I had my first check-up with Deb, my home birth midwife. Everything went well! I was measuring spot on, the baby's heart rate was good, and I spent an hour talking to a health professional for the first time in my life. It was brilliant! I also learned a lot about supplements and herbs...and I had always thought that I was so educated!
At the time of my appointment, the OBGYN office still hadn't sent over my file. I got a call when they finally did. It went a little something like this:
Deb: So, did the doctors explain your condition?
Me: Well, they mention I had a low lying placenta but that they weren't worried about it.
Deb: Oh yeah, that's moved and that's fine, but you have something called circumvallate placenta. I can't believe they didn't tell you!
Me: Nope, never mentioned it.
Deb: Okay, I'm going to need to refer you to a perinatologist, because this is a major concern - I can't believe they didn't tell you?!?!!
(This is why I'm not a script writer)
Anyway, apparently the doctors saw something weird on both of my ultrasounds, but failed to mention it to me. Circumvallate placenta (CVP) can cause some huge problems in pregnancy, from pre-term labor to miscarriage to placental abruption. I'm out of the woods for a miscarriage, and I haven't had any bleeding or severe pain, so Deb's gut instinct is that the doctors didn't know what they were looking at. The referral is just to get a clear diagnosis. However, if I do have this disease then I think my chances of home birth are gone.
I'm glad my midwife is referring me to a specialist, and quite frankly I'm pissed that my first doctors never did. What if I had a miscarriage, or had hemorrhaged and died? I'm hoping that there's nothing actually wrong with me, because my greatest fear is a hospital birth. And, if I end up being high risk, it will probably be a c-section. Next to losing the baby, a c-section would be a nightmare. I'm angry and frustrated and worried. Every little twinge has me wondering if I'm losing the baby, and every BH contraction makes me think I"m in pre-term labor. I need to get out of my own head!
The perinatologists should be calling soon to set up an appointment...I was hoping that they would call yesterday, but no such luck. Fingers crossed that they call today!
