Ok, New Years Resolution starting now, November 20th 2012, update the blog more.
As I stated in my first blog early on in the pregnancy I came across differences between English and American culture of what I thought with the whole pregnancy experience. As I continue on this journey the differences keep occurring, again not good or bad, just differences. First pregnancy therefore I don't have a lot to compare to since I have never been pregnant or given birth in America. So if you read this and feel that my judgements on how things are handled in 'Merica are altered due to such things as Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up, Friends, and such please feel free to set me straight. Comments are ALWAYS welcome.
So once Giles and I took 1,400 pregnancy tests we booked a doctors appointment thinking it was the right time to put our new inexperienced life into their hands. Before going I drank plenty of water, pretty positive they would indeed want a sample of their own to make sure I didn't have Munchhausen Syndrome and I was in fact preggers. And we would talk about the birthing plan and scans and all that such. Boy was I wrong. And mom if you are reading this, mark it in the books, I am freely stating that I, Malia Wood, was wrong. So we get up to the receptionist, tell them our names, I say...
"Well I think I'm pregnant."
Response: "Have you taken a pregnancy test that came up positive?"
"Yes"
"Congratulations!!!! Here is your packet and here is the clinic to call to talk to your mid wife to book your appointment."
And that was it. I left asking Giles, "Is that all? Are they really going to take our word for it? What if I was lying? What if I just wanted attention and this was my strategy? Man I really have to go to the toilet.What if all the pregnancy tests were wrong? Don't they want their own proof?What if....what if...what if..."
And so we left, got into our car and called the clinic. I spoke with another receptionist, named Sally who again congratulated us, and said that my midwife would be Laura and she would call us in the next few days.
Again my out loud thoughts to my husband... "Well doesn't Sally want my pee? Why doesn't anyone want my pee to prove that I am pregnant?! Man, everybody is so trusting in your country."
A few days later, Laura calls us, asks us if we would like to meet her in the clinic or if we wanted her to come to our apartment to meet us. Since still not driving over here and Giles' schedule being so random we planned on meeting at our place.
She came, this time I was SURE she was going to need a sample of the urine. Yep you guessed it, no pee was taken. She is as sweet as a button and the more I have met with her the more I have come to the conclusion that I will make her my friend after this is all over, doubling my friend count to 2 in this town. Score. But to be honest when I first met her it was kind of a Doogie Howser moment. I still to this day do not know her age but she honestly does look like she could be 2 or 3 years younger than me. My first thoughts, "It's just like the movies. I will be giving birth and the person responsible for my baby is a youngin' Great." So during our at home visit we discussed all the basic questions, are you allergic to anything? Drinker? First pregnancy? Major surgeries in the past? And so on, and so on, and so on. Other than again no urine sample being taken the things that really caught me off guard were when Laura told me....
A. She is going to be my midwife through the whole pregnancy but when it comes to birth she will not be there. She is an at-home-birthing midwife so unless I am wanting to pop bean out at our apartment she will not be with us. I am going to meet my midwife and doctor the day I go into labor. Just a little side note, if anyone has seen Knocked Up, Katherine Heigl would not have been ok with this. I am however, although to be honest when she was first explaining this to me I was a little frightened.
and
B. When I first feel labor pains and contractions I have been advised to make myself a cup of tea, sit on the couch, pop my feet up on the table and watch some good 'ol television. It's not until the contractions are about 5-7 minutes apart that I'm supposed to be thinking about heading to the hospital (which I am supposed to be keeping track of by a wrist watch).
Since this sounded so incredibly foreign to me I asked Laura would it be ok if the minute I felt any pain if I could head straight to the hospital with Giles driving recklessly through the streets and me screaming whilst breathing "Hee Hee Whooo. Hee Hee Whooo" After laughing at me she said sure, it's completely up to how I feel and what I am comfortable with, it's just what women here usually do.
It wasn't until our 12 week scan that we saw baby bean and I was then convinced that I did not have Munchhausen Syndrome and the baby is real. But for those 12 weeks, believe you me, there was a lot of wondering whether or not bean was just a figment of those measly four pregnancy tests, one being the price of a candy bar.
So all women out there, I ask "Have my misconceptions been created by the entertainment industry? Are my thoughts and beliefs on how the labor process is supposed to go unrealistic? Is it absurd of me to not give a rat's ass about what's on television and worry more about bean wanting to come out into this new world?
Stay classy San Diego.
xx
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