september mama

i couldn't address the issue yesterday because i was feeling SO shocked, betrayed, and furious... after everything they did to push me back into their care, to turn around and say "oh, nevermind, no homebirth for you" at 28 goddamn weeks; it was just too much. and that's alll i'm going to say. i do have a business relationship with them which i need to keep pleasant...

today i am calmer. still pissed, but calm. and thanks to lovely loren, i now have some ammo to fight back against this bullshit i am being told. email sent to the appropriate person:

I was happy to hear that Dr. B can review my records (rather than having me come in) for the consultation, but I was reading Florida’s chapter on midwifery law, and it clearly states:

When a client has a risk score of 3 or higher and has previously had a physician consultation for the identical risk factors in a prior pregnancy with no current changes in health or risk factors another consultation is not required. (64B24-7.004 Risk Assessment.)

However, since we are going ahead with the consultation anyway, I would like to formally request that I also be “consulted” about regarding the added 3 risk points for being >30 minutes from the hospital. As above, the law states:

If the risk factor score reaches 3 points the midwife shall consult with a physician who has obstetrical hospital privileges and if there is a joint determination that the patient can be expected to have a normal pregnancy, labor and delivery the midwife may provide services to the patient. (64B24-7.004 Risk Assessment.)

…so what I understand from that is that it IS within the laws to have a homebirth >30 minutes from the hospital provided an obstetrician signs off on it. Am I wrong?

I would apologize for being a pain in the butt about this, but honestly I feel that if I don’t fight for it I am going to be ignored. I will not be birthing at the Birth Center, at someone else’s home, or at a hospital (sans true emergency), and I would really, really like for Sarah to continue to be my midwife. I hope you will consider the laws again and do what you can to help me have the homebirth I desire.

Here is a link to the Florida Administrative Code: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=64B24-7

save that link in case you ever need it. don't let anybody push you around!!