a slew of questions like:

1. Is jogging ok?  2 books and a few articles I’ve read recommend not jogging. But then I was jogging before I got pregnant so I should be able to sustain that level of activity right? If Jogging is not ok, is there a list of approved exercises?

2. What should I use to deal with my pimples?  I usually have pretty clear skin but the hormones can reverted me back to high school.  I read in What To Expect (my wonderful neighbor got me a copy 2 weeks ago as a surprise) that salicylic acid might be bad for the fetus if absorbed through the skin. But how else am I going to get rid of the pimples? 

3. Is my prenatal workout DVD safe?  I’m fairly certain it is but I want to make sure there aren’t any weird complications that might prevent me from using it. 

It’s funny because almost every workout DVD I’ve ever used recommends contacting a physician before starting the program and this is the first time I’m taking the warning seriously.

4. Are my prenatal vitamins I’m taking sufficient? I’m taking standard prenatals but in case I have some kind of deficiency I want to make sure.

5. When can I take Prenatal Yoga? Do I really have to wait until my 2nd trimester?  One of the Yoga schools I talked to said I would need to provide a doctor’s note if I was going to start in my first trimester.  It’s not like I’m in a huge rush, I just want to know what the real dangers are in case I want to pick up a prenatal yoga DVD.

6. How much should I be sleeping?  Do I really need to sleep when I feel tired?  Can I just try to work through it or will that be bad for the baby?

7. What classes should I be taking to prepare for childbirth?  Recommendations for Lamaze and related classes?

8. What are my birthing options at the hospital?  Are there private rooms, birthing rooms, etc?

9. Can I really not have unpasteurized juices?  That’s got to be just something ridiculously over cautious right?  Jamba Juice can’t possibly be off limits!

10. What effect does early exposure to lidocaine have on the fetus? I had some dental work done before I knew I was pregnant, which included lidocaine (6% over the course of 3 visits, I specifically asked my dentist right after I found out I was pregnant because I was so freaked out).

11. Is there a checklist or calendar of items that I should be focused on accomplishing during each month?  I’m currently using the one on The Bump but I figure one from my OB is better.

12. What is better, natural birth or c-section?  There is just so much information out there on this and I originally thought c-section would be the way to go but after reading about how long the recovery is, plus I want to breast feed which means I won’t be able to take pain killers after the surgery, I just don’t know.

13. How much is the birth going to cost? I know the insurance will cover most of it but I’m making our 2011 budget now that we know a baby will be involved and this is a big ticket item.

14. Can I fly during each trimester?  We’re considering a babymoon, my friends are getting married in May in New Orleans, etc.  I need to know what kind of travel plans I can make during each trimester.

That’s all I have for right now.  Am I missing anything you would ask?