30-5-2008 - Dr. Horror Story or Dr. Jerk

My mood while writing this blog: irked

***This is a note I wrote to my midwife.

Thank you for providing me with the information about the odor. I am ordering some probiotics this upcoming Monday. I researched information about the side effects of the infection and felt like I needed to go to the doctor to make sure the baby is okay. The doctor determined, after a culture was taken, that I, indeed, had bacterial vaginosis, which wasn't a surprise since you'd already told me that and I felt certain that that is what it was. Thank you again for telling me because I had to tell the doctor what I thought it was. He may not have known otherwise (just kidding) (yes, I believe many doctors are just that incompetent. After all, that's why I didn't have a baby last year. I told the doctors what I thought and they ran with it instead of checking for pregnancy knowing I had missed almost two months' periods.) By the way, he prescribed the same medicine that was on that information you sent to me.

Aside from updating you on how that situation has been resolved, I am letting you know how the doctor's visit went. Urgh!

First, the staff at this location was much friendlier. The doctor I have seen has two locations. Anyway, when I saw the doctor, he first asked me how I was doing. Then, he went right into the midwife aspect. Urgh! He asked about what my plans are if I have a breech. I explained that we have talked to you about it, and that you said it would be our choice if we know in advance, and I told him that my husband and I have not sat down since talking with you to discuss what we would do. He went into all the fear tactics.

After that, he repeatedly said "first time mothers" and then added some other fear tactic. He majored on c-sections. He asked me about what I will do if my pelvis is too small. I've already made comments to you about that, but this is what I told him--"I'll ask her about that." He was coming up with anything he could to get me to switch and keep returning to him.

Why does he need the money so badly? Why is he in such a sweat to get me to have a c-section?

He asked me about his being my backup doctor. Well, he didn't really ask. He said that he would talk to his board about it because he wasn't sure if that was possible because of legal responsibility issues. He'd let me know. Now, I'm smiling and nodding my head but thinking What? This is absurd. Backup doctor? If something happens while I'm giving birth that is bad enough for you to order a transport, we have 30 minutes to get the the hospital, and whoever is on call at that time is going to be the backup doctor because I won't be able to wait for him to get there. I think that what he meant is can he deliver my baby if we know it is breech. Well, again, if he decides that he cannot deliver a breech baby, even with a c-section, because he hasn't seen me the whole time, well, I guess I'll have to get you to deliver it or rush to the emergency room. Now, isn't the outcome the same! You'll still be delivering the baby! Gee, thanks, doc, for telling me all these horror fear tactics and then saying that even if something happens you might not be there!

He asked, also, about when you want me to have another sonogram. I told him 28 weeks because of the placenta. He asked why you were considering that. I told him that if it's low-lying, you'd have to consider it. He said he understood. To conclude our visit, he told me he'd like to see me back in 6 weeks (approximately 27 weeks 6 days pregnant for me) for the sonogram and to be sure the infection has cleared up.

I agreed to do the sonogram there in spite of himself. I hope you aren't mad at me for that, but I had thought about doing it there instead of with the nurse practitioner simply for convenience. It might be difficult to coordinate a sonogram with the nurse practictioner and have a time when I could see you the same day, especially since you could possibly have to deliver a baby that day and have to cancel our appointment. So, anyway, the doctor said that he wants me to carry the results back to you so that you will have them, which is one of the two positive, supportive things he said to me. My sonogram appointment is July 10, Thursday. Can you and I make an appointment now for Friday, July 11?

The other positive, supportive thing he said to me is that he will send my records over today to Woman's Hospital so that they will be on file in case we have to go there, which is ideal for home births anyway.

By the way, he listened to the baby's heartbeat, and I asked him what the rate is (he didn't even volunteer that. What mother wouldn't want to know?) The baby's heartrate is 148 today, and my blood pressure was 96/61, and I weighed in this afternoon at 149. The nurse said, "You haven't made the big leap." Apparently, some women must make a tremendous leap from 9 weeks to 22 weeks. I weighed 137 when I first went there. I am still able to wear a couple pairs of pants, and I can wear some with a belly band. I'm carrying very, very low.

I went to the chiropractor yesterday, and I was 1 1/2 inches out of kilter in my pelvis, meaning that one side of me was 1 1/2 inches higher than the other side, which is why I was having such tailbone pain. He also adjusted me for neck pain and back pain. He said that my neck is really stiff. I will go again on Monday.

Interestingly, the chiropractor reported that his wife is 20 weeks pregnant. For some reason, I told him that I'm using a midwife, and his head shot up. He said that he and his wife searched and searched for a midwife but couldn't find any information. I actually finished his sentence for him. I told him about you and I told him that there is one other midwife in Kosciusko that I know of in Mississippi. He asked for your information. I will provide it to him on Monday. He also offhandedly mentioned, "You must be having a girl. My wife carried just like you with our daughter, and now, we're having a son, and he is way up here (pointing to the bottom of his chest)."

P. S. I had to ask the doctor what my problem was before he told me. He just handed me the prescription and continued on with the horror stories.