I'm thoroughly unimpressed and more than a little angry.
Simon & I have just been to the hospital for a consultant appointment. From what the midwife said I understood that the appointment was to arrange a monitoring plan for if I go more than 12 days over the scan due date. To a certain extent it was, but it was more a scaremongering and arrogance offensive. Her face was incredulous and disdainful the whole time that I was giving reasons why I didn't want to be induced. When I asked her why only 4% of babies were born on their scan due date and queried the research stating that a first time mother's gestation period is usually longer than 40 weeks she, very thoughtfully, explained to me that the baby was ready to come, but wouldn't because it was because my body that wasn't primed for birth as I hadn't done it before. This is why I need to be induced, because nature has it wrong.
WHAT??
How the hell has the human race coped so far if first time mothers bodies aren't primed for birth? How did people ever give birth before the advent of modern medicine? I CANNOT BELIEVE THE AUDACITY!!
Her use of language was appalling, in that at no point did she say I had a choice in the matter; I had to make her aware that I knew this and only then did she begrudgingly agree with me. Turns out she wasn't even a consultant, but a registrar!! I pointed out that if I was induced I wouldn't be able to give birth at home, which is what I want. To this she replied, "well if we induce you you'll have to be in hospital for us to deliver you anyway".
WHO'S DELIVERING THE BABY???
Unless it's a c-section then I assume it'll be me delivering, thanks very much.
How cared for and reassured I felt by this woman.
The funny thing is that if I'd agreed to have the induction date booked for 5th September and not gone, they couldn't have done a thing about it & I wouldn't be going through all this crap right now. I sort of wish I hadn't agreed to the monitoring because I can feel myself getting more stressed out about it which is exactly what I wanted to avoid by having a home birth and isn't going to help natural labour in the slightest. At least I don't have to go back to hospital until 4th September now.
Why are medicals so ignorant and disrespectful of people's choices?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
She also swept my membranes...that was pleasant.
On a more positive note, I dearly love the site homebirth.org.uk. It is a wonderful reminder that people give birth at home every day and that many of them are more than 42 weeks pregnant when they do so. The page about being "overdue" is inspiring and makes me feel better about this morning's debacle.
Is it any wonder that people see pregnancy as an illness with health professionals like that around?! It has to be the most natural thing in the world, and ultimately it's what our bodies are designed to do.
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