I Love American Healthcare

So this is pretty dang funny.

And by that, I mean pretty dang funny in a completely excruciatingly horrible way.

I started the morning with the friendly ultrasound tech, who informed me that Baby Boy J is swimming along in an excess of amniotic fluid (just like with Sienna) and is weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs 15 oz. Yeah, that is awesome. There could be a pound differential there, so maybe he's only 8 lbs but he may also be 10. I was super stoked to hear that news.

Then I saw the good doctor who was more than sympathetic to my ordeal. He checked me and discovered that I am 1 1/2 cm dilated which doesn't sound like much but since I've NEVER before dilated on my own, this was a huge accomplishment. And 40% effaced. Again, huge strides for my body.

We high-fived.

Then we talked about everything else that has been going on and he said the magic words I'd been waiting to hear:

"Let's get the baby out!"

He went into the hall to call the hospital while I got dressed and I felt so, so, so relieved.

Until I heard him yelling into the phone.

"You call this patient care? That is the craziest thing I've ever heard of! I want a committee to review this policy right now. I can't tell you how pissed off I am about this!"

Yes, the good doctor said pissed off.

His voice became hushed again and then he came into the room. And he looked very afraid to tell me what he had to tell me.

"Because you're still in a non-emergent state and the hospital will only allow so many inductions a day, the first available induction date they gave me was....."

JUNE 29th. (That's a mere 17 days from now for anyone keeping track.)

So I started bawling like any hormonal and hugely pregnant woman.

"But after I yelled and pulled some strings they agreed to move that up...."

to JUNE 20th. (That's a mere 8 days away for anyone keeping track.)

Seriously, am I being punk'd here?

I cried and cried while he tried to go over everything with me but I was consumed that this just doesn't make sense to me. The baby is already A. Big. Baby. His abdomen is measuring larger than his head so he's worried about shoulder distoria and if the baby can already fit. Babies at this stage of pregnancy tend to gain a pound a week, making this 8, 9, or 10 lb baby a 9, 10 or 11 lb baby. And I have to wait? Really? Because of policy and procedure at some hospital? And never even mind the cracked pelvis or umbilical hernia. This is insane to me.

So then he says, "do you want to have a c-section?"

And I said no, this is my fourth child and unless it's medically necessary, I don't want to go through an unnecessary surgery. But what's ludicrous about that is that if I agreed to a c-section, he could get me in. More money for the hospital so apparently there willing to make an exception there.

I asked him if he thought I would need a c-section because of his size and he said he felt confident that I could deliver this baby naturally so what is a girl to do? I just can't believe this is the scenario I'm in. I thought I went over every possible outcome last night, what I would say to make him take this baby and this never, ever occurred to me. That I would literally be this close and still 8 days away.

He did strip my membranes and try to poke around as much as possible to get things moving for me on my own, but I have no faith in this body. I know I should think positively but I am beyond deflated. To think that in a week from now I'll still be pregnant is more than I can take. And admitting that makes me feel horrid but it's honestly how I feel.

But there's the update. Believe me, if anything changes, I will let you know.