I had the baby!

Wow! It has been over a month since I have written. So much has happened. I guess I will break it down in sections....

1. YES I HAD THE BABY! He is wonderful. We named him Tytus Shae. He is beautiful and very well mannered. He sleeps well and hardly fusses, thank goodness, since we live in a camper right now! I'll share his birth story with you.

Those of you who know me know that I do not like hospitals or really care for doctor's care. Shae and I have had some very bad experiences in hospitals and just prefer not to go near them. I had my first two children in hospitals, the first at a teaching Navy hospital in San Diego, and the next child in Key West. It was in 94' and there was the Haitian Crisis and scores of boat people were landing on the beaches of Key West. They were quarantined in the local hospital. I went into labor but there was no room for me in the hospital. They put me in a back room where brooms and mops were! Hanna always said she was like Jesus, no room in the inn! Well, there are many more stories of why I do not like to go to hospitals, that I will not bore you with. I had my next three children at home with a state certified midwife. Her name is Lori Link and she works out of Mt Vernon Missouri. She is incredible. My 3rd child weighed 10 pounds and I delivered her naturally at home! Yikes! That was a tough one. I am so glad I had her at home, though. I will tell that whole story another time. My 4th child was a beautiful birth at home. My 5th child was a little tougher than the 4th, but still great at home. No hospital for me, no way! Epidurals, no way! So, when family heard I was having this baby at a hospital, they thought I had gone off the deep end! Sheri in a hospital, what has happened to her? Most family was thrilled I was not having this one at home, but thought it curious and wondered what made me change my mind on home birth. If you have read my earlier posts, you know I possibly had Pregnancy Induced Asthma. I don't know for sure that was it, but the doctor thinks that is what it probably was. I had such a hard pregnancy. It was my hardest. I had two horrible asthma/bronchitis attacks that lasted weeks. After the horrible cough went away, I still couldn't get my breath. It wasn't just the weight of the baby, it was up higher in my chest. I would get a lot of phlegm and have to clear my throat a lot. We decided to go ahead and come back to the Springfield Missouri area, where we are from, to have the baby. We are comfortable here, know the people, and had lots of paperwork and sorting to do anyways. We came back and got settled in with Dr. Brown and Cox Monett Hospital in Monett Missouri. We had to drive 1hr and 20 minutes to the hospital for every appointment. I could not have the baby at a big, unloving, cold hospital. We checked out Monett hospital. I remember walking into it the first time. I was by myself. I just kept thinking, I can't do this, I can not do this! It was so white, unwelcoming, just yuck! I made myself go to the 3rd floor to check out the OB ward. It was nice. The rooms were pretty good. There is a bathtub in each room, with jets, to labor in. You can't deliver in it, though. The equipment was hidden in big brown cabinets. There was a TV with cable. I would labor, deliver, and recover in the same room. The nurses seemed nice enough. I thought, maybe I can do it. I am going to publish this post now, and will write more in the next.....

Doctor has negative report...

4-21-09
I feel like things are spiraling out of control. This is why I don’t like to go to doctors, yet I have to listen to them for the sake of my baby.
I usually do home birth. I have a state certified midwife who has been wonderful in the delivery of three of my children. But, this pregnancy has not been normal. I had two really bad bouts of bronchitis this past winter. My lungs still aren’t totally clear. I am out of breath and don’t have a lot of energy. I felt like I needed to have baby in the hospital. I was thinking that if I was too tired to go through labor that an epidural would help me out. So, I went to see a doctor. She actually did a home birth for her own child. I hoped she would be more understanding ….well…. I don’t know if she is more natural thinking or not. I saw her last Tuesday. She ordered all sorts of tests because she was concerned about the health of the baby. I had an ultrasound and heart rate test, oxygen in my blood test, and chest x-rays. Baby was great and the chest x-rays were clear. She was concerned that maybe I had a fungal infection in my lungs, asthma, an enlarged heart, or left over gunk from bronchitis.
I went back yesterday to see the doctor. She was upset because I hadn’t used the inhaler she had prescribed. It was for asthma. I looked it up on line and the side effects are bad! I didn’t want to start using it unless we had ruled out the other problems first. Why expose myself and baby to potentially more harm if not necessary. Of course, then she pulled out the scare tactics. I don’t want to be in denial or naïve and I want to have a level of trust with her. So, I listen to her, but think for myself. Shae and I have had too many problems with doctors and hospitals to just blindly go to a doctor and do whatever they say. Well, doctors tend to not like it when the patient actually thinks for themselves and double checks the doctor’s orders. She said baby has a better chance of still birth since she thinks I have asthma. She wants to do weekly testing on baby as well as another ultrasound on his kidney’s today. Come to find out, the radiologist reviewed the ultrasound and put in his notes that “I” have enlarged kidneys. The doctor said that is normal for a pregnant woman. I told her that the ultrasound tech never checked my kidneys. So, the doctor thinks the radiologist made a typo and meant the baby has enlarged kidneys. I asked if she could verify with the radiologist. She said no. So, because some radiologist “may” have made a typo, I have to go to another hospital today to have a special ultrasound done to make sure baby is ok. I would love to say no. It seems like the radiologist who made the possible typo should have to clarify what he meant, me or baby. But, the doctor said that he can’t so I just have to go spend my money and time to have some special ultrasound done. This is why I hate going to doctors. It is so ridiculous. But, because I love this little baby, I am going. I care more about him than my time or money. I am sure he will be fine, even the doctor said she thinks it is nothing. She said that their ultrasound equipment is like a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. This ultrasound place I’m going to is a 7 on that same scale.
The doctor does think it could be asthma. I have a really hard time believing that. I started the inhaler yesterday. I will do it for baby’s sake and then after I have him I will stop taking it. I think I will perk up after the birth and I get more exercise.
I will let you know!
Sheri

Cereal Cannon and Doctor in Missouri

4-3-09 It sure has been busy! The kids had a great time at my mom’s. They have a potato cannon that they put cereal and marshmallows in and shoot. They go above our heads and land on the ground. We joked that our kids eat their breakfast shot out of a gun, off the ground, when they visit grandma. I’ll get some pictures today. The weather here is horrible! Brrr.... It is so cold! We still haven’t found somewhere to stay for a couple months. I know the Lord has the right place. We haven’t found a van, yet. We are on a huge budget but need something that will get us around the country! I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get a trailer to pull behind it or not. I hope so, but I did give it all to the Lord. It is in His hands. I am hoping I don’t have to go sort our stuff in our neighbor’s cow pasture. Our storage trailer is down with Jonny the Bull! Can you see me running from a bull at 8 1/2 months pregnant! We might have to though. I’ll bring my gun, maybe we’ll have fresh beef! Just kidding. Anyways, I went to my midwife, Lori Link. She is just the best. She is so much more than a midwife, I feel like she is my closest friend (after Shae of course) and like a mother. She truly cares about me. I am going to go to the Dr. this time and not do home birth. I am still having issues breathing and am concerned if I will have the energy to have baby with out a little help, like an epidural. Most of you that know me know that I don’t like them and can’t stand hospitals. So, this is a big leap for me. I haven’t gone to the Dr. yet, but I have seen her before. She is very nice. I’ll let you know what happens. Off to do taxes today. I can’t find some of the information still, so hopefully my internet connection will start working and I can get it! We have to leave early, so Centurytel better get it’s hynie in gear! Have a great day! Sheri