Here’s what I posted on Project Pregnancy yesterday…
Well, I was wrong. I don’t get to escape the fetal non-stress tests (NST) after all. There have been no indicators up to this point that my single umbilical artery (a.k.a. SUA, a.k.a. two-vessel cord) has failed to feed the baby, and no evidence of related SUA defects such as kidney issues or heart problems exist. However, my doctor feels the combination of my advanced age, 38, and my SUA warrant these twice-weekly monitoring sessions.
Interestingly, or perhaps annoyingly, it’s still up to me. She recommended it yesterday, knowing that I am not a fan of sonograms and such. The NST involves 30 minutes of fetal heart monitoring by doppler, followed by an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid levels.
She said we could wait another week if I wanted. She is willing to consider once-weekly instead of twice-weekly NSTs, because of my concerns/resistance.
I left the office thinking, “Who is driving this bus?”
She’s the one with the MD. Do I really get to decide?
Why am I so against this? Aside from my general distrust of the medical establishment, I specifically am concerned about the technology used in fetal monitoring because of what I’ve read in birth-preparation books by esteemed authorities, including parenting.com expert, Dr. Sears. These writers note the risks involved with ultrasounds, and warn against overuse.
I saw a documentary on the womb that compared the noise created by ultrasound effects on amniotic fluid to a subway train. The baby’s ears are fully functioning by now. I don’t want to do that to him!
(For anyone who missed the irony of the title of this blog, and my moniker, now you get it, yes?)
I am calm-er today. After crying all day Friday (why why why, oh cruel medical establishment???) and consulting with my doula yesterday, as well as calling a local midwife for advice, I’ve concluded that while I FEEL totally healthy and everything is fine with the baby, I don’t get to just think that without diagnostic support.
Years from now, when ultrasound/sonogram/doppler technology is proven to be the monstrously harmful thing I fear it really is (I alone, whistling in the dark to the rhythm of my notions), I can say I told you so. Or something.
This reminds me of the oak tree in front of the house where I grew up. Apparently for 20 years, my mother worried that the tree would fall down. After we moved out. It did. She got to say, I told you so.
Not sure this is a comforting anecdote.
Anyway, I surrender. Fetal monitoring will start next week. Apparently it will be a good time to get my knitting done.
Julie,
I’m so sorry that things aren’t going as you expected (on the up-side, it’s good practice for parenting). I’ve never had fetal monitoring to the extent you described, but I did have to do NST’s with W~ since he was born 9 days after my due date. My experience was that it took awhile if he was being quiet, but they went fast when he was being active. They just wanted to see a certain amount of movements within the time period. Once I hit their number, they cut me loose. Hopefully, it will be the same for you. Good luck!
Not only did the tree fall down but it took all the phone and electrical lines down in the neighborhood. Boy were the neighbors mad at the guy who owned that tree, who wouldn’t trim it and who said “I was crazy.”
How many weeks are you now, Julie? If you monitor only 1x/week instead of 2, maybe you’d only need to do it once or twice before the baby comes. Of course, then you won’t get as much knitting done.