Tuesday, August 29, 2006
So we're back Canberra and there are still only two of us.
But I've gotta get rich. The stay at the Marriot completely spoiled me.
Lib* had another visit with Dr Tam , which is fortunate because she seems to be getting the first signs of labour. Basically she is in stinking pain for short periods which aren't regular. I took yesterday off work to see her through the day and I just followed after her.
Dr Tam was helpful - see you next week, he says. It will come when it comes he says, drugs are FINE, he says.
So, no kid. But the Little Unit becomes real, real soon.
Lib* had another visit with Dr Tam , which is fortunate because she seems to be getting the first signs of labour. Basically she is in stinking pain for short periods which aren't regular. I took yesterday off work to see her through the day and I just followed after her.
Dr Tam was helpful - see you next week, he says. It will come when it comes he says, drugs are FINE, he says.
So, no kid. But the Little Unit becomes real, real soon.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Sydney? You must be crazy
We're off to Sydney tomorrow night to go to Max and Kate's wedding. We've booked two nights at the Marriott. Surely this is courting, ahem, alternative arrangements? Like, say, birth?
We always knew that the date of their wedding was going to be a cause for concern. In fact, Kate said that if we had a little unit ex utero, then it had to come along to the wedding as well.
Well, right now there is no little unit in arms, although Lib* feels that the time is close. We've been told to drive back to Canberra if labour commences. DRIVE BACK TO CANBERRA? ARE YOU CRAZY?
We always knew that the date of their wedding was going to be a cause for concern. In fact, Kate said that if we had a little unit ex utero, then it had to come along to the wedding as well.
Well, right now there is no little unit in arms, although Lib* feels that the time is close. We've been told to drive back to Canberra if labour commences. DRIVE BACK TO CANBERRA? ARE YOU CRAZY?
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Birthing Class
I never thought that one would need lessons on how to give birth, but after attending the ante-natal class yesterday I am not so sure.
Lib* and me opted to take the full day class. This is partly because we are quite busy, but mostly because we forgot to enrol earlier on in Lib*'s pregnancy and with three weeks or so left, there are frankly not enough Tuesday nights left for us - I think it's six separate sessions. This day session is effectively a crash course.
Although the class did not prescribe anything about having children, it did present various options about the childbirth process and in particular focussed on the particular pros and cons of different pain management approaches. At the Calvary Hospital, there is a focus on "active birthing", which means (as far as I can tell) approaching birth with as little interference as possible. Some people might sight say it's a little masochistic to suffer the childbirth process without pain medication, and I would be one of those people. I think I'll leave that one up to Lib*, but I am nervous about watching her go through any kind of pain.
We also watched a video about three women's experience and while graphic, was not as brutal as I expected. I took a little comfort in the diversion provided of the fashion of the mid 80s as this was when the video was produced.
We met a lovely couple, Ben and Gillian, who have recently moved here from SE Asia, although originally from Perth. Hopefully we'll catch up with those guys soon. Their ante-natal experiences in Thailand seemed quite interesting. Maybe that's for another day.
Lib* and me opted to take the full day class. This is partly because we are quite busy, but mostly because we forgot to enrol earlier on in Lib*'s pregnancy and with three weeks or so left, there are frankly not enough Tuesday nights left for us - I think it's six separate sessions. This day session is effectively a crash course.
Although the class did not prescribe anything about having children, it did present various options about the childbirth process and in particular focussed on the particular pros and cons of different pain management approaches. At the Calvary Hospital, there is a focus on "active birthing", which means (as far as I can tell) approaching birth with as little interference as possible. Some people might sight say it's a little masochistic to suffer the childbirth process without pain medication, and I would be one of those people. I think I'll leave that one up to Lib*, but I am nervous about watching her go through any kind of pain.
We also watched a video about three women's experience and while graphic, was not as brutal as I expected. I took a little comfort in the diversion provided of the fashion of the mid 80s as this was when the video was produced.
We met a lovely couple, Ben and Gillian, who have recently moved here from SE Asia, although originally from Perth. Hopefully we'll catch up with those guys soon. Their ante-natal experiences in Thailand seemed quite interesting. Maybe that's for another day.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
A tour of the hospital
We've been to the hospital a number of times over the course of Libby's pregnancy, but we thought that we should do a tour of the hospital to familiarise ourselves with what happens on the day we really need to go there.
The hospital conducts tours every Sunday for just this purpose and we trucked on down (Libby's moving along quite nicely now) to the hospital for a look.
To summarise.
A few thorny questions came up at the Q&A after the tour, however. Apparently, the private birthing rooms have baths and air conditioning, whereas the public birthing rooms do not. A question was asked as to whether a public patient use the bath if requested.
Now I'm all for maximising the use of resources, but an interesting situation arises if you're a private patient and the the private birthing rooms are taken. Tough shit. You've just paid for a public birthing room. This sounds all pretentious wanker-like, and I totally understand that. But if I am going to PAY for the privilege of all this private care, then I should bloody well get it, don't you think?
The proper answer to the question of having a bath should be: "go private". The actual answer: if they're not being used. Like I said, that sounds completely fair enough from a utilisation point of view, but a practical outcome is that a private person does not get what they paid for.
Would you get all out of shape if the hotel you stayed at didn't give you the room you paid for? I rest my case.
Interestingly, the same answer applies if all the private maternity rooms are taken. You get to share a room with three other happy mums and four times the number of visitors you'd expect if you had your own room - which you had paid for.
The hospital conducts tours every Sunday for just this purpose and we trucked on down (Libby's moving along quite nicely now) to the hospital for a look.
To summarise.
- Pregnant chick enters labour.
- Call hospital let them know you're coming.
- Go to hospital
- After 8pm press intercom, instruct child bearer to hold legs together
- Establish credentials, chuck wife on gurney if required.
- Go to maternity ward and birthing room.
- Administer gas
- Administer gas to wife if required
- Have a kid
- Go to maternity suite (if you're a private patient)
- Hang around for a few days
- Come home with family.
A few thorny questions came up at the Q&A after the tour, however. Apparently, the private birthing rooms have baths and air conditioning, whereas the public birthing rooms do not. A question was asked as to whether a public patient use the bath if requested.
Now I'm all for maximising the use of resources, but an interesting situation arises if you're a private patient and the the private birthing rooms are taken. Tough shit. You've just paid for a public birthing room. This sounds all pretentious wanker-like, and I totally understand that. But if I am going to PAY for the privilege of all this private care, then I should bloody well get it, don't you think?
The proper answer to the question of having a bath should be: "go private". The actual answer: if they're not being used. Like I said, that sounds completely fair enough from a utilisation point of view, but a practical outcome is that a private person does not get what they paid for.
Would you get all out of shape if the hotel you stayed at didn't give you the room you paid for? I rest my case.
Interestingly, the same answer applies if all the private maternity rooms are taken. You get to share a room with three other happy mums and four times the number of visitors you'd expect if you had your own room - which you had paid for.
