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2nd Trimester
kg_08
member
Controversial, take two. lol
kg_08
member
I went to bed after I posted last night, then came on today and saw that I had 74 replies! haha..
I read them all, and I appreciate that you took the time to respond. I may not have been 100% clear of my intentions in my origional post though. Right now, I am using a midwife already, but still through the hospital so that doesn't make a cost difference. (And with DH's insurance, that's the only hospital we can go to without a penalty.)
The whole debate about cost was not due to the fact that we can't afford it (for those of you who pointed out we shouldn't even have a second kid we can't pay for) ... our thought about skipping on tests came mostly because hospitals DO NOT always give you only what you need. They throw extra tests in all the time to fatten their wallets. Yes, I know this for a fact because DH works at the hospital and complains about it all the time.
For those of you who mentioned about complications they could see ahead of time (cervix, GD, etc..) they didn't test me for any of that. The only reason I even had an early ultrasound this time was for dating purposes, otherwise it wouldn't have been until 20 weeks.
I guess my point is that so far in my pregnancy, besides the anatomy scan, everything else has seemed pointless. Maybe on my next pregnancy I'll go once in a while for a pee test, but all the bloodwork has been unnecessary.
Edit: If some people are curious and don't know what I'm talking about, here it is. 
https://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/34206140.aspx
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Re: Controversial, take two. lol
I still think that completely avoiding prenatal care until 20 weeks is irresponsible - and, like many mentioned, you probably will have a hard time finding someone that will pick you up as a patient at that point.
If you feel that you are being forced into tests that are not necessary then step up and take charge in your care. Talk to your midwife/ hospital about what they plan to do and why, research, and then make a decision to opt out if you feel that is best. That is just smart management of your care.
But to make a blanket statement like, I want to avoid prenatal care until 20 weeks, to me, is irrational and irresponsible.
It's not pointless if there's a chance they'll catch something that's wrong with you or LO. Good grief.
"I'll gladly take cold sores over eye herpes" -ElieFin
"Unicorn glitter gives me UTIs." -Leila'sMommy
Ditto all of this.
And there are MWs who do not bill through hospitals for prenatal care. Mine doesn't, although I do see her in-office. Several good friends of mine have worked with MWs who have private billing and their prenatal appointments are at home. It's still prenatal care. Just less costly & with less interventions.
Your husband also thought that pushing on your stomach would cause a deformity in your child.
This!
Then take charge of your own care and tell them what you do and don't want done. Avoiding prenatal care completely probably isn't the best way to go.
Given you've posted about this twice, I guess you are looking for continued attention/controversy. Smells a bit AWish.
If you want less testing then ask what testing is required by law, what each test is for and then make a decision. Educate yourself.
Urinalysis tests can actually show a handful of things. Protein and glucose can indicate a kidney problem as well as clue into a woman having GD. Preterm labor can be caused by a simple UTI that would be shown an any basic urinalysis. It may seem like a little no-big deal test, but it could be the difference between preterm labor that leads to a baby being born way too soon. I have seen it happen.
And if you looked into the way doctors and midwive's bill patients it is usually a universal fee that covers the entire pregnancy including all of the testing done.
If you don't want people to judge you or underestimate your capability to take care of a child(ren) do your research first.
I could see waiting until 12 weeks (since some practices will only see you starting at that point). Personally, I think waiting until 20 weeks isn't the best idea for your health and that of that baby's.
I could justify opting out of the NT scan, amnio, CVS etc. (I didn't have an amnio or CVS.)
I agree with PPs that plenty of issues can be detected early on during pregnancy to help reduce risks later on.
Ok, I know you are a smart girl, and I am not going to bash you, but I will make a few statements.
As a patient, you have the right to refuse any testing. If you would like to decline the STD testing, check the laws in your state and discuss this with your doctor. And the urine testing that they do all the time? Its to check for glucose and protein in your urine, because if your kidneys are starting to go kapoot, you wouldn't know it and that would be the first thing to show (most likely).
Also, I am so happy for you that everything has been going well for you in your pregnancy, and it is your first pregnancy and you don't know any different. Your perspective might be a little different if you had a prior loss. Some losses could have been prevented (not mine), and you would have never known without close monitoring.
BFP 8/18/09 cycle #7
Missed m/c 9/16/09 (7w6d, baby measuring 6w1d)
D&E 9/25/09 at 9w1d
BFP 11/25/09 1st cycle after D&E
DS born @36w2d
~~~Labor Buddy to And Ketch~~~ BFPB to LoveBeingAWife33008
I think she is trying to find people that agree with her - which didn't really happen during her first post.
To each his own......
DS1: 10/2005 DS2: 01/2007 DS3: 09/2010
As someone who lost a baby early in pregnancy because I hadn't been to the doctor and didn't get the blood tests I should have at the right times, I can say that the tests are not worthless. By the time I got the tests something was already wrong. If I had all the tests they recommended, when they were recommended, they would have caught the hormone issues I was having and been able to supplement. With my current LO, they did catch it. I'm still pregnant so obviously they treated my issue.
Sometimes the tests aren't as worthless as you might think. Especially the blood tests.
ETA: and that wasn't meant as a flame in any way.
I think she didn't get to reply last night so she re-posted...
Wasn't there a bumpie on here yesterday that didn't have her first OB appointment until 18 weeks? I'm not sure if she lived in the US or not, but maybe some practices don't meet with you quite as soon.
I'm such a worrier. I could not imagine waiting so long!
I'm not trying to be an AW, I just thought my origional post wasn't clear.
I just stated that I probably will go in for some urine tests, but I don't think it's being irresponsible to opt out of other testing.
Also LOL pixy! Yes, we were able to clearly feel the baby's body, including legs around 17 weeks, so I don't think it's too far fetched for him to worry about hurting LO. Even though there is fluid around, he just didn't think it was enough padding.
100% Agree
I wasn't able to get in to see my midwife until 13.5 weeks and I was tense from the moment I found out I was pregnant until the moment I heard that heartbeat. Yes, I know that had I miscarried, they would not have been able to do much. But still, the thought of waiting even longer for prenatal care is just something I would never be able to do.
I agree with PP that you should take charge of your own care and discuss the possibility to decline tests that you find unnecessary. But to just completely forgo care seems irresponsible, especially if it's just a cost issue.
Considering you are posting this twice and using "controversial" in the post title... I am going to have to respectably disagree and say you are being an AW.
What testing is done that you don't want? Any tests that I had done while pregnant where all voluntary. I was never forced to do any of them. I don't understand why you wouldn't want prenatal care though. I understand wanting to opt out of the genetic testing. Thats something we chose not to do because the outcome wouldn't matter to us.
Other than that why not go & hear your babies HB? Make sure that your BP is ok & that you aren't showing sugar or protien in your urine? Those things may seem trivial but can be huge if ignored.
I think there's a HUGE different between opting out of some testing and "not going to the doctor until it's time for the big ultrasound to make sure everything looks good", as you said in your original post.
This
It does cost alot to have a baby and some insurance co. are better than others and its not a reason to jeopardize your LO's health or yours IMO
Ok I just read your OP.
When you 1st go in they give you a pap to make sure that you are healthy. That there are no abnormal cells or signs of cancerous not just STDs. The bloodwork covers a large range of things that could be helpfull later on.
They also monitor you for sugar in your urine & protien or high blood pressure.
I honestly think that you are just not realizing how important the monitoring is. Being pregnant isn't like going in for an unexplained pain & they run a bunch of tests on you to figure out what is wrong. There are usually standard monitoring that goes with prenatal care that can be a lifesaver to both mother & baby.
I think you might want to do more research & talk with your doctors more because I don't think you are fully understanding the care you are receiving.
Pixy is my hero.
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home D
I didn't get to reply last night, and I used "controversial" so people would know what I was referencing, that's all.
Right. That's why I did this post to clarify. I was tired last night, lol
Wait. Is this even possible?
Yes. I started feeling flutters at 14 weeks, DH and I both felt outside kicks at 16... When laying on my back her position was easily distinguishable that early. I even told him before our anatomy scan at 18 weeks exactly how she was laying and it was confirmed when the ultrasound started. I could feel legs.
I would be scared of ectopic pregnancy and stuff like that.
I didn't read your first post, but I am receiving wonderful prenatal care, however I do opt out of a lot of the testing. I just don't think a lot of it is necessary. My mom is an OB and completely agrees with me...she said a lot of them are done for the mother's peace of mind.
I don't really care if my child has down's syndrome, for one...I'm still going to raise it and love it as if it didn't. I'll see a specialist and do what needs to be done if my child was born with something. If it wasn't meant to be, it won't be. That's my philosophy.
I don't think she's saying she won't get ANY prenatal care...she clearly stated she would still get her urine tests and get checked out, etc... she just doesn't see a lot of the testing as necessary, and I do agree with her on that. I think prenatal care is very important, but if you find the right OB, you can both be on the same page about your wants throughout your care! Easy as pie!
I read it as you could feel the legs, as in you could put your fingers on your belly and feel the legs vs. the torso. Not that you could feel kicks.
Yay! haha.. I'm glad you didn't read my first post, because as I stated I wasn't clear last night. Most people responding today probably didn't even read my whole post because they assumed it would say the same thing. I WILL get my urine tests.
I was wondering this too?? never heard of it that early...
No, you read right. I could feel the legs sticking out from the body when I put my hand on my stomach.