I Wrote a letter to the hospital administration

[B's Mommy]

Originally Posted by nrsenadenos Would it be easier for you to just do the above scenario?

I wouldn't feel right doing that to the doctor though - he could get into a lot of trouble, and I just wouldn't be able to lie about agreeing to a c-section then blowing it off and stuff.

Originally Posted by 247mom You sound really disappointed in feeling forced to have a c/s at your local hospital. This may be totally not what you want to do, but I looked into the home birth laws for Missouri, and Licensed Midwives (CPMs) legally practice in your state, from what I quickly saw, it appears VBACS are allowed in the home setting in your state, would you consider looking into having a home birth? I have known many women who have avoided repeat c/s and many of the risks of VBACs (esp. those connected with induction) by having home births. It is a personal decision that must be carefully weighed, but I just thought I would make the suggestion. This may be a good place to try to locate a qualified midwife, skilled in attending VBACs http://www.friendsofmomidwives.org/ Either way, I hope you can come up with something that works for you, sorry this is so distressing to you, I know I would feel the same way if I felt forced to do something I didn't feel was safe Please KUP on what you decide and how everything goes!!

I did look into homebirth - it was going to be my first option, but money-wise we just can't do it. And unassisted is not even in the question in the husband department.


I was able to get in with the VBAC-friendsly OB because he's the partner of the horrible OB I had last time...I still don't know what I'm going to do...I might just send the letters revising as much as I can while still keeping it semi-short and to the point, then if/when they say no, I'll get the media involved....even if it doesn't work, it's worth a shot...if I end up in Springfield, it's going to be a fight from the moment I get to the hospital...so who knows what I'll do at that point. I wish I could just ignore the problem and it could go away...I really don't want to fight so hard for this when it should be a basic right.

[247mom]

Not trying to "beat a dead horse" but as far as the cost of home birth, many insurance comps. will cover it as "out of network" which would be that you would pay something like 20% and they would pay 80% (you would have to look at your own insurance policy to be sure- if you have insurance coverage and how much). Also, many home birth midwives will take barters or even give services for reduced fees when there is a true need. Just something to consider looking into in case the other things don't work out! I completely agree that a VBAC is not something to try unassisted!! Hope you get the birth you want!!

[bluedaisyma]

I liked the letter with leaving out the AMA part (although I did put that in MY birth plan) and with sending to a specific person....maybe you can meet with the head of the maternity ward? I am having an issue that I want resolved before I birth at the hospital, and I have sent the charge nurse/liason my letter and I stated that I knew she didn't have a say in my particular choice, but I would appreciate if she pointed me to the appropriate people. I had met her on the hosp tour and she told me to send her my birth plan and she would see what she could do in advance. So I already have someone "on my side" as it were. If you can't afford a homebirth (I can't either this time ) I would consider driving to another hospital. I am driving an hr in Washington DC traffic bc I don't want to deliver in my local one.

Originally Posted by HeatherlovesCDs My only concern is that signing something saying that you are going AMA (against medical advice) can open you up to insurance denying to pay for the birth. I'm not 100% positive on that in every situation, but I am 100% positive that checking out of a hospital early, AMA, or an number of other AMA decisions can cause insurance to deny claims. In fact, I know that if you leave a hospital AMA after birth, they can deny paying for the entire birth. So, I wouldn't be willing to sign that unless you clear it with your insurance or unless it is a risk you are willing to take.

From my experience, personally and with talking to others re: insurance, they can only deny any care you might need AFTER signing yourself out AMA. For example, I signed DS out AMA bc they wanted him to stay 2 days even though I had had 8 or more hours of IV abx before he was born and I left the same day. IF he had had complications from GBS and I had had to re-admit him, they could refuse to pay then. As it was, they paid for the whole birth, even though we left AMA.

[HeatherlovesCDs]

Blue - I've been told that many times, even by healthcare providers. However, I just googled it. Apparently, it's a myth. One site even said something like 57% of healthcare providers who were polled believed this to be true, but they surveyed 17 insurance companies and they all paid. Oops! Thanks for prompting me to look into it!

And totally OT - Just curious where you are headed? I live in the DC area (sort of) and have all my life (closer in for most of it). I was hoping to go Birthcare in Alexandria, but it's just too far for me. I'm almost 1.5 hrs away without traffic. I'd have to come all the way down 66, possibly in the middle of traffic. I may have a fst labor too. Not a good plan. I have several hospitals within an hour of me. So, I've been researching the c-sec rates and how "naturally" friendly they are. I've discovered to my horror that No. VA. c-sec rates are very high. I think it was Reston that was 49%! I remember when that hospital was open. My husband and sister were both born in Fairfax and my father spent a lot of time there and died there. Theirs is over 40 also. It really makes me very sad. I just happen to live 10 minutes from Culpeper hospital which has the 3rd lowest rate in the state, 17%. They are very open to natural things and even have jacuzzi tubs in the rooms. (Not for birthing in, but for laboring in.) I had no idea that I lucked out by moving here. I was actually pretty upset about it. I didn't want to change OB's and I wanted to deliver at the same hospital both my twins were born in. I also almost decided to go to Fauquier where my husband works because we would get a discount on our co-pay. Their rate is 34%. Not worth it!

[mibarra]

That is totally insane that they refuse all VBACs... I'm wondering if it's even legal and they just haven't gotten sued yet?? I had a VBAC no issues at all, with the hospital or my doctor. He explained the risks and let me choose, and the hospital never once attempted to pressure me into a C-section, though i did have my water broken so they could do internal monitoring. And I live in New Mexico, where things are usually BEHIND the rest of the country. Just craziness.

[nrsenadenos]

What would happen if you flat out refused to schedule a repeat C/S and then showed up in labor? Or if you scheduled the repeat C/S for like 41 weeks or something?

[B's Mommy]

Originally Posted by 247mom Not trying to "beat a dead horse" but as far as the cost of home birth, many insurance comps. will cover it as "out of network" which would be that you would pay something like 20% and they would pay 80% (you would have to look at your own insurance policy to be sure- if you have insurance coverage and how much). Also, many home birth midwives will take barters or even give services for reduced fees when there is a true need. Just something to consider looking into in case the other things don't work out! I completely agree that a VBAC is not something to try unassisted!! Hope you get the birth you want!!

I have state medicaid - already looked into the midwife thing and all that, and it's a no go insurance-wise. There is legislation in the works to cover midwives for homebirth (and birthing centers, which would actually be my case), but the chances of it actually going through this time, and before when I need it to, are low...it's been denied several times in the past already.

Originally Posted by bluedaisyma I liked the letter with leaving out the AMA part (although I did put that in MY birth plan) and with sending to a specific person....maybe you can meet with the head of the maternity ward? I am having an issue that I want resolved before I birth at the hospital, and I have sent the charge nurse/liason my letter and I stated that I knew she didn't have a say in my particular choice, but I would appreciate if she pointed me to the appropriate people. I had met her on the hosp tour and she told me to send her my birth plan and she would see what she could do in advance. So I already have someone "on my side" as it were. If you can't afford a homebirth (I can't either this time ) I would consider driving to another hospital. I am driving an hr in Washington DC traffic bc I don't want to deliver in my local one. From my experience, personally and with talking to others re: insurance, they can only deny any care you might need AFTER signing yourself out AMA. For example, I signed DS out AMA bc they wanted him to stay 2 days even though I had had 8 or more hours of IV abx before he was born and I left the same day. IF he had had complications from GBS and I had had to re-admit him, they could refuse to pay then. As it was, they paid for the whole birth, even though we left AMA.

Actually, The head of the maternity ward is already on my side - she is one of the ones who is hoping they allow me to birth there. I'm actually very well aquainted with several of the maternity staff who would be attending to me during birth.

Originally Posted by nrsenadenos What would happen if you flat out refused to schedule a repeat C/S and then showed up in labor? Or if you scheduled the repeat C/S for like 41 weeks or something?

If it comes up before 30 days before I'm due (because legally they have to give me 30 days), they'd refer me away to the Springfield clinic. If I lie about it but do it my way anyway, I could get the OB in trouble with the hospital administration if they even think for a moment he knew about it and didn't refer me away.

[borncrunchy]

Where in missouri do you live? We were very close to moving to Branson when I was about 36 weeks with DS3 and I called TONS of midwives in that area and none of them charged very much and most of them said they did sliding scales, payment plans, and all of them said they would do births for free if there was a mom in need.... I talked to maybe 7 midwives....

[bluedaisyma]

Originally Posted by HeatherlovesCDs Blue - I've been told that many times, even by healthcare providers. However, I just googled it. Apparently, it's a myth. One site even said something like 57% of healthcare providers who were polled believed this to be true, but they surveyed 17 insurance companies and they all paid. Oops! Thanks for prompting me to look into it! And totally OT - Just curious where you are headed? I live in the DC area (sort of) and have all my life (closer in for most of it). I was hoping to go Birthcare in Alexandria, but it's just too far for me. I'm almost 1.5 hrs away without traffic. I'd have to come all the way down 66, possibly in the middle of traffic. I may have a fst labor too. Not a good plan. I have several hospitals within an hour of me. So, I've been researching the c-sec rates and how "naturally" friendly they are. I've discovered to my horror that No. VA. c-sec rates are very high. I think it was Reston that was 49%! I remember when that hospital was open. My husband and sister were both born in Fairfax and my father spent a lot of time there and died there. Theirs is over 40 also. It really makes me very sad. I just happen to live 10 minutes from Culpeper hospital which has the 3rd lowest rate in the state, 17%. They are very open to natural things and even have jacuzzi tubs in the rooms. (Not for birthing in, but for laboring in.) I had no idea that I lucked out by moving here. I was actually pretty upset about it. I didn't want to change OB's and I wanted to deliver at the same hospital both my twins were born in. I also almost decided to go to Fauquier where my husband works because we would get a discount on our co-pay. Their rate is 34%. Not worth it!

Gonna PM ya!

[B's Mommy]

Originally Posted by borncrunchy Where in missouri do you live? We were very close to moving to Branson when I was about 36 weeks with DS3 and I called TONS of midwives in that area and none of them charged very much and most of them said they did sliding scales, payment plans, and all of them said they would do births for free if there was a mom in need.... I talked to maybe 7 midwives....

About 90 miles North-East from Branson. The midwife I was talking to around here wanted $3600 for her services plus another $500 for the birthing center. I'm about 35 miles from the nearest hospital, but it's down twisty state roads, so we wouldn't choose that hospital to transfer to (plus they were absolutely horrible any time we went there for anything)...so a real homebirth just isn't something we are comfortable with - it'd have to be a birthing center...and the only one that is closer than 65 miles away is the Amish birthing center that the midwife I was talking to delivers at sometimes. There are only a few midwives that have birthing privileges there, and they all charge about the same...I wouldn't be totally opposed to the birthing center that apparently just opened in Springfield since I wouldn't have to wait until I was almost pushing to show up (because obviously my chances of a successful VBAC there would be way higher than showing up in early labour at a Springfield hospital.)