The Best Laid Plans

Since the start of my pregnancy, I've been hoping and planning for a low-intervention birth - preferably using a birthing pool, in the midwife-led area of our local hospital. I'd possibly have gone for a home birth if not for the fact that we can't fit a pool into our already-overstuffed flat!

Apart from relatively small hiccups such as SPD (painful but not actually dangerous), a second-trimester water infection and so on, I've had a very healthy, 'textbook' pregnancy and have been under the supervision of the Community Midwifery Team here in Edinburgh. I've been classed as a low-risk pregnancy, so everything seemed on-target for my planned setting.

Today we spent a number of hours at the hospital, having a rerun of all the tests and monitoring I went through on Thursday. My blood pressure isn't a major concern and the proteinuria seems to have reduced a little - however, the results of some bloody tests are apparently a tad worrying, as they seem to indicate that parts of my system (e.g. my kidneys) are under pressure. Because of this, I have to go back on Monday morning for yet more tests and a membrane sweep, as The Powers That Be(tm) now wish to speed things along a little.

Additionally I'm now classed as an 'intermediate-risk' pregnancy, which may mean a change in my plans for a low-intervention, natural birth. Thankfully the baby's absolutely fine - a big, strong-hearted, healthy sweetheart - so they're not worried about him. The concern at this point seems to be about the pregnancy's effects on my health, and obviously if that goes downhill then it can potentially impact on the little one. The idea of anything unpleasant happening to my little wriggler scares me far more than being personally ill.

I'm feeling pretty frustrated right now. To get to this point in my pregnancy, having had such a wonderfully healthy and positive experience, only to have this spanner thrown in the works at the last moment...well, I'm irked to say the least. I know that nobody knows how a birth will go until it's actually happening - birth plans aren't written in stone! - but I'm still a little annoyed with my body for threatening to complicate things at the last minute. The last thing I want is an over-medicalised, over-monitored birth where I can't move around and follow my own instincts - not least because that's more likely to cause my pain responses to go doolally!

At this point, I'm just going to have to take things as they come, I think. Though I have certain ideas on how I'd ideally like to birth my son, the end goal is to have both of us happy and healthy at the end of it. When it comes down to it, if certain things are needed to ensure that outcome then I'll deal with them at the time.

Slight Hiccup...

My midwife was a little concerned at my antenatal check-up today, as I had proteinuria and high blood pressure - both classical indicators for pre-eclampsia. She sent me up to the hospital, where I spent a good few hours having just about every monitoring test under the sun.

I've been sent home again, but the doctors there think I might be developing pre-eclampsia. Nothing definite yet, but there are slightly elevated markers in my blood and elsewhere that suggest it may be a problem. As a result, I have to return to the Day Assessment Unit on Saturday afternoon for further tests, and if the problem's worsened I've been warned they may need to consider induction. I'm keen to avoid medical induction as I'm aware it can lead to a cascade of intervention, but if it's a choice between that or endangering the health of the baby (and myself!), then I'll go along with whatever they recommend.

On the bright side...the little laddie's happy in there, positioned perfectly, engaging well and has a lovely strong heartbeat. Now if only he'd stop sticking his little feet up under my ribs and mooning his daddy...