birthing options

[hanajohn]

hi,

i'm wondering if i get to decide the birthing options, such as natural delivery, c-section (even without complications), with a midwife or hospital. i ask this because in my home country, we get to decide for ourselves.
thanks!

[hanajohn]

hi eles,
thanks for the reply!

I actually haven't decided what i want or need, neither have i discussed this with my midwife. i guess because i'm still in my first trimester.
all my in-laws and my sister all had c-section. they also suggested me to go for a c-section because my age (36 by the time baby is born).......
i guess i just want to know that i do have my own say when it comes to this kind of thing. (my midwife is a bit of overpowering.)

thanks!

[Rip]

Home births are very rare here. I have understood it would not necessarily be too easy to find supporting personnel even if you spoke Finnish. C-sections are based on medical need (your age at least alone would not be sufficient reason), though if you are persistent with your requests perhaps after sending you to shrink a couple of times I understand they would classify pathological fear as sufficient medical grounds.

Better to talk first with the midwife and then hospital (in Helsinki area you have couple to choose from) about what kind of non.medical options they have available. I think it is realistic to say that epidural and other medical pain relief methods may start feeling better ideas than you thought when the D-day arrives.

[hanajohn]

hi rip,

thanks for the input!

do you know where the vaginal delivery is taking place, in neuvola or hospital?
do you have any idea what hospitals i can ask about c-section in turku area? turku university hospital or a private clinic such as meihilainen? how much does c-section cost?

i'll ask my midwife, but it'd be nice to hear your experiences as well.
thank you!

[Rip]

do you know where the vaginal delivery is taking place, in neuvola or hospital?

In hospital(s). I do not know if using plural is appropriate for Turku area (most likely perhaps not).

do you have any idea what hospitals i can ask about c-section in turku area? turku university hospital or a private clinic such as meihilainen?

Private clinics don't do it, and quite possibly there isn't more than on public option there,

how much does c-section cost?

If you're KELA insured, it about 30 €/day for the time you spend in hospital (the same as without section, except perhaps you'd be home one or two days earlier) . If not, then we are talking (as an order of magnitude estimate) of about 3000€. (uncomplicated vaginal delivery would be less). They don't make decisions about c-section based on your willingness to pay.

[hanajohn]

THANKS GIRLS!

I HEARD THAT I'LL SEE A DOCTOR TWICE DURING THE WHOLE PREGNANCY HERE IN FINLAND. IS THIS TRUE, AND WHEN IT WOULD BE?
I HAVE SOME OTHER HEALTH ISSUES SO I JUST THINK IT'D BE REASSURING TO DISCUSS IT WITH A DOCTOR.

SO FAR I'VE SEEN MY MIDWIFE TWICE. AT FIRST SHE WAS HAPPY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO, BUT IN THE END SHE SEEMED LOSE HER TEMPER SUDDENLY. I WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE I DIDN'T WASTE HER TIME, JUST SHE NEEDED MORE TIME TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO ME IN ENGLISH (SHE WAS NOT FLUENT, AND MY FINNISH WAS POOR.) SHE MADE ME FEEL IT WAS MY FAULT AND I TOOK TOO MUCH OF HER TIME. I WAS NERVOUS OF TALKING TO HER, AND THIS IS MY FIRST PREGNANCY, SO IT'S 10 TIMES PANICKING FOR ME. HOPE IT'LL GET BETTER NEXT TIME.

THANKS AGAIN!

[Tiwaz]

Ask for another midwife, one with better fluency in English. They are on schedule AFAIK, so she might have had another patient lined up and getting pissed off as well.

As for c-sec and natural. As said, c-sec is only performed when there is some medical need (for those who insist there is the option of being diagnosed with "pathological fear").

It is surgery, not clipping of toenails, so they prefer to avoid performing it. Surgeries always carry dangers of infection and accidents.

[Rip]

Sorry about the midwife. I presume in your situation I would try ask from the healthcare centre if they had one with better English skills available, saying you thought communication was rather difficult (I would avoid making it sound worse than that as you are likely to keep on visiting the same place)

If you are not experiencing any actual problems you will not see doctors much. I think there are two general ultrasound check ups (performed by doctors at hospital) first one around week 10 and the second around week 20, otherwise we had the first visit (officially confirming that we're expecting a baby) and one other one a couple of months later in the Neuvola (where we also got the paper for the maternity package/money). Otherwise I think there is no doctor visit in the general program except couple of weeks before the due date, when they will check again how they should plan with the labour.

[Tiwaz]

And to make sure you have no fantasy about doctor being present there when you give birth.

They won't be. It is midwife show pretty much from start to end. Doctor might, and that is very much might, visit during the final phase, will arrive to do some needlework to get better painkillers in but that's it.

If you see much doctors when giving birth, something has gone horribly wrong.

[Rip]

If you see much doctors when giving birth, something has gone horribly wrong.

That is bit of an overstatement, at least the "horribly" part. If things don't progress too well, they start thinking about other options.

[am I Finnish yet?]

Also keep in mind that if you are concerned about something, you can go the route of making a regular Dr's appointment at terveysasema.