Olives and Midwives

Let’s all pause for a moment and bow, collectively, to the wonderful Julia, who has provided me with a successful treatment for my morning (otherwise known as all-motherfucking-day) sickness.

After reading her blog yesterday, I was overwhelmed with a craving for olives. I had a long day planned (work, a committee meeting, a regular meeting, then dinner at the diner afterwards) and no olives in sight, so naturally I called my husband to come to my rescue.

How sweet is he? He went to the grocery store and not only bought a large bottle of olives for home, but a small 3oz emergency bottle of olives. He gave them to me right before the meeting, and I ate them all, even downing the juice like some sort of freak.

It helped. My stomach felt better. I went to the diner, and I ate almost a whole meal! I ordered their steak dinner (remarkably good for a diner) and ate about ½ the steak, ½ the mashed potatoes, and most of the salad! I haven’t eaten a whole meal in nearly three weeks!

I went home, slept well, and started my day off with just a touch of olive juice. I feel better today; not well enough that I’m worried I lost the babies (although the thought that one is gone has crossed my mind) but well enough that I might not need that Zofran prescription my doctor called in for me today.

I also started taking an additional vitamin B6 supplement (there is a fair amount in my prenatal) on Monday, and I’m wondering if that is helping too. All I know is that I can work, sort of, and sitting upright doesn’t make me have dry heaves every twenty minutes.

I have my next ultrasound on Friday, so we will see what’s going on in there, how the little baby is doing now. I’m looking forward to it, and totally open to whatever the ultrasound shows (well, except maybe that both are gone—that I’m not up for).

Call me crazy, but I want, especially after so much medical intervention was necessary to achieve pregnancy, to have a natural childbirth if possible. I know the best way to assure that medical intervention is a last resort, instead of the first one, is to use a midwife.

So I called our local birth center, a rather famous one (they did a Birth Day there). My friend had her daughter there last March, and it was a wonderful experience for her. Someone in her childbirth class was pregnant with twins, so it was my understanding they accepted women with twins (although you have to be delivered at the hospital, not in the center). And they did—last year. With the increase in medical malpractice insurance costs, they no longer can accept twins.

So I called another midwifery center, one associated with a local hospital. Nope. They’ll do prenatal care until 24 weeks, and then turn you over to a doctor.

After some Google research, I did find a midwife who works with a hospital not too far from me. Her assistant said she probably would do twins, at the hospital (which is fine with me, and preferable for my husband). Her office, though, is almost an hour away. Sigh. I set up an appointment anyway, and I guess we’ll see what happens. I hope we don’t get all the way out there and they tell us they don’t do twins. Sigh. At least they accept my insurance!

Comments

[Moxie]

1.

Hooray for the olives. Who knew?

I really hope this midwife does twins. It would make everything so much easier, if you want natural birth, to have a midwife.

[Jen P]

2.

well yeah for the insurance acceptance! Gosh, that's a rare thing these days!

And olives! I love to drink the juice. I would have olives every day if they weren't so damn high in sodium. Mmmm...

Glad to hear you're feeling better and good luck with the scan.

[Julia]

3.

Glad the olives helped! I had no idea they cured morning sickness... I rely on the Zofran for that in extreme cases.

[Anne]

4.

Olives, who knew! I'm glad they're working.

[Stacey]

5.

Olives? You've got to be kidding me, I suffered for four months and all it took were olives? :D

I don't even like the damn things and I would've tried them atleast once!

[Ellen]

6.

Olives, thatis funny. I inhaled olive sandwiches , olive, cream cheese and mayo on sliced bread, when I was pregnant and I thought it was just me that was weird. I craved anything slaty too so maybe that is it. Glad you are efeeling better-hey whatever works right?
I will be thinking of you for oyur next u/s.....

[Brooke]

7.

okay...never heard of the olive thing...but hey if it works...it works ya know!

And also...I found it quite funny that at my work our 'websense' blocks me from viewing your website and the reason given is that your website is "tasteless"...that gave me a good chuckle...and every now and then I try and go here just so I can read the word "tasteless" and chuckle to myself....just thought I'd share...

[romey]

8.

Before every one goes off and gives advice about how to treat simple morning sickness,
They should know zofran is given only to women who are severely sick starving and dehydrating from morning sickness, they look for weight loss, and the result of not taking the med is most likely harm to both the mother and unborn child. If you have the ability to eat more than a teaspoon of food an hour, theirs a good chance you don't need the drug. But at 30 bucks a pill you probably have it because you need it only 2% to 5% of pregnancies require the aggressive treatment. Its best that one realizes that its almost a guarantee that the child will have problems if you can’t, eat folic acid is required for neurological development during the 1st trimester, my 1st pregnancy I went with out treatment and the baby lived only 2 months with sever brain deformations, because I could not eat. Or take my prenatal vitamins, Zofran was given to me with my next pregnancy and I have a healthy daughter who not only seems fine, but could count to 10 and say her abc at the age of 2, she has a grate imagination and is very loving..
I’m happy that zofran was an option. Weigh your risks are there more from not taking it for me there was.