Two-tiered health care system of Canada.

A friend of mine was by last night, after reading my blog for the first time, and commented on how its really sad that not everyone can afford to do this. By this, I mean of course, have a midwife attended homebirth. It's true. We can't afford to do this. It's only because we knew that family would contribute when it really came down to it that we have even attempted it. If you look at the studies that have been done (For those who actually care, here is one such study......Wiegers T, Keirse M, van der Zee J, Berghs G. Outcome of planned home and planned hospital births in low risk pregnancies: prospective study in midwifery practices in the Netherlands. BMJ 1996;313;1309-13. ), they show that for normal, healthy, low risk women/pregnancies, having a birth with a midwife will have a better outcome for both the mother and the baby. Less episiotomies, less caesarians, less infections etc etc etc. But this option, even though it is safer, is not available to many (and most that I know) women and thier families. $3500 is prohibitive.

This brings up a whole slew of questions that I'm looking into.

Is it cheaper for the government to just admit all women to the hospital to have thier babies?
Somehow, I doubt it. But I don't really know, so i'm going to see what I can find. Why, if its more expensive/less safe to admit women to hospitals, is it still the only funded way to have a baby (in Alberta, anyway, some provinces do pay for it)?

Do women actually want this option in Canada? Would they take it if it was available to them?

I'm going to do more research, and get back to you.

By the way, the friend of mine who brought this up with me happens to be a musician, and is donating her part of the proceeds of the bands next show to the homebirth. I love you Becky, you're awesome. http://www.reverbnation.com/thepantyhos

Direction.

We received our first contribution for our homebirth yesterday, from my uncle Glenn and auntie Alex. They (with their daughter Morag) spent the weekend with us. This was the first time Alex had met Justin, which is hard to believe since we've been together almost 7 years, but tha'ts the way things are when a family is as spread out across the world as much as ours is, I guess.

I have been reading this blog, and wondering where I should be heading with it. How many silly stories do people want to hear about Maddy? I was talking with Alex about the lack of funding for private midwives, and the families that choose midwifery care in Alberta, and she gave me the idea of working this into the blog. I like it. I will try to keep my ranting about the health care system in Canada in general to a minimum and focus on prenatal/birth care, as this is what is closest to my heart right now.

The research I have done in the last few months to educate myself has been random, and disorganized, and therefore, my first few posts on the subject will probably be as well. I joined ASAC (Association for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth), a consumer advocacy group based here in Edmonton. Their website is http://www.asac.ab.ca/index.html for anyone who is interested.

more to come....

Monthy Python's Meaning of Life Hospital Sketch

I have tried and tried to upload this video to the blog, but it just doesn't want to work for me. Anyway, here is the like to the youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxOu1DyVQV8

This will have to do until I figure it out. Freaken' hillarious.

The BEST pregnancy book EVER

When I was pregnant with Maddy, I searched out books about pregnancy (like most first time mothers-to-be, I think). I was given several by friends and family, such as the classic 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', 'The Mother of All Baby Books', etc, etc etc. These books gave me lots of helpful information, such as, what not to eat, what not to do, what complications I should always be on the lookout for and what possible deformities and diseases my baby could be born with. If I could give one piece of advice to first time pregnant women, it would be to STAY AWAY from those books. They totally scared the crap out of me, without me even realizing it.

There is one book that I would really recommend. This are 'Ina May's Guide to Childbirth', by Ina May Gaskin. It has changed the way I think about women in general, pregnancy, labour and delivery. I think all women of childbearing age should read this book, whether or not they are pregnant. I am going to start sending this book to every friend I know who is expecting a baby. The book starts with birth stories, not the horror stories that we are used to hearing, but positive stories of women who felt empowered, had their relationships with their partners strengthened, and more, all through the experience of bringing their baby into this world.

The book starts with a quote from Alice Walker, "There is nothing more important than how we are born. We have forgotten this simple fact for far too long." Anyway, please, read this book.

Ultrasound

I had an ultrasound yesterday. Justin and Maddy were really looking forward to seeing pictures of the baby, but if it weren't for that, i would have walked out 5 minutes in. What a demeaning experience. There is NO use whatsoever for those stupid gowns they make you wear, or most of thier policies, for that matter. I have never met a person with as little of a sense of humour as the woman who did my ultrasound. At one point, I was really uncomfortable (hip has been bothering me immensly) and wanted to draw my knees up slightly. I asked her if it would interfere, and she said no. So I started to move. She stopped me, and said I had to stay in the flat on your back position. Why? I ask. It's policy, she replies. I will not continue with this ultrasound if you move. Thanks a lot bitch. Anyway, they also charge you $15 !!! a photo. So I ask if I can get a multiple discount if I get 4 on a CD. With a complete strait face, she does the math outloud, and reports that it will be $60 for 4 photo's. Thanks again. Anyway, here is the picture we got. I am swearing off the entire medical establishment. I will never have another unneccessary ultrasound again.

OK, doing this at home is going to be expensive.

So, after careful consideration, Justin and I both agree that we really want to do this. While midwives are at least recognized and legislated in Alberta (unlike Newfoundland!), they are in no way funded by the government health plan or our insurance, so this cost is totally on us. When all is said and done, this is going to cost between $3200 and $3500, depending on if we decide to have a water birth or not.

So we started thinking, what better way to include all of our friends and family in this event, than to let them pay for it? Seriously though, any contributions would be a great help. I mean, how many onesies and bottles of baby lotion does a baby really need? So forego the baby gifts, and instead, know that you are a part of one of the biggest events in our lives.

First Meeting with the Midwife, cont...

Justin really wanted to come to see the midwife with me, so we rescheduled for Monday afternoon (yesterday). It was nice to have all three of us there, asking questions. I love her. Maddy LOVES her. Justin loves her too. She is the kind of women that that puts you at ease just by being in the room, which I suppose is a good trait for a midwife to have. Maddy even gave her a big hug when we left (after talking for an hour and a half).

So the decision between homebirth and hospital birth has now been made. There are pro's and con's to each, but homebirth is the safer, more comfortable and relaxing way to do this, it seems. During the last week, I have really been examining my motavations for doing this. The first one was the desire to do this naturally, of course. I'm not a spiritual person, but connecting to the so many women who have birthed their babies without the help of a docter and forceps is really appealing to me. This seems like another stage in my own life, like my own birth itself.

The next big thing that was making me think of homebirth was Maddy's birth experience. This whole last week I have been almost feeling like this baby will be my first real birth, like I wasn't even really there for Maddy's, only a tool in the docters bag for bringing this life into the world. The midwife really picked up on this one, and told me a story of a women (who actually had her baby that morning) who felt very much the same way about her first child's birth. When I had the epidural, I could feel very little about what was going on. I was being told to push, stop pushing, the head's out, etc. Of course, I also didn't feel any pain, which was the whole point, but I think I missed something really important. I missed out.

I'm really looking forward to actually being listened to, to being in control of this, instead of being told, "there's no medal for not having the epidural, you know" and being laughed at (literally) by the nurses at the hospital. Nothing against nurses, they just couldn't understand why I might want to feel this. Maddy and I spent five days in the hospital. It was terrible. Now I won't have to worry about it (hopefully).

So there it is, my reasons for a homebirth. I have only told a few people that I was even thinking about this, and I have gotten a lot of suprised reactions. Many people are wondering if its safe, so for anyone who is interested, this (http://www.homebirth.org.uk/) has a pretty good run down of research done on the safety of homebirth.

First meeting with the Midwife

I am meeting with a midwife who does homebirths this morning. Maddy is coming, can't find a sitter. Justin can't make it, which is really too bad. I have been on the internet, looking up questions to ask the midwife, and homebirth in general, and the more I read, the more I think this is the option for me. I'll have to get Justin to weigh in later (although so far, he has been very supportive of the idea). I wish I knew women here in Edmonton who had delivered at home.

The start of my pregnancy journal....

I'm not the most eloquent writer, but having a record of what I was thinking and feeling during these next few months is pretty important to me. I didn't keep any kind of journal when I was pregnant with Madelyn, and now the whole time seems so fuzzy and far away. I'm famous for saying that i'll do it later, but now I really am.

The thing that has precipitated this journal is a decision about the upcoming birth of our baby that we are having a hard time making, and any input from anyone who happens to read this is greatly appreciated. I am now.. 19 weeks pregnant, and the decision for where to birth this baby is becoming a big one. Maddy was born in a hospital, with the whole intervention kit and kaboodle, starting with fetal monitoring, epidural, augmentation with pitocin, etc, etc. Luckily enough, it did not end in a ceasarian section, as so many births do. I came out of it feeling ignored, and bad that I couldn't handle the birth of my baby without all of this help from the docters and nurses. Looking back on the experience, I dread the idea of birthing in a hospital again. The other option is a homebirth, with a registered midwife, which brings up all sorts of new fears.

It's late, and I like short blogs, so I will continue this tomorrow. Goodnight :)