Thread: My homebirth dreams have been shattered

I'm still trying to process it all. I was so excited, I had my DS in the hospital and even though it was overall a good experience, I was so excited to try a home waterbirth, My MW even hooked me up with a free birthing pool rental.

Well FF to thursday, my 32 week MW appointment, everything was going well and then she asked me how I was feeling. I told her other than the weekly pukes that I'd been blessed with since just before the start of the 3rd trimester, I was great, and then said "well other than the itchies, I've had for two weeks, must be the winter wreaking havoc on my skin" she immediatly questioned if there was a rash.. nope, no rash, her face dropped a bit, not what I expected. She then told me about a condition called Cholestasis, here's a great website if you want to know what it is http://www.itchymoms.com/, the jist of it is, my liver is creating too much bile acids and it's spilling into my blood causing the itching, it's not a regular itch, it almost feels like an allergic reaction itch, way below the skin and internal.

Friday my MW's came to the hospital with me for blood tests, urine test, and NST. the results came back and they're pretty sure that's what it is, my bile acid test comes back in two weeks.

so this is what it boils down to.

-My MW now has to share care with an OB at the hospital
-My homebirth plans have gone out the window
-I had to get two steroid shots because pre-term labour is a risk of Cholestasis, and with this condition it's best not to be pregnant past 37 weeks 38 at the latest, so they want the lungs to be as developed as possible
-I have to go for BPP U/S every 2 weeks, Blood draws every 2 weeks and NST's every 2 weeks
-Labour will have to be induced no later than 38 weeks and as early as 36 weeks.
-I am on medication for this condition that I take twice a day
-I have to start a special diet of foods to keep the Cholestasis at bay, it's not too bad but dammit, I want junk LOL

First of all I'm scared sh!tless of induction, my MW was great and said she'd attempt the most natural methods first before we have to resort to pitocin.

Second-I wanted to go as natural as possible with this one, I'm afraid to be induced before my body is ready which in turn, as we all know, could lead to C-section.

anyway, thanks for listening to my sob story if you got this far. I'm still hoping the birth can be as natural as possible. If you have any good natural induction methods that I can store away in my brain for when the time comes I'd be forever greatful, I'm freaking out about the pitocin induction BIG TIME.

Oh man! That sucks!!! I'm so sorry you are disappointed and then to face a possible induction on top of that! I'm sure all will be well, but in the here and now I bet this is all super frustrating.

I hope your birth can happen with as few interventions as possible!

I am so, so sorry! I hope that you will still have a wonderful, natural birth even if it is not at home.

My midwife has a "cocktail" that she says has worked for 100% of the women she has had use it. My good friend used it just three months ago and her baby came so fast she gave birth in the car on the way to the hospital... I'm not kidding. That was six hours after she drank the "cocktail." My midwife doesn't usually recommend it until after women have passed their due date, so I don't know the success rate if you take it earlier, but I will ask my friend for the recipe. I would use it as a last resort, though. It contains castor oil and is not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it sure does work.

Thoughts and prayers going out to you that you will be able to be calm and peaceful about the situation, and have an absolutely wonderful birth. I'm so sorry that you won't be able to have it at home. It's so hard to lose our hopes/expectations. The best thing anyone told me after my DD's birth didn't go the way I had hoped, was that it was okay for me to mourn the loss of my hopes/expectations regarding the birth. Once I did that, I was better able to deal with everything.

I am so sorry I can't imagine how disappointed you are, but sounds like your MW is on top of it and hopefully the natural inductions will be successful!

I'm so sorry to hear about this! It really sounds like it is a very serious high risk condition that warants a high risk managment approach. I haven't heard much about it before. I hope you can have as low-intervention birth as is safe under the circumstances! If you have to be medically induced, ask about less-invasive options like cervadil and the foley catheter before moving on to pitocin. If you have to have pitocin, make sure they start at a very low dose and gradually increase. It is may not not be exactly like a spontaneous labor, but it is more like it than starting at a high dose. It is more difficult to cope with labor when you are induced because you have to be in the hospital the whole time. Make sure you have whatever relaxation methods you want to use prepared and be ready to use them immediately when the induction is started. Good luck, hun, and I'm really sorry you had the misfortune to have this condition!

I am going to defer to Brittany because she said it really well. I am so sorry you are dealing with this. Hugs to you.

I'm so sorry you are facing this, I'd be mourning the loss of my homebirth also. I hope you're body starts things on its own when the time comes. I was induced with my son and Pitocin isn't a joy ride but if you do have to face it remember once the contractions start you can ask them to turn it down or off to let your body take over. I wish I had known that when I went in.

I'm glad you have your MW to help things along naturally, best of luck!

Cindy

That totally sucks, I'm so sorry.
Someone on here (maybe Mia from sept. 2010) I though had this same condition too.

I am so sorry KUP on how your blood work comes out. I hope everything turns out ok and you have a safe delivery!