Betsy Bailey

As far as OBs go, I think mine is amazingly crunchy. For example, when she saw I was reading the Spiritual Midwifery book while I was waiting for her, she said, "Oh, great book!!!" She's into all kinds of unconventional and alternative therapies, offering doula services, accupuncture/pressure, reiki services right in her facility.

So it surprised me yesterday when she casually suggests an ultrasound for no medical reason whatsoever.

It went something like this: At my appointment yesterday I measured a little low (34 cm – I'm 36 weeks) and after she measured, she asked when I had my last u/s. (28 weeks) Then she says casually, "Let's get another one to check his size."

I measured dead on last week, so I was blindsided by this. I was noncommittal, but my head was screaming "WTFFFFF???"

I didn't even know WHY she'd order the u/s. Upon brief palpation she said she doesn't think he's going to be as big as my earlier babies (8-9 lbers) – the exact opposite of what my midwife said LOL – so the test here isn't to feel sure I can VBAC a "big baby." Is she worried about him not thriving? IUGR? Is she not worried at all and just routinely orders a sizing u/s at this stage of pregnancy? But I was so dumbfounded at the time that I couldn't even muster a simple, "why?"

And don't even get me started on how worthless u/s is at estimating birth weight – especially at this stage of pregnancy.

Everything is going fabulously right now <knock wood> – blood pressure is low, not a speck of swelling, babe is super active, strong heartbeat. Anyway when she checked my cervix, she said the boy isn't engaged at all.

But, even so, he's all over the place. He's in a completely different position every time I'm measured (twice a week right now between midwives and shadow care OB). I feel very confident that his position likely accounts for the measuring difference.

I'm pretty sure I don't want to get an ultrasound (thereby hopping onto the intervention train). I've been on that ride before – it's learning from that hard won experience which has me so embittered now.

I mean, sure, I'd love to see Jakey in utero again and see how he's grown. Fun!

But it's just not worth the risk. I really don't want to go in for an u/s for "size" (and my personal pleasure) and have them identify some vague long-shot something that makes them (and potentially me) all scared and anxious. If there was actually some valid concern at this point, that would be different.

[Aside: I'm particularly sensitive to this right now, too, because my midwives recently shared a story where one of their clients got risked out of homebirth because the u/s clinic (same one where I'd go, BTW) found a possible heart problem. It was all very vague and possibility and maybe. The midwives were still willing to attend her homebirth, since there was no official dx, just "shadows," but ultimately she felt too pressured/nervous by the doctors and risked herself out to hospital birth. It went wonderfully, the midwives were present. Baby was perfectly healthy - no heart problem as it turned out.]

So, anyway, wanting to know more about my doctor's motivation here before I seriously considered consenting to an u/s, I finally called the doctor's office for some clarification (after much urging from Scott who, I think, was a little aggravated by my angsting when it was all so needless what with modern telecommunications and all that).

As it turns out she's not worried about anything at all. The timing of the u/s suggestion right after the fundal measurement was merely coincidence. According to the person I talked to, doc says this suggestion was for a third trimester u/s she does routinely to check baby's growth. "It's a good thing!" the receptionist chirped.

Oh, honey. <sigh>

Anyway, that makes it easy to refuse.

GEEZ. I think my conventional OB from 11 years ago did less routine prenatal testing than I've had to consider this time.

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