Baby Contingency Plans

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Moved from a population of 2 mill to a town of 6 thousand plus. I still commute to the city but if things break we will be somewhat isolated.

If things break badly who the hell knows.

Our baby is due January 9th. I can't express the anxiety. We've prepped as much as we can. The hospital claims they'll be OK. We've been reduced to hoping.

If anybody in the Poulsbo WA area knows of midwives, please contact me.

We're in need of a baby contingency plan.

thanks.

-- Fractal (bobalex@silverlink.net), November 21, 1999

Answers

Get in contact with the local La Leche League members there. They will know all the good pre- and post-natal staff in the area, and are a fabulous source of parenting information. Check out the La Leche League home page at www.lalecheleague.org to find local contacts. Breastfeeding is not always automatically easy for you and your baby, and I can't stress how important it is to be guided by women who are successful nursing mothers.

It's hard to be pregnant and have all this stress added on top. Be as kind and nurturing to yourself as you can. You'll find out soon enough that all of parenting is contingency plans, and things never work out quite the way we planned them to be with our children anyway.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), November 21, 1999.


Amazon had some pretty good books on emergency childbirth. One is "Heart and Hands" by Elizabeth Davis, and the other is "Emergency Childbirth" by White. The first is most instructive, the second is more like you can have it in one hand while you are actually there...now do this, now do this, rotate, etc.

Our daughter is expecting #2 in early Feb. Other daughter MUST travel from Indianapolis to her new base in Colorado on Jan 5. With a two year old, husband, and two cars.

joy.

-- Mary (CAgdma@home.com), November 21, 1999.


Fractal,

I'm going to suggest an unusual "insurance" program for you:

Don't underestimate the ability of the mind to learn terrific amounts under stress, if the stress is controlled. Keep cool, steel yourselves and resolve to find out everything you can through the net, libraries (especially medical libraries, etc.), your doctor, nurses, midwives, etc. about this area. Drive your doctor crazy with questions, even offer to pay him (her) for his time. Study for long hours, very hard; whatever it takes given your time limitations. And make sure you have some basic supplies on hand; whatever you can get. And consider involving other family members if you feel it would be appropriate.

In no way do I recommend a do-it-yourself approach unless all other avenues are absolutely closed off to you. But it's better than no approach at all, and some knowledge, textbooks and supplies should help you to rest easier.

And good luck; I really feel for you.

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 21, 1999.


Fractal: see my answer to you on "Has Anyone Bugged Out?" by Ynott. BTW, any complications? first child? second? third?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), November 21, 1999.

Fractal --

Ms. Big Dog is a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) who does both home and hospital birth. We're only 2,500 miles away. Email me and tell me precisely where your location is in Washington -- she'll be able to find someone for you.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), November 21, 1999.



No complications so far. It's going to be her first. I've got two daughters from a previous. I've been in the room as "coach" but not as "the delivery guy."

That's why I thought about midwives.

This is such a strange time. She's at her sister's for a baby shower and I'm home doing that Y2K thang. It could all go to hell tomorrow and we're ready 'cept for delivering the new little person @ home.

I'm so glad I found the forum. Out of everyone we know we've only been able to get one hip to preparing for the possibilities. The forum is one of our only links to a world where there are other people who prepare in the face of ridicule or apathy. It would be nice if we knew somebody in our neck of the woods.

Thanks for your support and information.

-- Fractal (bobalex@silverlink.net), November 21, 1999.


Town of 6,000 huh? Toddle down to the fire station and have a chat with the chief. I suspect that you will find that if they are that size, there will be at least a couple medics who have "cotched a couple" themselves. These guys/gals will be able to help you find the midwife BigDog points you to, and maybe be able to point you to one or two they know better. Who knows, one of them might BE a midwife.

Besides they will be more steeped in the emergent intervention thing so they will be able to help whichever midwife you find.

Chuck (no i never caught one in the squad but I was THAT close once [they never got off the ER cot])

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), November 21, 1999.


Mazeltov, Fractel. Enjoy.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), November 22, 1999.

Eh, birthin' them babies is easy! It's the momma who has the hard part. I always love it when people say "Dr. So and So delivered her baby"....nope, SHE delivered that baby! If it is done right, you basically get to check the progress every now and then (being as non- invasive as possible), put counter-pressure on the head as it is being delivered (while massaging the perineum to keep it pink and keep it from tearing...), check to make sure the cord isn't around the baby's neck, maybe suction the nose and mouth if you get a chance at this point, rotate that shoulder, and VIOLA! BABY!

FWIW, I gave birth to a 9 pound baby girl after 26 hours of labor, with no drugs whatsoever, and in an Army hospital. They (dr and resident) didn't figure I would get her out normally so they had the OR set up for a C-section and decided to get some fried chicken for lunch and enjoy a college football game on the TV in the hall while they gave me a few more minutes to push. BOY were they surprised! The dr had time to drop his drumstick (I saw him do this as I was being wheeled to the delivery room with a head betw my legs), scrub QUICKLY and CATCH my daughter! That was almost 5 years ago!

THEN comes the hard part! (Taking care of it!) WHEW! Speaking of, got to get the little one up from her nap.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), November 22, 1999.


Why not have labor induced 2 weeks early (in 1999)? If my (RGI) wife was pregnant with that due date, that's exactly what we'd do.

www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), November 22, 1999.



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