Pregnancy Today

[RC]

Now that you mention it BigJon, you reminded me of a small bit of advice that will come in very handy; buy a donut, (not the frosted, pudding filled kind). I recall nursing, rather, attempting to nurse, my daughter the day after returning from the hospital. I had a beautiful rocking chair but couldn't sit comfortably.

Gee- start a list would ya. I'm thinking of lots of little things I wished I'd had at the time.

[mmichaelson]

I'm starting to think I should start a list. . .and we've got two and a half more years yet!!

[piqaboo]

List duly started, some weeks hence.
Gets lots of additions, thanks to y'all.
I much appreciate the practical advice!
(and as the "last minute shopper designate", I'm thinking OT does too!)

[OperaTenor]

I do appreciate the advice as well!

Especially the memory recollection, *igJon. Fortunately, there are several wonderful memories, and one photo to go with in particular, that will be easy to recall. I'll most definitely pick one.(That is, if Piq thinks it's a good idea. )

[piqaboo]

Originally posted by Selma in San Diego:
So, Operaboo, how went the hospital tour? Which hospital?

Scripps Memorial.
Mixed reviews.
A) Dr on call will do delivery. Dr's in rotation not limited, as we thought, to the three in "our" OB's practice, but include additional 5 from clinic next door. We were told it would be "impossible" for us to meet them all. Stupid answer. Of course its possible - it may just cost $$.
B) A) matters especially because every special request we asked about we were told to discuss with "our" Dr, who has a 1/8 chance of being the attending.
C) Tour guide could not answer a lot of Q's about hospital policy - we'll figure out who to call and we'll get answers next week.
D) Ya get to stay in one room for labor, delivery and one hour post-delivery. Thats a good thing. The room is nice one, has shower in it, futon for partner, etc. (cool toys for when the nurse is out of the room and cant slap your hand for playing with them, like dimmer switches).
E) Room not set up for "gravity assisted" birth. That contradicts everything we've read from publishers in 3 countries (UK, USA, Canada). They definitely want an "on your back" delivery. Yuck.
Nothing to hold onto if kneeling, which would be nice to have. And which might be really helpful in case of a light epidural (hang off it by hooking arms over it, perhaps).
F) Saw two newborns in nursery (thru the windows) and their very very happy and awestruck dads. Very wonderful. One baby was nearly 10lbs. I'm hoping for a 20% smaller delivery, personally!

Scary note - lamaze(?) 3rd stage patterned breathing - "unlikely you will need it, most women have epidurals before they get this far".

[RC]

Your stories bring it all back.

OT, first birth, my husband didn't faint...quite. The nurse on hand caught the look on his pale face and quietly ushered him out of the room and into a chair. That was before our baby even crowned. Just the stress of becoming a father, worrying about wife and baby, etc... was enough to put him out of commission for a couple of hours.

The IV, in my case, was not inserted until labor was well in progress and after I'd resigned myself to the task at hand and given up on showers, walking, etc...

I didn't think of food during either labor.
We stopped at McDonalds on the way to the hospital for our second baby. Labor with that one was sporadic, we were killing time, entertaining our daughter, and trying to get me back into a good labor rythm by beeing on my feet instead of in the car. I didnt eat.
I never had "morning sickness" but labor made me extremely nauseous. I barfed the ice chips. The IV was very important for hydration.

I really tried to adhere to my instruction in breathing etc... and it was an excellent focal point if nothing else.

[monkeymd2b]

You DON'T want your baby to get the hep B vaccine?!? Please tell me you will have your baby vaccinated for all other diseases. I guess the childhood hep B isn't as vital as the others (afterall we made it through childhood without it right? At least most of us did) but there's a reason why those other diseases are rarely seen in this country these days - vaccines! Look at stats in other countries that aren't as lucky to have vaccines. that's all I'll say about that. By the way, they also give the baby the vitamin K shot and unless you want your baby to have bleeding problems in the next few days-weeks after delivery, allow them to give that shot. Hey, let's introduce another fun topic to debate - to circumsize or not. I have no strong feelings one way or another and will let my patients make that choice after giving them a sheet on the benefits and risks of either choice (informed consent). I don't even know if I would circumsize my own child - I think it will be one of those "I'll make the choice when the situation presents itself" decisions because I'm not convinced yet by either stance.

[monkeymd2b]

Oh and how well you can walk with an IV pole depends entirely on how functional the wheels on that pole are. I'm surprised that the hospital has carpet on the labor and delivery floor. I guess most of those patients break their water bag before heading out on the carpet. Or do they change the carpet frequently?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Re the hepatitis B decision: HepB is serious. It's viral. It's preventable.

I checked the CDC site, according to them about 30% of infected individuals are non-symptomatic. And we travel, we have a tourist industry, we're not far from the border. Chances of exposure are probably not slight.

Ed comment: do you know that pediatricians no longer know enough to diagnose mumps with a pickle? Unless their grandmothers tell them, of course. Some of them have never seen what used to be common childhood diseases. This is a good thing.

(mmd, did you know you diagnose mumps with a pickle? Or lemon, that also works.)

<small>[ 07-04-2004, 12:38 PM: Message edited by: Selma in San Diego ]</small>

[monkeymd2b]

Nope! How exactly does that work? All I know about mumps is that the angle of the jaw is lost and that older guys can get mumps orchiditis and lose their fertility. Our books now say things like "thanks to vaccines," "thanks to medical treatment," etc "this disease is rarely seen when they talk about a variety of diseases. One vaccine that has done lots is the HiB vaccine. It used to kill many kids in the form of meningitis, epiglottitis, and a few other -itis' that I can't pull out of my vacationing mind. Dinner time

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by monkeymd2b:
Nope! How exactly does that work?

You give the kid a pickle, or lemon, or glass of lemonade. The kid bites, or drinks, the acidic food. The kid goes "OW" (approximately), throws the pickle at the evil pickle-giver, and puts his hands over the salivary glands at the sides of the neck; from just under the ears and including the points of the jaw. The kid cries, and glares at the evil pickle-giver until provided with apple juice or sweetened iced tea.

The pain response and neck-holding diagnoses mumps. At this point you call the school, then playmates, and then the pediatrician and report a case of mumps. Give the kid some tylenol and don't plan on serving orange juice for breakfast for a couple of weeks. Get his father and older brothers revaccinated.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

The textbooks say "thanks to vaccines", eh? That's nice, but not too informative.

I had mumps. Also measles, chickenpox, German measles. We had the first puppyshot vaccines when I was a kid, so I missed out on diptheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (although one boy on my block had pertussis, coughed out chunks of lungs, ended up a permanent invalid). I remember standing in line for the Salk polio vaccine, predawn, the first day it was available at the county hospital. One family ahead of us; the CD chief of staff for the county hospital. Right behind us, CD chief of staff for St. Bernadines. There were state Public Health staff doing the shots, as demand was so high that no serum was being released to anyone else.

Isn't it nice that now the textbooks only say "thanks to vaccines" and leave it at that?

[haggis]

Piq,

"They definitely want an "on your back" delivery"

The ugly secret to the global L&D business is that everything in the L&D room, including procedures, equipment and policies is for the convenience of the L&D staff; mainly the doctors, but for the rest of the staff included. It seems the theory for that has always been that you’re going to be there a few times in your life and the staff is going to be there every day.

Ugly but true, the mean redheaded Yankee nurse (or QDBFH) confirms that by sniffing at the question and muttering “amateurs” under her breath and walks away.

MonkeyMD,

You’re complaining about “Whoppers”? My wife was content if she could just keep them from shooting up, taking a hit or doing a line IN the hospital before being wheeled into the Delivery room!! Keeping them from eating was a bonus!

OT:

” Okay, I'm afraid. Especially since I'm the hand-holder.”

The QDBFH seldom repeats unwanted advice since she knows its worth exactly as much as it cost, so, when I was mentioning this to her she repeated her advice about not letting Piq hold more than three fingers. I’d take that advice as pretty much gospel!!!

Vaccines are so critical to the overall health of our citizens; I can’t still believe it’s a subject of debate in the U.S.

Look up the levels of Pertussis (“Whooping Cough”) in England and Europe where pre-school vaccines aren’t mandatory and you will (should) be shocked.

I’m old enough to remember the “quiet days” of summer in the early 50’s when kids were kept inside to avoid the potential of catching Polio. I can remember being scared at my Mother’s overwhelming joy when the first Polio vaccine was available – I stood in line for two hours to get jabbed with a needle, I didn’t think that rated an “overwhelming joy.”

I didn't know any kids that had Polio, but my parents both did.

[barfle]

My mother tells me I had polio as a kid, but if she's right it was certainly a very, very mild case of it.

I remember getting all the shots (Salk vaccine), as well as the sugar cubes (Sabin vaccine).

I had mumps, probably when I was in the second or third grade, but I remember having my neck feel like it was a basketball.

I'm pretty much an advocate of vaccines. Even at my advanced stages of adolescence, I get flu shots and tetanus shots.

[analog]

sincere best wishes.
i am happy for all three of you.

<small>[ 07-08-2004, 11:04 PM: Message edited by: analog ]</small>

[haggis]

Vaccinations

Me, Selma, Barfle and most probably Shostakovich can remember the earlier Salk and Sabin vaccinations, among others but Mumps and Measles were considered “childhood diseases” and accepted as part of growing up - or not growing up, if you had one of the nastier strains of either. I remember when the school closed because of a Whooping Cough epidemic.

Can you believe that there are STLL people in the UK, and probably the U.S., who believe that the chance of catching Pertussis is still more acceptable than the risk of complications from the vaccination? Unconscionable!!

Since I was in the military and traveled to all the lovely garden spots of the world, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, South East, South West and North East and other forgettable places on the Indian Ocean, Pakistan, and a few that I really HAVE forgotten, I have probably had more that my share of vaccines. (Note to self, why didn’t the U.S. Military ever invade Bermuda???)

Some of those vaccines include:

Hepatitis “A” and “B” and I DON’T miss those damn gamma globulin shots!!!
Rabies
Yellow Fever
Cholera
Diphtheria
Meningitis (that hurt)
Anthrax (During “Desert Storm,” I never understood the controversy over that, other than an overwhelming urge to drop to all fours and begin grazing the grass, I was fine)

As well as re-occurring inoculations for:

Typhoid, (that REALLLLLY hurts!!!)
Tetanus, and (looking over my shot record)
ISG?
IPPD?
TD?

What the hell are those??? And why didn’t they write them out in English so I’d understand them??

Final testing of a Hepatitis “C” vaccine began last year and will probably be available in the next few years so I’ll probably have to get that one as well; it’s sad that I have to know things like that !!!

[piqaboo]

I am a firm advocate of vaccines.
The Altoid will get her fair share of jabs.
My reservations are specific: HepB seems unnecessary for a 48hour old infant.

HepB is viral, its nasty, and its transmitted via bodily fluids, primarily blood, not thru food or casual contact. I've been vaccinated for it,so she wont get it in her breakfast. When she's older, especially if travel is in our plans, Altoid will probably have the same fun, along with HepA which I'll get one of these days, and HepC which I'll get when it comes along (a perq of my work since I develop diagnostic/screening assays for such lovelies as HIV, HepB, WNV, etc, and we work with lots of blood with lots of nasties).

However, her risk of exposure to HepB as an infant is very low, the vaccine is new, and I simply am unconvinced of the benefit at that age for that target. The infant vaccine is administered in the same timeframe in which she's drinking colostrum to get some immunity borrowed from me. Contradictory timing.

I will have to chat with both pediatricians about this, (the one that clears her to leave hospital, and the one she'll be seeing after that, who doesnt have privileges at this hospital. sigh).
And I will review current immunology texts - I think there is a more effective time to administer the vaccine, but want to confirm before making final decision.


Airborne / aerosol / water / food / fecal / pox transmitted nasties (pertussis, polio, HepA, mumps, measles, etc) are other cans of worms. Exposure to those is environmental. All jabs will be given.

What a lovely lot of discussion this generated! Thanks all for the info and opinions.


Re the three-finger rule - sounds like wisdom - my thanks to the mrhyn (who doesnt look mean in the photos). We were also showed how to cross two fingers to minimize risk that I'd bruise/break one of OTs in the crunch.

5 weeks and counting......

[piqaboo]

Class last night - instructor appreciated the hints re only 3 fingers, and crossing those three fingers. She tested it and gave it a 2-thumbs up.

Kudos to the mrhyn et al.

She also noted wisdom of removing wedding ring prior to having hands crushed.

[OperaTenor]

We also watched a short video on breast feeding. Upon conclusion, the instructor asked for any questions or comments. I told her I thought the video was a real let down.....




She was only somewhat amused....

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
... the video was a real let down...

:D Well, I appreciate it.

Maybe the instructor was remembering pushing a toddler in the cart at grocery store, hearing somebody else's new baby cry, going "OW!", crossing arms across the dairy equipment, and regretting the whole wretched conditioned response thing.