I fall back asleep and then my cell phone begins to ring and I determine it is the OBGYN office and that I should answer. I drag myself out of bed and sprint to my cell phone to answer the call.

The nurse practitioner on the line informs me I’ve failed the test by 1 point. Their cutoff is 139 and I scored a 140 on my gestational diabetes screen. They want me to come back in for the 3 hour 100 gram test now and they want me to do it this week.

First off, I am not one who just does what someone says I need to. I am a thinking woman and I want to know the reasoning behind the testing and the procedures. Just telling me to come in for another test doesn’t give me any information about why this is even necessary plus not being able to explain the scale they use for determining the cutoff point for the testing worries me.

Since I like to be well informed before I make a decision I’ve put a call in to my midwife in Tennessee and I also consulted the internet for reading and research material on the topic.

Turns out there is much controversy about blood glucose screens and the diagnosing of gestational diabetes in pregnant women. It seems like this is just another ploy for them to run more unnecessary tests and to make more money off me.

Basically, whether or not I have gestational diabetes I should be eating well and taking care to exercise. Proper nutrition is they key in any pregnancy and especially when gestational diabetes is diagnosed.

Given the fact that my OBGYN advised me to “have a candy bar or some ice cream” in my 1st trimester as a means for gaining adequate weight I am pissed that now they are all “um we want to be careful about your blood sugar levels”.

Duh! Blood sugar levels are a big deal and that was why I was so worried about diet and nutrition at the beginning of my pregnancy but my doctor advised me not to worry about it and now look what has happen!

I’ve learned my lesson! I need to trust my gut feelings and listen to my body. I was focused on good diet until they told me not to worry about it, I knew they were wrong but I did as they said because I didn’t want to deprive my baby of anything… now I have to go back to what I was basically trying to do in the first place.

It makes me mad and super reluctant to trust anything they are telling me, it makes me want to fire the OBGYN and just stop with the traditional prenatal care all together.

It makes me so glad I’ve already decided to have my baby 4 hours (and 2 states) away naturally with my awesome midwife. I just can’t believe so many women are bullied and unrightfully advised by doctors in the US and that more people aren’t angry about all this…

“Current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for gestational diabetes mellitus, either before or after 24 weeks’ gestation,” the statement concludes. “Until there is better evidence, clinicians should discuss screening for GDM with their patients and make case-by-case decisions. The discussion should include information about the uncertain benefits and harms as well as the frequency and uncertain meaning of a positive screening test result.” from: Guidelines Issued About Lack of Evidence for Screening for Gestational Diabetes

More sources and reading to consider:

• Gestational diabetes and natural childbirth
• Diagnostic Tests Of The Third Trimester

The post Just more reason why I wont be birthing with my OBGYN in a hospital… appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

Also, another internet buddy in Australia, Veronica, just had her little one with midwives (in about 90 minutes!). If you haven’t already and are interested stop on by their blogs, read their stories and congratulate them on their great natural births!

If you have posted a home birth story I would love for you to enter the URL below and share it with us! I love reading them and know others also find them educational to read.

The post Babys are popping out everywhere! Read some birth stories! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

“Since ranking a fairly respectable 12th in 1960, the U.S. fell to an all-time low 29th in the world in infant mortality in 2004, according to the report Recent Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The U.S. infant mortality ranking has been falling steadily, from 23rd in 1990, to 27th in 2000.” Quote source

Maternity care in this country really bothers me because it is so one sided, it is way to medically managed. I think that modern medical advancements are wonderful and that they really do save and help so many. Hospital birth is a fitting option for many women due to medical complications, risks and even because of convenience. I am glad we have so many trained and skilled professionals in these hospitals to treat us.

What bothers me is the idea that birthing anywhere but the hospital is bad. Hospitals are great for healing the sick and for managing complications but there are many women who are complication free who would like a different approach to childbirth that is not possible in a hospital. Those of us who have no complications that need managing should be free to choose a birth setting we are comfortable with but the AMA and ACOG don’t want that.

Our current need for health care reform is (in my opinion) a result of the one sided system we already have in place. We already know change is necessary and this is our chance to speak up about our views and concerns so that we’ll be heard.

Soon we’ll have a new president in office and there is no better time than now to start speaking up about maternity care and other issues that are important to us.

I am personally livid that how and where I birth my child is being decided for me by the law. This is a decision that is each woman’s to make much like the debate on abortion. It is a woman’s body and should be her right to choose.

I am all for educated decision making, I welcome the recommendations and advice of organizations like the AMA and ACOG, I also value other information sources such as Childbirth Connection’s Evidence-Based Maternity Care and many other sources. Knowledge is power so educate and advise us but DO NOT force us!

If you are like me and want to fight for change you can contact your representatives and express your concerns. This is what legislation is currently on the table:

Congress:
	S.507 Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2007
	H.R.864 Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2007
Georgia:
	SB480 Georgia Qualified Medication Aides Act; provide for delegation of certain nursing tasks; Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Practical Nurses
Missouri:
	SB637 Direct Entry Midwifery in Missouri
	HB974 MIDWIFERY – Davis, Cynthia L.
South Carolina:
	S881 S881
	H4347 H4347

Also consider writing President-Elect Obama about your views on health care and birthing options. With health care reform just around the corner we have a chance to make some changes but only if we all speak up regardless of our own personal preferences. Every woman deserves the right to choose, lets take that right back!

The post Lets take back our birthing rights! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.