Let's Argue! (About Babies!)

[v-girl]

Ha ha ha!


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[Auspicious]

My father always says "like a golf ball out of a downspout" about childbirth.

[Ravenclaw]

I'm reading this avidly - lots of great information!

Just curious - what are the thoughts behind intermittent fetal monitoring vs. continuous?

· --I would like intermittent fetal monitoring.

[spotty_dog]

I'm reading this avidly - lots of great information!

Just curious - what are the thoughts behind intermittent fetal monitoring vs. continuous?

Continuous monitoring doesn't improve outcomes, and it limits mobility. That was my main concern.

But seriously with some births it's like that! Especially when you've got the labor and delivery nurse screaming PUSH!!!!!! PUSH!!!!!! As if she's a mad woman.


Continuous vs intermittent. My vote is continuous. If you have a telemetry monitor it doesn't have to limit mobility. Also if your membranes are ruptured they can place a scalp electrOde and you dont have to worry that you bouncing on a birthing ball or pacing the room is going to displace the monitors. Many providers look at continuous as standard of care, unless you are somewhere really crunchy.

[SoonerTexan]

Birth bills are starting to come in (thank goodness for insurance). The bill for my 45 minute epidural was $2000 (negotiated rate with insurance was $1000, so our cost was about $100--really not bad). I'm in no way saying that it should not be that much (I recognize they don't care how long you have it, it takes a specialist, and it involves risk), but I'm going to keep that number in mind for the next baby...especially depending on what our insurance looks like at that point.

ETA: Make that $4300. I hate trying to interpret these bills, but I think the $2000 was the actual fee for the anesthesiologist's service and I found another $2300 in "Anesthesia supplies" (which I assume is the drugs?) on the hospital's bill. Again, we're not actually paying that amount, but it will make me think next time!

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

If I go natural I think my insurance should pay me that much since I saved them money! something tells me they won't go for that though!

I'll never forget getting the anesthesiologist bill for my epidural. It was $6000!!

I don't know....I went without pain meds with my second baby. It was a good birth, but the pain was tortuous. When I was finally ready to give in, I completely dilated and there's no way they were going to give me anything anyway. I got the epidural with our third baby earlier than I needed it- at 6 cm. When the bill for that epidural came in, I remember thinking, "Worth every penny!"

[SoonerTexan]

So now I'm curious...what exactly are the meds used and why are they so expensive? I totally get the Anesthesiologist's fee, but I'm wondering about the actual drug. Laurie?

[Pollyanna]

A good epidural is worth any amount of money. The anesthesiologist is always my favorite guy in the room .

[diggitydot]

A good epidural is worth any amount of money. The anesthesiologist is always my favorite guy in the room .

A-fucking-men.

[Vishenka69]

So now I'm curious...what exactly are the meds used and why are they so expensive? I totally get the Anesthesiologist's fee, but I'm wondering about the actual drug. Laurie?

I can ask DH what meds go into the epidural but I highly doubt he knows how much they cost or what his services are billed at. I never got a bill for anesthesia because at that point I was over the deductible, so my insurance just covered the whole thing.

Epidurals: I was told that I got one as a favor because I already came in at 9cm. Loved it though and wouldn't have done it any other way. I'm also in the camp of "if I get pain meds for drilling a tooth, why not for birth."

Selective Induction: have no experience with this or opinion. Every woman should decide for herself with the help of her doctor.

Episiotomy: I had a natural 2nd degree tear and a vacuum assist. My understanding is that episiotomies aren't routinely done anymore.

Perineal massage: There was no way I could reach comfortably, so I just wrote the whole thing off as crunchy.

Honestly, I didn't feel that there was something I wish I knew or was prepared better. Several of our really good friends went into OB and so I heard about every complication known to man and also called them with stupid questions throughout the pregnancy. Plus, you guys (or rather girls) were a wealth of knowledge. I wish we didn't leave the camera in the car, but that's about it.

[ladymoreta]

I wish we didn't leave the camera in the car, but that's about it.

Okay, that settles it. I think we had pretty much identical birth stories! I was so ticked that DH wouldn't go out to the car and get our camera after I got my epidural, but he was convinced he'd miss the birth! Of course, I would have been ticked at him for missing the birth, but logic doesn't work too well on a woman in labor!

I totally forgot to ask DH if he knows why the cost is so high, but I'll try to remember to ask him tonight!


Laurie

[scrub-jay]

We forgot all of our cameras too and I convinced DH to run home (we lived on the hospital campus) and get them. When he got there, the power had randomly gone out and if we hadn't gone into the hospital when we did, we wouldn't have been able to leave the parking garage! Ultimately, we did get the cameras, along with a great story.