Registered

Another pregnancy post! I'm growing, baby is kicking me constantly, the end is in sight! On Saturday, I'll be 30 weeks, I think. I keep losing count!

I saw my wonderful, amazing private doctor a week or so ago for my 28 week appointment. All is going well, baby is growing on her own growth curve. The cystic hygroma is still there but the doctor is unconcerned as her heart and blood flow is good. There's still time for it to resolve naturally and we are still hoping that it does. I think if not, they can drain it if necessary at birth, but of course we'd prefer it to resolve without needing any medical intervention!

Now that I'm in my third trimester, I knew I could not put off registering at the hospital I need to deliver at any longer. I have a love-hate relationship with this hospital. I've delivered all my kids there - but it is a public hospital and there is little sympathy or hand-holding. You have to insist on the things that are important to you otherwise you will be just one more "case" in their "production line". Medically, they are the best hospital in Hong Kong. Socially, I think they might be one of the worst - however there are a lot of bad hospitals (socially) here. A lot of outdated policies, rude nurses, people who should never have gotten jobs in hospitals. Being from Australia, it bothers me a lot - but the locals seem to accept it and don't let it bother them.

I went to make the appointment to register and got reprimanded by the admin staff for registering too late. She kept going on and on about how I can't register this late. I told her flat out "I don't want to be here either, but my doctors tell me I have to be here for medical reasons. We both don't like it, deal with it." (great attitude I know). 

The next day, I had my "registration appointment". I had forgotten that it took SO LONG... you have to watch the same videos on the hospital system and breastfeeding that I have sat through two times already before you are even allowed to register. After an hour of this, I wanted to ask the nurse if I could skip the videos as I had seen them twice in the past 5 years already. I got myself a talking to again for asking that. "You're wasting my time, it would be faster for everyone if you didn't bother me with these questions and just sat and waited for me to call your number." I went out and had a mini cry because these attitudes are exactly why I didn't want to be there in the first place. When I did have my appointment with her (45 minutes later), she was much more civil and I was too tired of it all to make more of a fuss. 

This week, I had my first appointment with the obgyn. I was already a bit worked up from my previous two experiences and wasn't expecting anything great, but jotted down some of my questions/requests to see if they can accommodate them. 

Basically what I wanted was:

a) as few follow up obgyn appointments as possible - I prefer to see my private doctor.

b) I needed to get in to see prenatal diagnostics so that they can "formally" diagnose this baby

c) I wanted to still be considered "low risk" for the pregnancy, as we know the diagnosis and there is no increased risk of premature labour or other pregnancy related complications - the only difference in medical care is specifically for the baby after she is born, not for me.

d) I wanted to discuss my options for pain relief during labour given my recent spinal surgery

e) I need to arrange to meet with the neonatologist (whom I have already emailed) to discuss this baby's care once she is born.

I was SO BLESSED to have one of the nicest obgyn's that I've ever had in my (now) three pregnancies at this hospital. She listened to all my requests and did everything she could to accommodate. I do not have to have ANY follow up obgyn appointments with the hospital at all until I am 36 weeks pregnant (way better than I was expecting!), but I do need to see prenatal diagnostics in the mean time. Prenatal diagnostics will arrange for the appointment with the neonatologist and geneticist.  In addition, I need to see the anesthetist before the baby is born to discuss which pain relief options are viable for me in labour. In my previous two deliveries, I had epidurals - mostly because this (backward) hospital prefers women to be still and silent during labour ;) I would actually like to try a delivery without an epidural but that would mean that I MUST be off the bed and moving around - which might not fit in with their ideologies so much. Anyway we'll see what comes of that. 

The only negative thing is that my private doctor does the glucose tolerance test between 24-28 weeks, and I had it done right at 24 weeks I think. This hospital does it between 28-30 weeks, so they are insisting that I repeat the test :( So that'll be my Saturday morning! (it's only offered on Saturdays, so annoying...) I also had to repeat my blood tests because there was apparently one thing that my current tests left out. 

All in all, registering at the hospital was better and worse than I expected. It needed to be done. Now it's done. We do what we have to do, right? I'd much rather not have to deal with them again at all but am trying to stay positive about it since I know this is best for baby...