Where to give birth?

[quietasariot]

So, my husband is in the military. I've heard so many awful stories about the Naval Hospital on Lester that I do NOT want to give birth there if we have another child here. I live in the Southern area of the island (Kinser/Makiminato area) if that helps.

I've heard so many wonderful stories of giving birth out in town. I've heard they are very gentle, don't require you to be hooked up to an IV, don't force you to stay laying down while in labour, etc. All very natural, ALL things I want for our second child.

How much is the cost, for an American? I mean, are we charged more? Will they accept our health insurance if at all? I'm not pregnant, but I would love to have another. I just want to make sure it's going to go *my* way this time, and that I have a great midwife. Are there lactation specialists?

Well, thank you all in advance! :D

[TheNoNamedOne]

QAAR, you might want to try the 7th Day Adventist Hospital in Nishihara. Most of their doctors and some nurses speak English and I am sure a lot of their literature is in English as well. Other hospitals out in town will not be so smooth in the communication department, and I would expect that you'd want good communication with the staff which would be responsible for bringing your child into the world.

Hope my suggestion helps. Good luck.

[DoctorP]

Chubu is probably the best Hospital on island. It is in Okinawa City, but as TP said the communication would be difficult. Lester is actually quite good. I would be a little hesitant to take military wives word for things...they love to complain a lot!

[socalheart]

I'm due in December and will deliver at Lester. I grew up going to 7th Day Adventist though. They're a great hospital. I've also heard great things about Lester's pre and post natal care.

As a military wife, it is true that we love to complain to each other, but usually only about the little stuff... like no Yoplait at the commissary. heh. A friend of mine nearly died during childbirth, but the Lester doctors pulled her through. That's a plus on my list.

I have a friend who gave birth at a Japanese hospital three times. According to her, they don't like when you make noise during childbirth. They believe a woman should be quiet and endure the pain. I don't know if it was just her doctor and MIL being that way though. It's best to take a poll of sorts.

Good luck! :)

[TheNoNamedOne]

...they [Jpn hospital staff] don't like when you make noise during childbirth. They believe a woman should be quiet and endure the pain. I don't know if it was just her doctor and MIL being that way though. It's best to take a poll of sorts.

That is true from what I have heard as well. Women are to just bear it and not bother others around her with any pain she may be feeling. Keep quiet and just push.

Perhaps they let out an occassional grunt or uncomfortable moan, but I doubt they do the theatrical screaming U.S. women are portrayed as doing. Perhaps U.S. women are spoiled or just prone to being drama queens when all eyes are on them. Not sure which.

[dk]

Or maybe it just hurts like hell and you should be able to yell if you want to. :(

Childbirth is brutal.

[TheNoNamedOne]

dk, did your wife scream out, or for the most part did she just push and bear it?

[dk]

She just pushed pretty quietly but if it were me I would have been swearing up a storm. Women should have a right to yell if they want. If it's a problem with the noise reaching others in the building, they should soundproof the room. Easy/cheap solution.

Is this the only culture women aren't allowed to make noise during childbirth?

[TheNoNamedOne]

She just pushed pretty quietly ...

Good girl.

... but if it were me I would have been swearing up a storm.

Then you wouldn't be a good Japanese if you disregarded your culture of "gaman."

Women should have a right to yell if they want. If it's a problem with the noise reaching others in the building, they should soundproof the room. Easy/cheap solution.

They have the right. It is just that they've been conditioned to not exercise that right. If I were in the room for some reason -- like washing the windows or doing some sweeping, then I'd hope the woman giving birth would be courteous enough to create an environment for me where I can go about doing my job without being distracted.

Is this the only culture women aren't allowed to make noise during childbirth?

I don't know -- but I like it. I shrivel up when women scream and cry when hurt for any reason. I hope they keep within their true stereotype. It is more comfortable for me.

[dk]

Selfish post lol.

If I were in the room for some reason -- like washing the windows or doing some sweeping, then I'd hope the woman giving birth would be courteous enough to create an environment for me where I can go about doing my job without being distracted.

It is more comfortable for me.
The women aren't there for your comfort. They're there to deliver their children.

The only reason I replied to this thread is because you gave a broad generalization about American women. That the reason they yell is because:


They are spoiled
They are prone to being drama queens when all eyes are on themTo which I added the additional case that just maybe it actually hurts like hell. Lol, your comfort... I tell you what. When your wife is pregnant, NOTHING is about your comfort. :p The whole year prior to your baby's delivery, the man of the house is all but invisible in the eyes of friends and relatives. All you'll ever hear is "You poor girl, how are you feeling today?"

[socalheart]

:D I'm laughing so hard that I'm crying! ohmigawd... :p

Yeah, I don't care who's in the delivery room; if it hurts, I'm going to scream... a lot. Luckily, my husband is being awesome through this whole parasite infestation thing.

[thistle]

I had my second son at Adventist Hospital, I screamed the place down whild the Japanese lady giving birth at exactly the same time did not make much noise at all, I even remember her American husband beside her saying 'I know it hurts but it is the same for everyone'.
Anyway, I was not very happy with the actual birth there at all, only the after care and the food. The 'spare' deliver table was uncomfortable and a doctor I had never even seen before just appeared mins. before the baby did to deliver it, and the shot I asked for for the pain just did not come fast enough!

[TheNoNamedOne]

Your regular doctor probably didn't want to go into the room when he heard all that screaming coming out of you from there. You should have suffered in silence like the good Japanese lady near you did. Everyone would have been more relaxed and comfortable had you done so, and you probably would have gotten your shot sooner then.

No one wants to be near a screaming lady.

[dk]

Lol it's so obvious TP. *chuckle* Give these guys more credit than this.

[TheNoNamedOne]

:D I'm laughing so hard that I'm crying! ohmigawd... :p

Yeah, I don't care who's in the delivery room; if it hurts, I'm going to scream... a lot.

Jpn doctors purposely withhold the shot from screamers. They feel that giving the shot when someone is screaming is rewarding bad, not to mention rude, behavior.

I recommend you start understanding the Japanese culture of gaman and respect it while you are here. When in Rome, do as the Romans do (Just change it to Japan and Japanese). If you don't, then all the staff will talk bad about you in the cafeteria while eating their onigiri bentos when you leave.

[thistle]

Are you trying to make some kind of a joke out of this Prosecutor, because if you had ever been through childbirth you would not think it funny!

In fact, I think all the guys on this forum should stay out of this discussion unless it is to add something useful:(

[socalheart]

...if you had ever been through childbirth you would not think it funny!(

I haven't been through childbirth yet. I will be going through childbirth in six months. I have heard horror stories followed by the simple statement, "but it's worth it." Well, no duh, Sherlock! I just had a friend (who's the typical small Asian sort of small) give birth to an 11 pound baby. She nearly died. That's enough to scare me into a coma until it's over. She's estatic about the new baby and about surviving. She was cracking jokes herself.

These folks who give a bit of info about how childbirth is handled in Okinawa wrapped in a bit of comedy is refreshing. It makes me a little less terrified about pushing the equivalent of a grapefruit through a straw. We know it's not fundamentally funny, but when we look back on something so life changing, more positive people like to smile about it rather than be bitterly spiteful about it. And let's face it, we all look a little funny doing our breathing exercises.

Life goes on. It's a circle of life thing. It's part of God's plan... pick a god, any god. :D

[thistle]

Oh I am not bitter about it, and when it is all over, the pain is quickly forgotten, believe me:)

I am all for doing in Rome as the romans do, but this was one situation where I did what I wanted to do, and that was scream!

[quietasariot]

I actually had a fairly easy birth (of course, I'm going to regret saying that when we have another child). I didn't scream, I just muttered incoherent cuss words under my breath and grunted every so often. And and "ow ow ow" would come out but... I don't know. I just didn't have it in me to scream. I was sort of raised similarly to how you describe the Japanese woman who was silent. I'm just not a noisy person in general and I felt no real need to scream from the pain. It hurt like hell but it made me pretty happy when, after sticking me a few different times while I was in labor, the nurse (male) said I was the easiest, least bitchy patient he had ever had. Even during active labor - pushing - I just focused on wanting to see my baby, not on how much it hurt or how much pressure there was.

But, everyone is different. There was a lady in the room next to me bellowing like she was giving birth to a small cow. I had no idea why she would yell so loudly, but, to each their own :)

[Boost]

They have the right. It is just that they've been conditioned to not exercise that right. If I were in the room for some reason -- like washing the windows or doing some sweeping, then I'd hope the woman giving birth would be courteous enough to create an environment for me where I can go about doing my job without being distracted.


LoL, I know I have been out of the loop for a bit but please TP, tell me you are not seriously that insensitive towards women in labor! I understand what you mean about the over dramatics by some, but seriously, I can't imagin what a woman in labor is going through or feeling.

Perhaps we should strap down these doctors, kick them in the nuts a couple of times and see how long they can go without screaming in pain as well :)

[Tempestuous]

I hear your concerns about Lester, I heard story after story, some were so extreme, we strongly considered me going back to the US to give birth.
We seriously feared for the safety of both me and the baby.

In the end- we went with a good fam practice dr (not OB/GYN) there at Lester.
Everything worked out swimmingly! Even when the nurse was not really sure about the docs advice to send home a 7cm dilated woman....(his thoughts were we still had some time)
We went home, showered, walked Jusco, then headed back to be admitted & quietly deliver our 9lb 8 oz 22 3/4" baby boy within 2hrs of admittance.
(he was right, we had time)

FYI- don't wait until you are in agony to request medication. They only have 1 anesthesiologist, (unless things have changed) if they are in surgery then anesthesiologist has to stay with patient until they are done.
So waiting until you are in agony can delay your delivery of meds.....as things are progressing, and you can tell you are losing your ability to handle things, let the staff know, you will be wanting meds shortly. This way they can call the ane & let them know they will be being needed on the floor soon & if there is a scheduled surgery coming up they can work you in prior to it. It also gives you time to wait for them, if necessary.

Also- keep moving, don't get in bed and stay there, Sit, walk, stand, rock, squat, etc. Things move along slower laying in a bed.Changing positions helps things progress as well as helps you maintain the ability to manage pain.

[ShoHashi]

Originally posted by Quietasariot:
I've heard so many awful stories about the Naval Hospital on Lester that I do NOT want to give birth there if we have another child here.

Wow! My son was born there back in the late eighties and I hadn't heard anything bad. But then again, a lot could have happened between then and now, I suppose.

-Sho

[roxy_skyy]

:eek: I don't ever want to have kids....I've been traumatized.

[smhersweetie]

Geesh!! All this scares me to the point maybe I should wait til i get back into the states to have my 2nd child. Hubby and I was thinking maybe in like a year or so we'd plan to have our 2nd child, but in this case I think I might want to hold off until I get back to the states and thats not for another 3 years.

[DoctorP]

I think that most of the horror stories you hear about Lester are from overbearing women who want everything done for them. Lester is a military hospital first, you are having the child for free, not paying for services, what do you expect?

The only complaints I ever heard of where semi private rooms, having to keep the baby with you, having to get up and move around, etc... Doesn't sound like any hack jobs going on to me, just bitching about not being catered to!

My last child was delivered at Lester and I have nothing but good things to say. My wife didn't complain at all, well, she enjoyed Balboa better, but we are not in San Diego now are we?

[chobi]

Hi, I'm a Japanese woman who has a 10 month old baby. I had my baby at Japanese hospital in Urasoe-shi. I like Japanese hospital because I can stay at the hospital for 7days. I can't believe American hospital let you stay only a couple days!! American women are very strong. I think Japanese women are spoiled in this case. Some people gets out from the hospital early for saving money though.

I don't think you want to try this, but I will tell you just for interesting story. I know best midwife in Okinawa, she has a small clinic in Ginowan-shi, she has been delivering baby for 10 years in Okinawa in their own house. She had delivered American couple's baby once. I don't think she speaks English so you always have to bring your interpreter.

Anyway, I didn't scream so much at the delivery room, just because screaming didn't help me to get rid of my pain. My midwife told me " When you are having a pain, baby is also having a pain. You have to be strong, you are the Mom! Help your baby." and I liked it:)

[DoctorP]

My first child was born in Urasoe-shi. That was not a bad hospital, a little small, but the staff was great!

[zeldan]

Yes, do NOT give birth at the Naval Hospital. You know, they are trying to FORCE me to have a C-section for no reason?? I honestly think I'd just be better off giving birth to Ella right here on my couch.

[Tempestuous]

What are their reasons for saying you should C-section?

[zeldan]

I'm due in December and will deliver at Lester. I grew up going to 7th Day Adventist though. They're a great hospital. I've also heard great things about Lester's pre and post natal care.

As a military wife, it is true that we love to complain to each other, but usually only about the little stuff... like no Yoplait at the commissary. heh. A friend of mine nearly died during childbirth, but the Lester doctors pulled her through. That's a plus on my list.

I have a friend who gave birth at a Japanese hospital three times. According to her, they don't like when you make noise during childbirth. They believe a woman should be quiet and endure the pain. I don't know if it was just her doctor and MIL being that way though. It's best to take a poll of sorts.

Good luck! :)Eh, that makes me feel a little bit better about having Ella at Lester, so I just wanted to say thanks.

Also, they do have Yoplait at the commissary, lol, if you were being serious. I'm eating some now =)

[zeldan]

What are their reasons for saying you should C-section?Well, I had hip surgery when I was ten to correct hip dysplasia, and, admittedly, it has affect my range of motion in my right hip (not much though!), but I don't think it has affected it to the point where I would need a C-section at all. I keep telling my OB this, but, whatever, don't listen to me. I just want to have my baby as naturally as I can because it will be better for her that way.

[Tempestuous]

hmmm, contact the doctor that did the surgery and get their input. Or even a equivalent doctor of practice and see what the probability they believe is for having a vaginal delivery.
If they believed it would likely cause interference with labor & delivery I would think they would have told your parents it was a possible side effect at the time of surgery, even if it was a long way off.

I would seriously pursue it!!!
Get copies of your surgical records and get second opinions!

Where are you stationed at? If Kadena- they have a set number of OB patients they are alloted so you can see if they can take you. Also Lester's Family practice can take you too. Might be harder to switch from OB though now that you are there.

I would seriously get a surgeons opinion based on your surgical records. You don't want to have a c-section if it can be avoided, but if there is seriously a reason you shouldn't have her vaginally you need to know what that is.
You don't want to push & get a vaginal delivery if it really isn't going to be safe for the baby.

[zeldan]

hmmm, contact the doctor that did the surgery and get their input. Or even a equivalent doctor of practice and see what the probability they believe is for having a vaginal delivery.
If they believed it would likely cause interference with labor & delivery I would think they would have told your parents it was a possible side effect at the time of surgery, even if it was a long way off.

I would seriously pursue it!!!
Get copies of your surgical records and get second opinions!

Where are you stationed at? If Kadena- they have a set number of OB patients they are alloted so you can see if they can take you. Also Lester's Family practice can take you too. Might be harder to switch from OB though now that you are there.

I would seriously get a surgeons opinion based on your surgical records. You don't want to have a c-section if it can be avoided, but if there is seriously a reason you shouldn't have her vaginally you need to know what that is.
You don't want to push & get a vaginal delivery if it really isn't going to be safe for the baby.

I remember my dad being very concerned with whether or not I'd be able to have children, and honestly, at that time, I was so scared that I was going to die (so dramatic) that I didn't pay attention to a thing anyone was telling me. I've asked my mom about it and she said that she doesn't remember my doctor saying there would be a problem. I mean, I can spread my legs for an exam (sorry for being crude!!), I'm sure I can do the same for birth.

I'm not completely opposed to a C-section, it's just from everything I've been reading on them, I really want to not have one, for her sake. I feel like I'm failing already as a mother because I can't even deliver my own kid properly. Hah, hormones.

Oh, also, we are at Kadena, but being seen at Lester's Naval Hospital.

[Tempestuous]

I believe c-sections serve their purpose when they are needed. I also believe there are an awful lot done electively and....well....I will leave it at that so as not to say anything offensive.

As for failing as a mother- awww, that's just sad! Don't think like that!!
Seriously, if it isn't safe for baby to vaginally deliver then you are doing a huge disservice to her by pushing the issue, and could do more harm than good.
But I would really get a surgeons input. They should know.
The OB staff may very well know what they are talkin about, on the other hand they may be being overly cautious.
Hip rotation may not be the issue (eh, were are talkin about babies here, you weren't crude!) but they need to be communicating clearly WHAT the issue is.

It could be the fact the pelvic floor has to rotate and displace a certain way and yours may not be able to do that, or may not come back in properly if it does ??? I dunno, just guessing at what the issue COULD be, but they need to tell you what the reasoning is.
You need to be fully informed on both sides here to make the best decision for you and the baby.

[zeldan]

Hm, yeah. I mean, if I need one, I'll get one, I just REALLY think I don't need one.

Maybe I do... My mom had one with me after 33 lovely hours of labor, so maybe I got her structure (I think the problem was my big head didn't have enough room to pass through, and I wasn't moving much), and that coupled with my hip thing probably isn't the best situation. I just wish I could have her vaginally, but we'll see how it goes. Ooh, and a great thing: My appointment with a new OB to see if I need a C-section or not? Yeah, I got lost and didn't make it to the hospital. (My husband couldn't take me because of some stupid thing he had to do at work that "couldn't" be rescheduled because "they were pissed at him" for missing a prior class because of my having to go to the ER.... Yah.) So now I have to schedule another appointment, which will take probably three weeks for me to be seen. Lovely. Haha, I sound bellicose in just about everything I've said in this thread. I'm blaming the pregnancy hormones.

[Tempestuous]

Personally I would give you a high five for not just giving up & saying that you are gonna have one and really double checking and looking into it.
*high five* :D
If they say you need one, you need one.
But perhaps a double look into it they will see it isn't necessary.
Good to double check!

[DoctorP]

If you PM me, I will give you a name of a great Dr to talk to at Lester.

[Tempestuous]

If you PM me, I will give you a name of a great Dr to talk to at Lester.

You just want her to PM you!!!
;)

Don't let him tell you HE is an OB/GYN!! :rolleyes:

[DoctorP]

No I am not an OB...I'm a urologist hence the name DrP :p

[dk]

No I am not an OB...I'm a urologist hence the name DrP :p
Are you kidding? That's hillarious!

[Tempestuous]

No I am not an OB...I'm a urologist hence the name DrP :p

*shakes head*

Oh goodness, I can see this getting waayyyy outta hand. :D

[zeldan]

Personally I would give you a high five for not just giving up & saying that you are gonna have one and really double checking and looking into it.
*high five* :D
If they say you need one, you need one.
But perhaps a double look into it they will see it isn't necessary.
Good to double check!

Aw, thanks. My friends think I'm CRAZY for not taking the offer of a C-section and skipping the pain, as they say. Okay, so, not that this is a real reason to not want one, but I have two "beautiful" scars already from my hip surgeries, why do I need another? Also, uh, yeah, I really need to have my strength and energy for my baby when she gets here; having to relax because of recuperation from a C-section isn't going to help at all. I guess I just have a strong opinion on the women who have elective C-sections. Don't they realize the risks and the dangers they are putting not only themselves through, but also their babies?

[Tempestuous]

Aw, thanks. My friends think I'm CRAZY for not taking the offer of a C-section and skipping the pain, as they say. Okay, so, not that this is a real reason to not want one, but I have two "beautiful" scars already from my hip surgeries, why do I need another? Also, uh, yeah, I really need to have my strength and energy for my baby when she gets here; having to relax because of recuperation from a C-section isn't going to help at all. I guess I just have a strong opinion on the women who have elective C-sections. Don't they realize the risks and the dangers they are putting not only themselves through, but also their babies?

I hear ya!!
haven't ever had one myself, though 1 was only missed with my first one by medical neglect. Which if we were sue happy people we would have sued his @$$!!!

[zeldan]

I hear ya!!
haven't ever had one myself, though 1 was only missed with my first one by medical neglect. Which if we were sue happy people we would have sued his @$$!!!

I think that's what happened with my mom. They didn't want to do a C-section with her, and I wasn't moving at all, and they were just going to wait for some kind of divine intervention for me to come out. She basically begged for one. I don't blame her. Thirty three hours of labor with no real progress?? That's insane. I was a fussy little baby in the beginning. Didn't wanna come out. Didn't want to breast feed, ever. I really hope my baby isn't like that.

[Tempestuous]

There is a cranial sacral dr that said C-section babies often have a harder time breastfeeding as they don't go through the birth canal which moves and adjusts the skull plates making it easier to get the correct suckle & latch needed for the breast.

Now that doesn't mean they CAN'T breastfeed, just means many have more issues with it. 1 of my friends bf all 4 of her c-section kids with little to no issue.

[zeldan]

Aw, well, I guess that does make sense. I wonder if it would have made a difference in my facial structure if I had been a vaginal birth?

[Tempestuous]

Isn't it crazy how all the little pieces come together?

[ststephen65]

well we tried to do a home birth, was going to our midwife every week, had everything prepared, jen was term and at the last min ana flipped and she was compound breached so we had to do a c-section. we had it done at AMC. very pos exp

[socalheart]

We're concerned about having to do a c-section. I prefer to drug me up and have someone push on the belly from the top. :p heh. We're going to try to to do this with excessive amounts of drugs and minimal effort. Ha! Seriously, we haven't discussed details with the doc yet. The parasite is currently bigger than normal, and I am not; so, I may not have a choice after a while.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Socal, if I had to squeeze something out that large through a small orifice with lots of nerve endings, I would go the heavy drug route, too.

Funny you call it a parasite. lol. Be careful though, I was dogged just for referring to them as 9 month time bombs. Parasite sounds good, too.

[socalheart]

I'm allowed to call it a parasite. Heck, it's feeding off me like a tapeworm, but instead I'm gaining weight. Until you get your own parasite, you can't call it that. Haha! :p If anyone wants to give me sh!t for calling her a parasite, they have the right to do so, based on that whole open forums thingy. Then I'm permitted to open a can of pregnant hormones on them and snap my fingers with the whole exorcist head thing. Yeah, that's right... don't mess with a pregnant woman who didn't finish therapy. (insert swivel head smiley here) :D

[quietasariot]

All I'd expect out of Lester is:
don't force me to have a c-section - this nearly happened with my daughter because labor wasn't progressing fast enough for THEIR needs (this was at Camp Pendleton, in California).
do not repeat DO NOT feed my kid formula/sugar water - and I'd like a lactation consultant to help with breastfeeding. etc.
unless i'm over two weeks overdue, I don't want to be induced. Due dates are a general thing - they usually go by the first day of your last period, which doesn't make sense, because you ovulate roughly 14 days after the first day of your period (I can attest to that!).

ok, I'm rambling, sorry :P

But... zeldan, good for you for doing your research! if you happen to meet your new obgyn and s/he is good, let me know! :D

[ProtoEVO]

Ok this is another case that I did not want to read the whole thread, but I have an opinion, so sorry if this has already been said.
1. I am in Navy Medicine and worked for over a year in Labor & Delivery. Back in P'Cola, not here in Oki. We always had a high standard of care, but not always the stuff that "Private Hospitals" could afford because of premium patient costs.
2. That being said, I recommend Adventist Medical Center. Not sure if Dr. Vaughn is still there but he was when both my children were born there and he is awesome. Big plus is moms are not pushed out the door right away. Expect to stay for about a week and relax and bond with baby before having to go home and do everything. The nurse staff there will take great care of you and your child.

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Me & my gal just had a baby at AMC, and another couple we're friends with did too. Positive experience for both us couples, in general. Like any hospital, some docs are good, some are not. You must be insistent and ask to deal with only those you are comfortable with (except in an emergency, naturally). The nurses were all professional and well trained, and had piles of great advice on child care and breastfeeding. The rooms were ok, the food was so-so. English is spoken by many staff, but literature in English is sparse and appears to be photocopies of documents from the '50s and '60s. As I mentioned on another thread, fathers who wish to cut the umbilical cord are no longer allowed to do so, based on the complaint of ONE japanese doctor.

As to c-sections, they are very common in Japan. Insurance covers a larger portion of the c-section cost than for natural birth. Also, c-sections can be scheduled for business hours (you pay extra for births outside of 08:00-17:00 Mon-Fri). The father can schedule his time off work well in advance. It is a matter of cost and convenience in Japan.

[thistle]

I believe Dr Vaughn is still at AMC, though I have never been back there since my son was born there 9 years ago. I think he is an excellent Doctor, but unfortunately was nowhere to be seen during my actual birth, which was my whole point in choosing that hospital to begin with. Although he did check me when I came in, and knew I was there in labor.
Their facilites are only large enough to cope with one birth at a time, not simultaneous births.

[socalheart]

I grew up going to AMC, but can't afford the extra cost now. Dr. Vaughn was actually my doc for a while, and still is for my mom. Honestly, he kinda creeps me out, but is a good doctor. I'll take my chances with the military hospital. I've heard as many good stories as bad.

[ProtoEVO]

I believe Dr Vaughn is still at AMC, though I have never been back there since my son was born there 9 years ago. I think he is an excellent Doctor, but unfortunately was nowhere to be seen during my actual birth, which was my whole point in choosing that hospital to begin with. Although he did check me when I came in, and knew I was there in labor.
Their facilites are only large enough to cope with one birth at a time, not simultaneous births.

Looks like our boys are about the same age.
We almost didn't make it in time with my daughter. My wife went straight to the delivery room and the on call OB delivered her. I cut the cord with my right hand while holding my son in my left.

[coldnoodles]

All I'd expect out of Lester is:
don't force me to have a c-section - this nearly happened with my daughter because labor wasn't progressing fast enough for THEIR needs (this was at Camp Pendleton, in California).
do not repeat DO NOT feed my kid formula/sugar water - and I'd like a lactation consultant to help with breastfeeding. etc.
unless i'm over two weeks overdue, I don't want to be induced. Due dates are a general thing - they usually go by the first day of your last period, which doesn't make sense, because you ovulate roughly 14 days after the first day of your period (I can attest to that!).

ok, I'm rambling, sorry :P

But... zeldan, good for you for doing your research! if you happen to meet your new obgyn and s/he is good, let me know! :D

When I delivered here at Lester, they wouldn't allow me to have C-section. They were trying talking me out of it. They prefer a vag. delivery. They only do C-sections if its life threatening. They don't recommend inducing, unless life threatening.

I went thru the chain of command, filed so many compliants to get a C-section w/a General and tubes tied. Here I was dilated at 3 at 34wks I can't feel contractions, and they kept refusing me a C-section. I am very high risk, I refused to take blood thinners, but they go by what they are told. They don't recommend tube tying, cuz this Island has the highest baby making per year.

[Hollarey]

Nobody recommends tube tying anywhere really. They tried to talk me out of it in florida. I have three kids, i dont want anymore. My husband ended up getting fixed. However, they tried to talk him out of it too. They just try to make sure that is what you want so you arent coming back later asking them to reverse it.

[coldnoodles]

At Lackland AFB, they recommend it to most people that are high risk or have too many kids! I was going to get tubes tied at Lackland, cuz of my history, but I got pregnant with baby #4..

[DoctorP]

Big plus is moms are not pushed out the door right away. Expect to stay for about a week and relax and bond with baby before having to go home and do everything. The nurse staff there will take great care of you and your child.

This is the case at most Japanese hospitals, I know it is in Urasoe, and Chubu.

[dawn_gazer]

hello, everyone! i am really hoping that some japanese women who have just recently given birth or foreigners could give an information about the cost of giving birth here in okinawa...:)

i am due to give birth in november at ITOKAZU HOSPITAL in naha city. i haven't really asked about how much they are going to charge me for a normal delivery (i don't know but up until this time i still feel a little bit shy to raise the question:( )

anyway, would anyone here know how much it cost give birth in okinawa? i hope to hear replies soon:):):).

thanks a lot!

dawn