Saspen tak baca tajuk entry nih? LOL! No, I havent given birth yet, but I'd like to tell you about my dillemma about some labour and birth stuff in this entry. Kalau tidak berminat, sila tekan X at your top right page.

Anyways, yesterday I went to tour the hospital that I will be giving birth at. And for the first time I really understood the whole system of maternity care here in the UK. Before this I macam faham lite lite aja. Apparently, kat UK ni ada beberapa level maternity / labour care. You will be given routine check ups at your GP by local midwives and only need to go to hospy for ultrasound. Ultrasound will only be carried out 2 times only throughout pregnancy. This is provided that you have no complications whatsoever throughout your pregnancy.

If you have complications such as family history illness, diabetes, high blood pressure etc, you will be monitor intermittently at the nearest hospy and you will have alternate check-ups between your GP midviwes and consultants at the hospy. In my case, I had to be monitored because I had chicken pox at early pregnancy so they want to monitor the fetus growth every month.

Aside from health complications, you can also be categorised as high risk pregnancy if you have had a c-section in your previous pregnancies. Therefore you are advised to give birth at a hospy that has more complete facilities and consultants. In my case, I was referred to Heath hospy (which is different from the hospy that I do my regular check ups and ultrasound). So kesimpulannya, i have 3 places that I have my pregnancy check up.     

Complicated tak? It doesnt end there okay. I just found out from yesterday tour that kat Heath hospy ini ada 2 different labour care. One is called consultant-led unit and another one is called midwifery-led unit.

Currently I am booked in at the consultant-led unit (because I had previous c-sect). The thing is, I macam tak suka dekat consultant-led unit tu. The rooms are tiny, the atmostphere is very2 uninviting and I dont know why but it brings back bad memories of sakit contractions etc. Lepas tu the building is currently under construction so what you can see outside the window is tiang2 construction! Aiyo. mak tak suka..

Looking in the labour rooms!

The midwifery-led unit pula is 100 percent the opposite! The rooms are at least 4 times bigger than the ones in consultant-led unit, they have 3 huge birth pools. And husband can stay over night (if necessary and space ada). Kat consultant led unit hubby cuma boleh stay from 9am to 9pm ajor. Lepas tu atmostphere kat midwife-led unit adelah sangat2 soothing. Sesuwai dengan plan makk nak try for hypnobirthing. But the midwife-led unit is for the low-risk pregnancies and therfore cuma midwife aja yg ada kat situ. Hence, you can only opt for gas, pethidine or water pool for pain relief. Kalau nak epidural, kena pi naek consultant led unit and give birth there.

The midwifery-led unit labour room -
notice the huge birthpool, labour ball and space! 
Pastu the post-labour rooms plak ada double beds and ensuite bathroom! Best macam duduk hotel!

So anyways, my dilemma is, I want to give birth at the midwifery-led unit! I think I need to talk to the consultant and persuade her that I can be placed under midwife-led unit. Esok ada appointment and ultrasound so this myte be my best chance to convince them. I know that here in the UK, doctors are more supportive as to where you want to give birth. I know a couple mothers on babycentre that have opted for a homebirth after c-sect and their med caregivers are very supportive of their decision. So esok makk nak try my luck and pesuade them to change from consultant-led to midwifery -led unit.

Oleh itu, I've prepared some alasan for this:

1) I have been and remained to be healthy in this pregnancy.
2) All my ultrasounds have shown that my fetal growth development are normal
3) Baby is in good size and weight for vaginal birth
4) I'm planning for a natural hypnobirth VBAC so I need the atmostphere to be as calm and serene as it can get
5) Visiting the consultant-led unit has brought back traumatic memories of my previous labour. I am afraid that I will give in easily if surrounded by such atmostphere.
6) My previous labour was induced but had failed before I reach establish labour stage, so I have a higher chance of normal delivery.
7) Oh, did I mentioned that I am very2 keen on having a VBAC, so any support would be very much appreciated.
8) If there are any complications that arise during labor (Nauzzubillah), I can still be wheeled in the consultant-led unit, because they are in the same building.

Okei tak alasan2 ni? Ada yang boleh ditambah tak?

Oh, nak jugak cakap bahawa, I cannot be induced this time around because I have had a previous c-sect. This is the practice in the UK. So I will have to wait for nature to take its course and hope that I wont exceed 42 weeks of pregnancy. Full term babies are from categorised as 37-42 weeks gestation. So if I do go over my due date, the doctors would still wait till i'm 2 weeks overdue before deciding what to do.

I am very2 hopeful that baby #2 will arrive before my due date. Not just because I cant wait to have her in my arms but also so that we would have a better chance of having a VBAC. Kat sini, if you have had 2 c-sect or more, you will be advised to have c-sect again. :(

Oh.. I'm gonna be 37 weeks this coming Sunday (yeay!!) so baby #2, you can come out any day after this weekends okei.. Mom is ready for you. :)

ps: During the tour, the nurse told us to bring our own stuff - like enough babygros, nappies, cotton wool etc. They do not provide apa2 okei. Aiyo..