Firstly, I apologise to everybody for failing to mention my living area. I thought I sent another email following that one when I got the first "Where do you live?" email response, but I mustn't have sent it. I actually live in Ipswich, which is near (?!) Brisbane. I would be seeking someone in Brisbane City.
Ah Joy. Where do I start? With my previous pregnancy, I had 'problems' with high blood pressure, though it never got so high that it required attention. I began going to the ante-natal clinic at the Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane at 12 weeks and seemed fine until approx 16 weeks when my blood pressure began to rise. I think from memory that the highest it ever got was 155/95, which I have heard isn't great, but isn't a horrid case. I began the ritual of fortnightly appointments, where I had to see both an Obstetrician AND a Physician (a little old man who never failed to say, "I don't know why we keep seeing you - I'm not particularly worried about your BP... better make another appointment for two weeks time..." The Obstetrician that was assigned to me (or was I assigned to him?) seemed to think that the baby was a bit on the small side (he was, but not anything unusual) and sent me for regular ultrasounds. I think I ended up having 6 including my routine 18 week scan. While this was fascinating to watch the baby grow, I couldn't kick the feeling that I was being 'overwatched.' In the end, the OB changed his tune to "I think there isn't enough fluid... better send you for a scan..." And of course, there was plenty of fluid. "But," said the radiologist, "the baby is a bit on the small side..." How ironic. To cut a HUGE story (and such a wonderful one) short, Joshua James was induced when I was one week overdue. I was 100% sure of my due date, however, the registrar OB booked me in for the induction as soon as I hit my due date. Fortunately for me, the induction worked first time and as I said in my previous email (I think...) labour and delivery went without a hitch. I was so happy with the way things turned out. I have to admit, I do not feel intimidated by a hospital environment, and I suppose my previous experience draws me back to the place I went before. Blindly hoping for a repeat performance, I suppose. Only this time I don't want to feel so... public. I suppose that I feel that as a private patient, I would have more courage to be more demanding if I wasn't happy with anything. I wanted the choice to see the same person every single time instead of rotating between the OB and his registrar's. Why an OB instead of a midwife? The impression that I have received through reading and from conversation is that if I were to choose a Midwife to assist at home, I would not be able to claim money back from my health insurance company. Is this correct, or am I mistaken? I currently have private health insurance with Medibank Private. Psychologically, I see the insurance as giving me a demandable choice that I would not feel confident I could make in the public system. I know what I want and I am quite scared about it all, to tell you the truth. I know that things don't always go as planned, and I think I try to plan too much. There are so many thing that I want to say, but I don't want to bore you all (this is already long enough). Oh well... Thanks to you all, Kirsty. AND PS... I cheat - this email address is my husband's - he attends University of Queensland to study p/t commerce! I think that it's more my email address now than his - I just end up forwarding his emails to him at his work!! -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
