MyMaine Birth

102. Birth Plans Gone Awry: When Your Hospital Closes, JulieAnne's Maine Birth Story & Current Pregnancy Journey

• Angela Laferriere • Season 3 • Episode 102

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Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • EMMC Bangor Maine Birth Story 
  • Midwifery care in a hospital setting
  • The struggles with care providers in JulieAnne's current pregnancy as Inland Hospital in Waterville closes.  
  • ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

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CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 


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We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

  • live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
  • weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
  • special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
  • Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!


Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 


JulieAnne:

We're at the appointment after the MRI at Inland and I was meeting with the OB. We were up to weekly ultrasounds at that point and I was meeting with the OB and so we were talking and he kind of just looks at me and he's like, so where are you planning on giving birth? And I was like pretty sure I'm going to deliver her here, because that's why I'm going to Inland and that was our plan. And he was like, well, there are better hospitals, you know, like Bangor or Portland, cause you're more high risk. And I was like, okay, but the plan was here, I'll never make it to Portland, cause it's my second kid If I actually go into labor on my own. And he was like, yeah, that's why Bangor might be a better option. He's like to labor on my own. And he was like, yeah, that's why Bangor might be a better option. He's like we'll discuss it further down the road. And I was like, okay, and he's looking at this. He's like, look, everything looks great. I'll just consult with you know, portland, but you look like you're great.

JulieAnne:

And I was like, all right, and I leave the appointment. I'm talking to my husband. I'm like that was really weird. It was really weird and I was talking with the other girls about how I was having a hard time scheduling OB appointments because they only have the two rotating OBs in Inland and it was very frustrating. And then my father sends me the news clipping the next day that Inland was closing on March 1st and I was like, well, that explains the very weird appointment where he didn't tell me what was happening. But I should pick somewhere else to go.

Angela Laferriere:

I'm Angela and I'm a certified birth photographer, experienced doula, childbirth educator and your host here on the my Maine Birth podcast. This is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine, of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine, From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births and home births. Every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated. Whether you're a soon-to-be mom, a seasoned mother or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you. Welcome to episode 102 of the my Main Birth podcast. Today's birth story guest is Julianne, and she's here to share all about her birth during October of 2020 at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. She is currently expecting again and shares a little bit about how this pregnancy has been going for her, as well as the struggle to find care with the closure of Inland Hospital. Hi, Julianne, Welcome to my Main Birth. Hello, so to get started, will you share a little bit about you and your family?

JulieAnne:

Yes, well, currently my husband and I have been married. We are about to celebrate our seventh year together married. He is six years older than I am and he had Hodgkin's lymphoma when he was 22. And we found out the day after he proposed, so that was fun. So we got married two weeks later, before his first surgery, and we've been together ever since.

Angela Laferriere:

Wow. So how has it been going? How is he doing? How did it go, sort of after your wedding.

JulieAnne:

Yeah, we had the wedding on the Sunday and he went in for his surgery One of the surgeries the next day, on a Monday. And the reason we got married so fast is because if I didn't, they wouldn't be able to tell me anything that happened at surgery or anything. Only his mother would know and he was like no, so we did that. And then they because it's a reoccurring cancer they gave him the absolute worst treatment possible to just try to burn it out of his body since he was 22. That way we were hoping it wouldn't reoccur. So that was about six months of treatments and he's been cancer-free for six years now. So, yay, they did have him. Uh, you know, go to the sperm bank in boston because they were like naturally you have 25% chance or less of having children naturally. So like, we've gotten very lucky with both of ours.

Angela Laferriere:

Wow. So jumping into the next question how did you find out you were pregnant?

JulieAnne:

They made us wait until a year after he had chemo because it can still affect everything, apparently. So we tried for about two years. I got really good at tracking everything possible, like I knew everything that was happening with my body. So I knew the exact moment, like I got pregnant. But then you know, you take the test four weeks later and you still don't believe it. So you just keep taking tests. But yeah, we were very excited. It took almost two years to get pregnant and we were just about we were going to give it two more months and then go try and do IVF because it's so expensive. But we got lucky.

Angela Laferriere:

So what were your thoughts in choosing your care?

JulieAnne:

I had been. My sister had gone to Dr Smith in Bangor at I can't even remember what it's called now because it closed right after we had our kids. We went and decided to go see him because it was private. My he delivered my nephew and my other friend she was also pregnant at the same time. I was Completely accidental because she'd been trying for a little bit, but I guess she got pregnant a lot quicker with this one. So she was excited that we were four weeks apart.

JulieAnne:

And of course Bangor doesn't let you take well, not Bangor necessarily well the hospital, but the private hospital in Bangor also didn't let you take. Well, not Bangor necessarily, well the hospital, but the private hospital in Bangor also didn't let you take your kids with you when you went to the appointments. So we would schedule the appointments at the same time so that I would sit in the car with her other kids while she went in and then she'd wait for me when I went in so you could watch her kids and stuff, because we couldn't take them in with us. So that was was kind of really helpful. But we both went in and did all our appointments and stuff. So that was one of the reasons why we liked the private because they were more accommodating and we felt heard.

JulieAnne:

I know the hospital this time around. Does not let you take kids. I've been having a hard time with that, oh wow, yeah, that's so hard.

Angela Laferriere:

So how were things looking throughout that pregnancy? How are you feeling?

JulieAnne:

Um, it was great. It was a little hard because I'm gonna see if I can remember if I get it right, I had a anterior placenta or posterior one, whichever one means I couldn't feel the baby. So I never felt him till like 32 weeks, and even then it was like butterfly kicks. So like I was always paranoid that I couldn't feel him, that he wasn't there. So I was always asking at checkups and we were doing lots of ultrasounds, but I was a little overweight, not a lot, but a little. So they were like you're of ultrasounds, but I was a little overweight, not a lot, but a little. So they were like you're high risk and I was like, okay, I'll take more ultrasounds, that's fine with me. So, yeah, I did end up with gestational diabetes in the last two months, so that wasn't fun. They put me on like a super strict diet and it was really hard. I also worked the whole pregnancy. That was also different.

Angela Laferriere:

So the reason they recommended more ultrasounds was because of your weight.

JulieAnne:

Yeah, that was more high risk. And then I ended up with the gestational diabetes. So they needed to check the baby more often, so I'd get one like every two weeks instead of waiting like the four weeks, which was cool. My son decided to come three weeks early. We call him our Texas Roadhouse baby because my husband's birthday is on the 10th and we went out to the Texas Roadhouse and I ate so much food. I spent the whole day counting exactly how much carbs I could eat from every single meal, so I could eat as much as I possibly could.

JulieAnne:

And then we went home and two days later my I woke up to my water had broken on her brand new mattress, so like it was felt like I was in a swimming pool and I was like, well, this is not happening. And I went to the bathroom and then made a nest out of towels and then I went back to sleep. I still didn't feel anything, though. So like I was talking with my other two friends because my other friend had just delivered a couple weeks ago the kids are 11 days apart and they were both like, well, do you have any contractions? I was like no, and then, like five hours later, they were like you should go in. Of course it was funny because I called the doctor's office and was like, hey, my water broke. And they're like no, waters don't really break naturally anymore. And I'm like, no, I last like all my water. So we had someone take us to.

JulieAnne:

Well, first I had to call my husband and be like, hey, my water broke, I need to go to the hospital. And then, of course, you know, I have a bunch of towels wrapped around me because it's three weeks early. I hadn't done my bag for the hospital or anything yet the road and he ran the whole way home and we had to babysitter for the dogs. And then we went to the doctor's office and they were like, oh, you can just wait in the waiting room. And my husband's like do you want her to sit on a towel or what? And then she stood up and looked over the little counter and she's like, oh, you're holding a puppy pad. And I was like, yeah, she's, you can go in a room. I was like, cool, thanks.

JulieAnne:

We waited in the room for like almost an hour for the midwife to come in and see how much water was in the room. And she's like, oh, yeah, no, let's just go right to the hospital. She's like I'll meet you right there, like we wouldn't have just gone to the hospital. And I was like, no, they had to confirm it. And then, because I had already started labor, they put me on Pitocin and I didn't want any needles of any kind, because I absolutely hate needles. No, but they had to do an IV, because when you're in the hospital and admitted, you have to have an IV. So they did the Pitocin and that and my husband always likes to bring it up I had gone into the bathroom to change into the gown.

JulieAnne:

While I was there, he's like, and the nurses descended and were like, what is our birth plan? We had to write everything on the board and he and I had taken a breastfeeding class together, that Thompson method, so like we'd already gone over my birth plan. He knew what I wanted, so he could like answer all their questions. And he was like it's like they waited for you to go in the room to be like does he know anything? Oh my gosh, he's like. I felt like I wasn't ready for that. He's like, but I knew what you wanted, so like I could answer all their questions. So was funny.

Angela Laferriere:

But well, at least he knew what to say and you guys had prepared. But geez, you'd think they would talk straight to you, right like yeah, it was interesting.

JulieAnne:

I'd asked a few questions when it came out, but they were more like let's get the IV in her, get some pitocin in her, because I guess once your water breaks, if you don't have the baby within the first 24 hours, the risk of infection goes up. So they were all like you could have come in earlier. And I was like but I didn't really have contractions so I didn't want to because I can't eat while I'm here. But then they were going to go put the baby's heartbeat monitor thing, the wrapper, on your belly. But it was like they were having a hard time finding it because I'm so squishy. And then they were also like you know, if you're wearing the belt, you can't leave the bed.

JulieAnne:

And I was like that is a hard no for me. I want to play with the ball and walk around and stuff. So they asked if they could do the inside baby heartbeat monitor machine thing and we said yes. Of course Now we didn't know they like kind of screw it into the baby's head a little bit. So we would have been maybe a little bit no more on that now that we knew that. But I did also like that I could play on the ball the whole time.

Angela Laferriere:

Yeah, it's hard. They call it a clip and it's very much not a clip.

JulieAnne:

Yeah, I didn't know that until a couple of years later and I was like huh. And then until like a couple years later and I was like huh, and then he has like a stork bite right here. Of course my sister has one, so it could be genetic. But then we also wondered if, because he came so fast and it was still attached to him when he was born if that's why he has the little red mark here. Yeah, so we were there for half of a day, I want to say, and it hurt when they put the IV in and I was like it doesn't feel right, and she's like it's fine and I was like okay, but then every time I bent my wrist it would make the alarm go off because I wasn't getting whatever was in the IV. And after like the third hour of it repeatedly going off because I'm playing on the ball, one of the morning nurses just told us to keep hitting the off button and ignore it.

JulieAnne:

So we didn't learn, until second shift came on for the night shift, that that was turning off the Pitocin. So I was going for hours without it till the night shift was like no, no, no, no, you haven't been getting protosin for hours and we were like, well, okay, explains a lot. So I also slept for quite a bit of it. Um, I tried to sleep because all the nurses had to come and check me out because at one point I they were asking me if I was having contractions and I was like I don't know, I don't think so. And they were looking at the monitor and you watch the thingy go up and down like that. So I asked what that was and she was like honey, you're having contractions. And I'm like, oh okay, she's like, do you feel that? And I was like no, I didn't feel any of the contractions. I felt nothing until like the last five minutes before I actually delivered him. So I was sleeping quite a bit. But Nate was like you'd fall asleep and the nurse would come in with another nurse and like point at your monitor and be like look at that, and then they'd all disappear again and I was like I don't know, I was sleeping. And Nate was like, well, I couldn't sleep because they kept coming in to bother you and I'd be like go away. But yeah, his labor went really fast.

JulieAnne:

Once I got to the last little bit, I was bouncing on the ball and I looked at my husband, who was holding my hand, and I was like I feel weird, I feel like I need to push. Now I'm going to start pushing. And of course you know he completely lost his mind and was like we need a nurse, we need a midwife, we need a nurse, we need a midwife, we need a doctor. You're like helping me into the bed. And I'm like I'm just gonna start pushing. He's like no, you're not, you're gonna wait for them to tell you what to do. And I was like I don't feel like it.

JulieAnne:

And then they all come in and then they bring in a little baby doctor who hasn't ever seen someone deliver, and be like can you watch? And I'd be like, sure, I don't care, it's a teaching moment, you're gonna have fun. And they get me all up in the stirrups and I start pushing and my husband said I did not listen to them at all. So like they were telling me what to do and I was just doing what I wanted. So he was up there trying to tell me to listen to them and I was like no, and like right before the ring of fire I looked up from pushing and this was like really like it was only like five whole minutes and like I just looked up at him and I was just like, hey, you're new, hi, have fun with this. My name is Julianne and the resident was just like hi.

JulieAnne:

And then she told me not to push and I was like, nope, I'm pushing, this part hurts. So she told me to stop pushing, so that only I needed to wait between pushes, and I was like, nope, he's coming out, which is how he came out so fast. And then she goes oh my god, he's kicking. Apparently he kicked the whole way out. He wanted out too, so and then he was born. It was really fast, but awesome at the same time. But I'm slightly mad. It could have been like way hours earlier, because then we had to stay two nights instead of one because we decided to circumcise him and they didn't do circumcisions that late. So we had to stay a whole extra day so they could do it in the morning, whereas if I'd been getting the Pitocin we could have had it done way earlier. But that was my whole experience and it was really cool. The doctor actually didn't even show up in time. I had one of my midwives do it. It was really funny.

Angela Laferriere:

Do you remember how the placenta came out?

JulieAnne:

I was like waiting for that part to hurt, because all the girls like and my friend who had hers a week or a half earlier, she was like I hate that part. You have the baby and it's on your stomach and they're like just pushing their whole body down on your stomach and I didn't feel that either. Oh, I do remember this part, though. This is hilarious. So they push the baby up on my chest and I'm like huddling and looking at him like oh, the sweetest thing in the entire world, and they're doing the clamping of the cord. And then they just pass the scissors to my husband and tell him to cut the cord and then they both turn away from him and he goes to cut the cord and he's so nervous and it's huge. And he nervous and it's huge and he goes to cut it and he cuts it not between he's gonna go cut it not between the clips. So I just like shove my whole hand right in between the scissors and grab his hand and go no, no, no, in between the clips, cut right here. And then he's cutting and he's like it's so weird, it's like you're cutting the rope when you're at on a boat at sea. He's like it's so thick and he's like it's weird.

JulieAnne:

He's like I thought it would have been just like a snip, like they do in all the shows. It's so easy. He's like it was really hard and corded and it was like, and I was like, yeah, and they didn't watch you because you were just going to cut it all willy-nilly yeah, wow, oh my gosh, and yeah, it's super strong, super strong yeah, we had done a little bit of the delayed clamping not a lot though, but I was holding him and we were just so excited and then I did the three golden hours so I kicked them all out of the room.

JulieAnne:

They did come back after the first hour to do the heel prick and whatever, because they had to worry about jaundice, since he was so early, but he had a seven on the apgar scale, whatever that means, so they were fine leaving him alone. Yay, we took lots of pictures and there was lots of skin to skin and Nate did a lot of skin to skin with him too, cause the breastfeeding course said that that was the most important for the bonding part. And we also did delayed bathing of the baby. We didn't do that till, like right before we left, because they really wanted to show us how to bathe the baby, like I have I have enough nurse nieces and I I've my mother-in-law's a nurse like I could do it at home. But like they were all like we'd really like to show you how to bathe the baby, and I was like but other than that we didn't really let them do much with him, because we wanted him with us and to do stuff. They wanted to take, take him to the nursery. And I was like, no, my husband and I will take turns watching him. He's fun. So and we were able to establish breastfeeding. That was really good that we took the course together and like could help each other out.

JulieAnne:

Like when I was forgetting to do stuff. He'd be like, oh, remember, they said to do this. And I'd be like, oh yes, forgetting to do stuff. He'd be like, oh, remember, they said to do this. And I'd be like, oh yes. Although one time I was sleeping and they came in to do the next day baby check, nate was like one of those doctors just like manhandled the baby, just like picked him up and was doing all sorts of things. And Nate was like I've never wanted to hurt someone, be looking like they're so rough with the baby, but apparently they can take it. And he was just it looked so rough. But of course they're brand new and you're just like touching my child. But yeah, that was, it was an okay experience.

JulieAnne:

I was. It was really hard because, like covid, so like no one could come in the room. It was just us. But on the other side of that, I like that. It was just us too. We didn't have to tell anybody like you can't or pick people, but they wouldn't let us do photography or anything during the birth or anything because, covid, so we only got pictures. Like right before we left the hospital, they had a picture person come in and ask if they wanted to do pictures and I was like, well, yes, I have lots of outfits that I picked. And my husband's like, yeah, instead of calling and going to the hospital, and I was like, well, yes, I have lots of outfits that I picked.

Angela Laferriere:

And my husband's like, yeah, instead of calling and going to the hospital, and I was like, well, I hadn't packed the bag yet, I needed to pick the outfits I wanted. So how are you feeling? How was your sort of immediate postpartum time?

JulieAnne:

I don't. I want to say that it was great. Like I know my sister had a really hard time. I know Nate and I had like a couple fights where, like it was literally over nothing or I would just sit there and cry because he said something. Other than that, I really don't think it was that bad. I mean I had a great support system, my father's very involved in everything we do, with all the kids and everything, and my sister had already gone through it, so she knew like to come check on us and my mother-in-law's a nurse, so she brought food and likes to cook and didn't stop cooking. So we had food.

JulieAnne:

But, um, we got really, really lucky because my husband worked at walmart. So he got six weeks of maternity, of paternity leave, and then I had my 12 weeks because I worked at dice arts. So for the first six weeks it was literally just us in our living room with the pack and play, because we never ended up moving downstairs with our bedroom is because the bathroom was upstairs. You know I needed to be close to the bathroom. So we were just there in our living room with this little tiny human being and we were all learning about each other. We were all learning about each other and I think it helped with why Evan is so close to his dad, because they spent they've spent a lot of time together, oh, that's so sweet.

Angela Laferriere:

So how did you find out you were pregnant for the second time?

JulieAnne:

yeah, it took another two years. We were gonna try having uh getting pregnant again when Evan turned two because, like, waiting two years, we were gonna try having him uh getting pregnant again when evan turned two, because, like waiting two years really does help and we thought it'd be a good, nice gap for the both of us between having the small person and an older person. Of course, my friend got pregnant. No, she didn't get pregnant, she already has three. So like the second one meeting the third one, they were a bit close and we didn't want that. So we started trying when he was two and it took almost two years again. We were just going to give up and use sperm again. So luckily that didn't happen this time.

JulieAnne:

But like this was a lot closer to us, just being like that's what's going to happen, and I had been tracking everything again like crazy and it was insane. I knew exactly when I ovulated and then I decided to. I was getting like really emotional and I was never emotional before with Evan or anything. It was like eight o'clock at night and we had had a really, really bad day and I was just sitting there and I was just really upset. My husband's, like you know you're supposed to take the test in the morning's eight o'clock at night. Just go take one of the tests and we're both looking at it and he's like, is that a line? I think that's a line. It's eight o'clock at night, that's a line, and I'm like I think it's a line, but these are one of the tests that isn't supposed to test positive until like 14 days after. I'm like there's a line, it was like day seven. So we were like completely in disbelief and like freaked out that it was twins because we'd been putting me on one of the things that makes you super ovulate. So like we were terrified as twins. Luckily it only turned out to be one, but we were worried it was twins really early.

JulieAnne:

And then I had gone through eight or nine OBs or gynecologists when we in the two years that we were trying to get pregnant, because I had picked one closer to home, this time after the one who had Evan retired and they were from Pittsfield but then they moved to Waterville so I decided to follow them but then they left Waterville but I just stayed with Waterville, so I just kept going through doctors in Waterville and then, because it was a hospital this time, they were like we won't see you till eight or nine weeks and I was like, when I saw Evan, I saw him at six weeks. So that was a little bit different. And then, oh my goodness, this pregnancy, wow, water bill's closing yeah, that was. That was a not fun ride. So let's see, I'm going to be 30. I just turned 35. I was 34 when I got pregnant, but because I'm going to be 35 when I deliver, I'm high risk and I never lost the baby weight with Evan. So I'm really high risk.

JulieAnne:

And then, funny story, my first appointment when they were checking to see if I was pregnant. They were checking all of the extra stuff because of my history with gestational diabetes and they had already set up an appointment once they found out I was positive. Which appointment? Eight week is literally go pee in a cup so they can take the same test you took at home. They set me up with an endocrinologist team in Portland that I do over Zoom every two weeks and I have since week nine, because I've been on insulin since week nine, because she is very mean to me and makes me take lots and lots of insulin, no matter what I eat. So that's been different. It's not. This one isn't as much of a strict diet as it was with Evan, because she we've already been on insulin since week nine, so it's not even gonna matter what I eat, even though I do eat everything that I should be eating, rather than candy and junk food or stuff, because I care about what happens to her eating part and what she gets in there. I'll drink a lot more coffee than you're supposed to I do because I already have toddlers. I babysit toddlers. There's so many kids, um. So that happened and then they were like're going to see you every four weeks and then up to week 28. And then they started seeing me every two weeks.

JulieAnne:

But the frustrating part that I had was that I go to Bangor three times a week already. So I was like, can I transfer my care from from inland to Bangor because I'm so high risk? And then they would already have an endocrinology team in Bangor, so I would need to have Zoom visits with Portland. The doctor's office has played tag for two and a half months before Bangor finally decided that they had too many pregnant women that are around the same pregnancy due date as me and they couldn't take me. So it took them two months to say they weren't going to take me. But the doctor's offices were all just playing tag. So I was calling multiple offices every few days to see if my referral went through, if I was going to get accepted or like if I still had to go to Inland. So finally after two months of that they decided to just be like, hey, we're not going to take you, get a stick with Inland. And I was like, fine, that was an answer. I just needed an answer. But, um, I'm so high risk that Inland doesn't have all the ultrasound imaging they need.

JulieAnne:

So every four weeks I was also going to Portland to get echo ultrasounds that Inland couldn't do. That was fun. And then one of those was terrifying. That was one of the ones my husband actually got to go to with me because he works and we were there and the little baby sonographer person um, I say baby because she was the youngest one I'd seen so far, so she was probably really young she leaves the room and then, like five minutes later, the doctor comes in that I've never met before because I've never seen a doctor down there.

JulieAnne:

I just go down for ultrasounds and she comes in to tell us that, like your daughter really likes to hide, you come down here because you know she doesn't ever like to show her face and we haven't been able to see her head, so we're not sure if her brain is fully there. So you're going to have to have an MRI and then you can either meet with a neurologist in Bangor or you can meet with a neurologist in Portland. And I was like, um, what? And they're like, yeah, we haven't really seen her head, so you're just going to, you're going to need that. So we'll give you a call and set that up and then you can pick where you want to go see your neurologist and we'll see you next week sometime. You know it's like okay. And then you have the whole two-hour drive back home because we're up here in Newport and it was very.

JulieAnne:

And then they didn't call me to schedule it because they had to schedule with the neurologist first. But I had to pick the neurologist. So I said Bangor. So since I picked a Bangor neurologist, I wouldn't have to drive back to Portland. They hadn't set the appointment for the MRI.

JulieAnne:

So I called the doctor's office at Inland to be like, can I schedule the MRI? And they're like well, we sent the referral to Bangor and I was like, well, bangor doesn't do fetal MRIs, only Portland actually does MRIs in the state of Maine. And they're like, no, we sent the referral to Bangor. So I called Bangor and they were. They laughed at me.

JulieAnne:

The partner, the poor receptionist, she, if she, laughed at me and I laughed too because I was like I was pretty certain I was right that only Portland does fetal MRIs. And she's like, yeah, so Bangor had to call Inland and walk them through how to do the referral for the neurologist in Bangor, but that I also had to call and schedule my own MRI in Portland because they couldn't find the referral forms for me to get my MRI. So I had to do that and it was like a crazy two weeks that I had to wait for the MRI because if I'd known I would have had to schedule it, I would have just done it the day that I left the ultrasound office. How did the MRI go.

JulieAnne:

They're pretty short. Apparently she swam the entire MRI and the neurologist explained it that she swam the entire time. But the person who looked at it and read it said that he was 98% positive that everything was there. But the only way to know for sure is after she's born, when she's sleeping, to do a repeat MRI when she's not moving.

JulieAnne:

Oh, my goodness but we hadn't seen her face yet. We've only seen like some of her face, like she's very good at hiding. She does not like ultrasounds at all. And then they were talking at some point that because they hadn't seen her cerebellum, all of it, they were like pretty sure that it wasn't fully formed, but the MRI guy said that it was so at least there was that. But she still hides from ultrasounds we only saw. I'm 33 weeks, almost 34. I'll be 34 on Wednesday. We saw her face for the first time a week and a half ago day. We saw her face for the first time a week and a half ago. Taking that long, we finally saw her face and I was like oh my gosh, and she got most of her face in it, so like it was the first time and she was like wow.

JulieAnne:

And I was like, yep, the first time we've seen her face and everything's looking good yes, and let's see, we're at the appointment after the MRI at Inland and I was meeting with the OB. We were up to weekly ultrasounds at that point and I was meeting with the OB and so we were talking and he kind of just looks at me and he's like, so, where are you planning on giving birth? And I was like pretty sure, sure, I'm gonna deliver her here, because that's why I'm going to inland and that was our plan. And he was like, well, there are better hospitals, you know, like Bangor or Portland, because you're more high risk. And I was like, okay, but the plan was here, I'll never make it to Portland because it's my second kid if I actually go into labor on my own. And he was like, yeah, that's why Bangor might be a better option. He's like we'll discuss it further down the road. And I was like, okay, and he's looking at this. He's like, look, everything looks great. I'll just consult with you, know, portland. But you look like you're great.

JulieAnne:

And I was like, all right, and I leave the appointment. I'm talking to my husband. I'm like that was really weird. It was really weird and I was talking with the other girls about how I was having a hard time scheduling OB appointments because they only have the two rotating OBs in Inland and it was very frustrating. And then my father sends me the news clipping the next day that Inland was closing on March 1st and I was like, well, that explains the very weird appointment where he didn't tell me what was happening. But I should pick somewhere else to go.

JulieAnne:

So then we had to do the whole. Are we going to Bangor? Are we going to Portland? We decided to do Bangor because it's just closer and it's my second kid and I wouldn't make it if I actually went down. Plus, if I don't feel contractions, because everyone's like you need to go in if you feel contractions. And I'm like. I never felt the contractions with my first son, so I don't know she could be different, because she is the opposite of my son in every single way, every single one. She has the placenta behind her, so I feel every single movement I have since week 16. She's very violent. She loves to kick all the time, to be a soccer, hockey player or something. She loves kicking.

JulieAnne:

Um, I had every single morning symptom, every single one. I never had a single one with my son, like it was the easiest pregnancy in the world with him and I have had I lost 30 20 pounds within the first couple months of pregnancy with her. I only just started gaining back because I'm week 33 and she's starting to get fluffy herself. But yeah, no, couldn't eat lots of food. I could eat something one day and the next week I couldn't eat lots of food. I could eat something one day and the next week I couldn't eat it at all. It was very hard, but yeah, so here we are.

JulieAnne:

We got into Bangor. I met my OB last week. I had my first ultrasound at Bangor on Friday, so it looks like we're going to be having her in Bangor. I still have my endocrinologist team in Portland. I meet with them over on Zoom. But something we did find out with the MRI because we picked the Bangor neurologist is that the records from Portland because it's a different system don't translate to Northern Light. It's like I have two portals right now. I have the Northern Light portal, but then they also have the Portland portal and they don't mix and then they'd have to send records the old fashioned way through a courier from Portland to Bangor and it's crazy. And she's like are you seeing an endocrinologist? And I was like, yes, so I have to tell them everything that happens on my endocrinology appointment, because endocrinology is weird.

Angela Laferriere:

Yeah, that's super frustrating, especially since you were trying to like, just do it all through Bangor to begin with, right, Like, yeah, and we found out, like Bangor can't, doesn't let you take kids with you.

JulieAnne:

So like, even if I scheduled the ultrasound appointments right after my son's speech that we drive to Bangor for I would have to bring a babysitter because I need someone to sit with him, because I can't take him in with me. So like, I thought I was saving myself a trip, but I have to hire a babysitter to go with me.

Angela Laferriere:

Oh so frustrating, right.

JulieAnne:

I've brought all three of the kids I've had before. I have only one, but I babysit, so like I've taken three kids to all my ultrasounds at Inland this whole time. And then I had two of them with me and they don't allow children at Portland. But, like you know, if you show up with them they'll let you take them in and they put their headphones on and they sit there and they both sat there while they did my ultrasounds at Portland. But Bangor doesn't even let you in with kids. So that's been hard Wow.

Angela Laferriere:

Yeah, that's hard.

JulieAnne:

So now you're down to weekly appointments in bangor yes, and I have twice weekly ultrasounds and the inland ob was like you're probably gonna have her at week 36, maybe 37, because he asked. He was really nice. He was like I don't love dr smithinson and then like I really wanted him to be able to deliver her. He's hilarious. And he was like so are you doing your baby shower? Whenever you schedule, dad?

JulieAnne:

He's taking my like, talking to me, like poking my stomach and checking on her and I was like, oh, we're gonna have it March 8th. And he counts on his fingers. He's like, oh, that's week 36. He's like, oh, no, you should have that much. So he's like you need to move that up. You gotta have that a lot sooner. He's like you might to have that a lot sooner. He's like you might have heard that and I was like what? He's like, oh, they haven't talked to you about that yet. I was like no, and he's like, yeah, you should move that up. So like we're having it this Saturday, on the 22nd of February. So he's like you need to get your room all set up. He was like you need to have everything and I was like okay, did he say why, even though I've completely well, for the most part completely managed my gestational diabetes because I'm so old 35, and have the gest or 34, they start to be more concerned with how the placenta is developing as a result of the gestational diabetes because her insulin is fighting my insulin. It could cause the placenta to stop functioning the way that it's supposed to and then she'll stop getting all the nutrients she needs. So she'll have to be born so that she can finish developing the way that she's supposed to, because the placenta isn't doing its job, which I'm glad someone explained it to me, because I was like why would we have her so early? And he was like it would be, the placenta would stop doing its job, which is what she needs. So it wouldn't be anything that I would do or that she would do. It's just the placenta can't handle all the insulin, which is interesting. But that can happen at week 36, 37 or however big she gets, like they told me. My son was going to be 10 pounds with the last two months of his gestational diabetes, but he came early and he was only six pounds nine ounces. So I'm and girls tend to be a little bit smaller too, so I'm hoping if they do take her early because the placenta has just decided to stop working, which is why they check it twice a week.

JulieAnne:

Um, this last one, on Friday at Bangor, she actually turned on like I hadn't asked. I just assumed it was like blood flow or whatever the weird colors that show up when they're measuring all the amniotic fluid. She's like this is all the input output that the placenta is doing around the baby. And then she actually had and she changed a bunch of colors and had the flow. So you got to see two nose holes flow in and out and she says the baby's practicing its breathing. So I got to watch that and it was really cool. So, like she explained everything that was happening with all the different colors on the screen and she's like so the placenta is working, this is what this color means, and I thought that was really cool.

Angela Laferriere:

Now, as a final question if you were to give advice to someone who's expecting, or even new parents, what would be the biggest thing you'd want to share?

JulieAnne:

Advocate for yourself. Know what you can say yes and no to. Like I took the breastfeeding course it's from a woman in Australia where they do care a little differently, but even in the States you can say no to any procedure. Like they don't even have to check your cervix until you want them to. So, like I told them in the hospital, I'm like you're not checking me. The more times they check, the more you can get an infection down there. So I was like do not touch me, I will tell you when I'm in labor. And there, so I was like do not touch me, I will tell you when I'm in labor.

JulieAnne:

And then, like ali my friend had gone in right before I had to have my kid and she kind of wanted it to be over with. So like she asked because they asked her if she wanted a membrane sweep and then she wasn't going to, and then she thought about it and then she said she wasn't sure. So they said they were just going to check her cervix and they did one anyway. So like you can say no to any and everything. And that's what I would say Know what you want for yourself and don't be afraid to. Like, ask for a new nurse. If you don't like that nurse, you can ask for a new nurse. They will make it happen and just advocate for yourself and make sure everyone knows what you want, because they will find a way around it if you don't.

Angela Laferriere:

Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Julianne, for sharing your story today.

JulieAnne:

Thank you for having me. This was a lot of fun.

Angela Laferriere:

Before you go, I just want to remind you I have a ton of resources for pregnancy and birth. If you're pregnant, whether you're a first-time mom or if this is your fifth baby, I want you to check out the show notes, because I have some free trainings and free downloads that you can sign up for, as well as the link to access my Labor of Love, a comprehensive, self-paced online childbirth education course. I created this course specifically for moms who don't want to be told what to do, regardless of where you're birthing or who you're birthing with, and I'd honestly love to teach you everything that I know so that you can prepare for an autonomous birth experience and prepare to step into your role as the leader of your birth journey. So click to the show notes, check out all of those links and, if you ever have any questions, feel free to DM me at my main birth over on Instagram.