# What happens if I go to the hospital w/ little or no prenatal care?



## Lynski (Oct 17, 2004)

I haven't been back to my "medwife" since about 20 weeks. I didn't see the point in developing a relationship w/ her since she won't be delivering me and instead it will be whichever OB from the practice is on call at the time. I also didn't see the point of sitting in the waiting room for 45 minutes and then in the exam room for 45 minutes every appointment just for them to weigh me and check my urine. I can do that at home or at school. I did not have a GTT, but did an unofficial one at school (I'm a nursing student) as well and it was fine, no surprise.

We were planning on switching insurance companies in Nov to one of the other options, which would cover the birth center with the WONDERFUL midwife who delivered DD. So basically I just quit going, knowing I would be switching anyway and never happy for the above reasons with my current care. Then the insurance company dropped DH's work and so now I'm stuck w/ the provider I have (or one similar, NO midwives who deliver either at home or hospitals are covered by insurance) and a hospital birth I do not want. The birth center was our compromise, but we just flat out can't afford a homebirth out of pocket. I'll be 33 weeks on Monday and the few places I've called weren't too excited about taking me this late. Plus I feel like the care I'll get at most places is about the same, so why bother?

So, if you've made it this far, we aren't comfortable with an unassisted birth. I tried to get used to the idea and tried to convince DH but it's just not happening. I really need the peace of mind of having an experienced professional nearby. So if I go to the hospital without going back to the OBs, what will happen? I'm sure the staff attitude won't be fantastic, which worries me since I may be doing a clinical rotation ON THE OB FLOOR a few weeks after I give birth. I can choose a different hospital, but I'm still wondering how we get around the millions of interventions they are going to want to do since we had no attending OB or prenatal records. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do, but I want to be prepared. How are they going to act when we don't want to stay overnight? When I refuse an IV w/o a Group B strep test? Should I call and ask their policy now? My labors are very fast, so we'll arrive and baby will be well on the way within an hour or two at most. I'd like to go home w/i 4-6 hours if possible, no way in hell am I staying 3 days. Is it possible to do all this without a gigantic fight?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Have you called the homebirth midwives in your area to see if someone can work something out with you?










-Angela


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## mothragirl (Sep 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
Have you called the homebirth midwives in your area to see if someone can work something out with you?










-Angela









:
i would be VERY concerned about being treated like doo doo at the hospital for not having enough prenatal care. stuff like having your baby taken and monitored for GBS is a very real worry.


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## Funny Face (Dec 7, 2006)

My concern would be that if your GBS status is considered unknown and you don't have the abx they will be pressing hard to monitor your baby for sepsis and will probably put up a big fight about that. I think you should go in ready to fight about certain things... the most important issues for you and make sure you have dh educated about them.

I would DEFINITELY find out their 'policy' and their 'routine' so you know ahead of time. I know hospitals that give pit to all women post partum, give all babies penicillin, erythromycin and vit k before you can even blink.

I would consider a doula... more eyes and ears to alert you to what is happening and help you have a birth that is closer to what you want. If money for a doula is an issue also, try looking for a student, some will do it for the cost of gas.

If you will be doing a rotation on the hall I would talk to the instructor for that rotation, she will know all their rules too.

Good luck mama, I know this must be very hard for you, I hope things will go unbelieveably smooth for you!!!

Keep us posted!!!!

P.S. Do you have a motor home you can pull up in outside the hospital? Have a 'homebirth/uc' and just run inside if you need assistance?


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## Lynski (Oct 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moodyred01* 

If you will be doing a rotation on the hall I would talk to the instructor for that rotation, she will know all their rules too.



I've sort of done this already since she was one of my instructors this semester. I didn't get very far, she was pretty unreceptive to talking about it as a "hypothetical."







2: I could tell she was pretty biased about it so I just dropped it. She worked in that hospital for years on OB so I'm sure her attitude is typical of the hospital.

It sounds like I need to suck it up and at least go back to get my Group B. I've thought about hiring a doula, maybe I'll look into it seriously. I'm not willing to make a bad experience worse by having to fight w/ staff to take my son home. I've heard the horror stories about threatening to call CPS and such and we just don't have the energy to waste on that kind of crap.


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## SublimeBirthGirl (Sep 9, 2005)

If I were you I'd find a way to hire a homebirth midwife. No prenatal care plus a hospital birth is VERY worst of both worlds. You will be treated like an illiterate moron who doesn't care about her baby or her own health. Either have a UC, hire a homebirth midwife, or start going back to get prenatal care so that you will at least as much respect at the hospital as the average woman gets (which is still, IME, not very much!).


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## Evergreen (Nov 6, 2002)

I actually had a relatively good experience when I transferred to the hospital after UPing. It was not a planned transfer,t hough nor was it an emergency.

I was marked down as having done my own prenatal care, instead of "no prenatal care".

Everyone was nice, helpful, etc. I was in no way treated like crap, instead I could tell they had much respect for me and considered me to be pretty smart.

I hadn't done the GBS test, though, and the hospital had lost a baby to GBS in 2003. The really wanted us to stay 48 hours for monitoring which we did. She got no pricks, pokes, work ups or antibiotics.

I would not choose to do it again, but the experience was a nice one for a hospital birth I had not planned.


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## DeChRi (Apr 19, 2002)

Another something to check in to.....I was GBS+ and planned on just signing out early, which of course has to be done AMA. My health insurance provider would not cover baby and my stay and care if we signed anything AMA. Such BS, but also something I am glad I knew going in. Luckily we had a Dr and baby's ped that signed us out early, not AMA, and we were able to just pop in the ped office after 48 hours for her to look at DD.

I know this may not be the most popular of opinions here, but another poster mentioned it.....if you know the hospital birth is your most probable option, going through the prenatal motions may be worth it. I know it feels like caving into the system, but you may find it enables you to have more of the birth experience you want, just eating those visits up front.

Wish you lots of luck in maybe finding a homebirth midwife to work with you though!! You may be surprised in how much flexibility they have.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

I know that it is recorded on your child's birth certificate in CA if you do not receive prenatal care; as for being treated like doo-doo, that always depends on who is in charge when you are there.


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## hetaera (Mar 1, 2006)

Quote:

No prenatal care plus a hospital birth is VERY worst of both worlds. You will be treated like an illiterate moron who doesn't care about her baby or her own health.
pretty much a yeah that.

I told them I had a midwife and I wasnt comfortable telling her name, and I still got the riot act...

Complete with a snarky 'maybe next time you will get better prenatal care' as she left my room after the c section.

boy, she sure did learn me a lesson...


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