07-01-2008, 07:51 AM
Carolann, I wondered if I was the only one not having much luck on this side.
My opinion about midwife birthing is there should be a back-up plan. My stepdaughter, for example, in California, was having a midwife-attended birth, but the baby was breech and in distress, so she had to go to the hospital, and had to have a Caesarian. She very much wanted an all natural birth but nature arranged otherwise.
If you do end up at the hospital, it is far better to have a relationship in place with a doctor than to arrive and be tended by on call. I know, my first son I wanted to have at home, and did exactly that, ended up at hospital and was not treated nicely because I had no OB-gyn.
maggie, you should also know that in cases where there is a problem here, like premature birth or other pregnancy complications, they send you to Kapiolani on Oahu. We all hope that doesn't happen, but just be aware there is no preemie care or NICU on this island. The whole state is handled by Kapiolani Women and Children's hospital.
My daughter-in-law was medivaced to Kapiolani, where they hospitalized here for SIX WEEKS trying to keep the baby inside as long as possible. Then my grandson was in the NICU for four more months. It was very difficult for our family as we are far from rich, and no one could afford to stay on Oahu, my son needed to work ... oh, and his employer here fired him for going to Oahu for one of his son's first surgeries because they wouldn't give him approved time off.
With such a lovely system here, a lot of incentive to take very good care of yourself when pregnant and make sure the birthing goes smoothly, because if you are far from town and things turn difficult and that creates problems -- off you will go to Oahu.
They CAN do a C-section here, but they cannot handle serious complications.
I realize no one wants to think complications could happen to oneself.
My opinion about midwife birthing is there should be a back-up plan. My stepdaughter, for example, in California, was having a midwife-attended birth, but the baby was breech and in distress, so she had to go to the hospital, and had to have a Caesarian. She very much wanted an all natural birth but nature arranged otherwise.
If you do end up at the hospital, it is far better to have a relationship in place with a doctor than to arrive and be tended by on call. I know, my first son I wanted to have at home, and did exactly that, ended up at hospital and was not treated nicely because I had no OB-gyn.
maggie, you should also know that in cases where there is a problem here, like premature birth or other pregnancy complications, they send you to Kapiolani on Oahu. We all hope that doesn't happen, but just be aware there is no preemie care or NICU on this island. The whole state is handled by Kapiolani Women and Children's hospital.
My daughter-in-law was medivaced to Kapiolani, where they hospitalized here for SIX WEEKS trying to keep the baby inside as long as possible. Then my grandson was in the NICU for four more months. It was very difficult for our family as we are far from rich, and no one could afford to stay on Oahu, my son needed to work ... oh, and his employer here fired him for going to Oahu for one of his son's first surgeries because they wouldn't give him approved time off.
With such a lovely system here, a lot of incentive to take very good care of yourself when pregnant and make sure the birthing goes smoothly, because if you are far from town and things turn difficult and that creates problems -- off you will go to Oahu.
They CAN do a C-section here, but they cannot handle serious complications.
I realize no one wants to think complications could happen to oneself.