Confessions of a Starbucks addict

I had asked around MDC if any of the birth professionals there knew of any water birth friendly hospitals near where we live. For a few responses I got mostly the standard response that there are none. All of them will let you labor in the jacuzzis, but none will actually allow you to give birth in one of the tub itself. All of a sudden I got a response from someone who did a rotation at St. Joseph's in Tacoma. She told me that they have two "spa suites" where they allow you to birth in the jacuzzis. OMG! Seriously?

So I called our insurance company this morning and asked them if the midwifery clinic attached to the hospital is covered as an in-network provider with our insurance. They sure are! I called the clinic then and asked if they would take a patient who is already 17 weeks along...as long as I had documented proof of prenatal care, then yes they would! I asked if they'd take a T1 patient, and yes they will! I asked if there's any way for a T1 to have a water birth at St. Joe's, and yes as long as my A1c is in check! A1c is in check, definitely. Documented proof, check. Take a T1, check. YAY!

I do still have to go to an intake appointment to establish as a patient there, so that's on the 21st. Not too far away, thank goodness.

The only thing that may make me a little leery of Tacoma is that if I go into labor spontaneously, then I won't make it to the hospital at all. I may end up needing to be induced a little early, or on my due date, in order to be sure I'm at the hospital already. I really wanted a home birth, but obviously that may not happen. Then next best thing for me is to be in a hospital, birthing in a tub. The peri's won't let me go past 40 weeks, so as long as everything is good with the baby and my bgs, then I'll be okay with a small push of an induction. Pit yes, Cytotec no. Membranes swept yes, breaking the water no. You get the idea.