Impending Hostage Situation

Last night we took a tour of the hospital where I'll be delivering the new baby.  I chose this hospital because not only is the labor and delivery room private, the mother-baby unit also consists of private rooms.  When I had Madeline it was at a hospital that had LDR[Labor, Delivery, Recovery] rooms and I stayed in that room from when I arrive in labor until she and I were discharged around 32 hours later.  Of the whole experience I had no complaints.  With Ellie I went to a hospital with a L&D room and was moved to a semi-private room which was mine alone until the last day I was there when a chain smoking c-section mom and ten of her visitors packed into the room, encroached on my space and made loads of noise.  I was also kept at the hospital far longer than I would have liked.  I was ready to go home 8 hours after delivering and was kept there for an additional 32 hours and was only discharged when I threw a huge fit that they were keeping me and the baby against my will.

Our hospital tour went well last night and I'm happy that I won't have to repeat the awful experience of sharing a room with someone.  I was not happy when the tour guide kept mentioning that after birth you spend two days in the mother baby unit.  I'm sorry, but unless there's something wrong with me or the baby I can't see a single reason why I should be kept in a tiny room, with a horrifically uncomfortable bed for two days.  Personally, I'd prefer to never set foot in the hospital, but I have a husband who insists that I have the baby at the hospital.  I think I'd rather take my chances of bleeding out after delivery than go to the "safety" of a germ ridden hospital.

I was hopeful that I would get some assurance from the midwife at my appointment this Thursday that I wouldn't be held hostage for two days after giving birth, but I'm starting to think I'm not going to get that assurance.  I took Madeline to the doctor today for a well visit and was talking to our pediatrician about newborn related concerns for when I deliver.  He's fairly certain that jaundice is in our future given our track record.  He also agrees that my little hiccuping wonder probably has reflux.  While we were talking he mentioned the blood work that is done in the hospital at 36-48 hours after birth.  Wonderful.  I'm staring down the barrel of at least 36 hours of being held hostage.

To make the situation worse, Bryan still has full intentions of carting me off to the hospital as early as possible to prolong my suffering.  I'm hoping that I will go into labor when he's at work.  If I'm lucky, he'll get stuck in traffic along the way and won't get to me until labor has progressed along a little further.  With Madeline and Ellie he was at the last OB appointment which lead to me being in labor.  Is it wrong if I intentionally tell him my appointment is a day after when  it actually is starting around 36 weeks?  This would certainly buy me a little time and get the nervous Nellie off my back.

We were just arguing on the phone a little bit ago about the fact that I don't want to be in the hospital a minute longer than I feel I need to be there.  He's insisting that I need to stay for however long they say I need to be there.  I then raised my concern about his carting me off to the hospital hours before I need to be there.  He for some reason feels that he's the one who should make that judgement call.  With Ellie I spent nearly 8 hours in the hospital before I delivered her, and with Madeline I was there for about 4 or 5 hours before I had her.  Both times I felt that I could have spent a little more time laboring on my own out of the hospital than I did.  I'd be happy if I only had to be there for an hour or so before delivering.

I think it goes without saying that I'm not a happy camper at this point.  I'll be sure to make sure I don't mention any contractions I feel once I hit the 36 week mark otherwise someone will be hauling me off to the hospital for no reason.