And so to sleep

[ailbhe]

Linnea had a mad, wild, exciting day with a whole new fan club, and has only just wound down and gone to sleep.

And I'm thinking about letter-writing. I need to write to the GP practice, about the GP who said that breastfeeding too much is bad for a stomach bug, and about the GP who made me take my bra off for a chest complaint only when I visited him alone, but not when Rob came too, and who didn't offer me a chaperone, and possibly to request that Rob, Linnea and I all be given the same damn' GP, and not the one who makes me cry, either...

And I need to write to the hospital, to find out why I was induced using the drip and not the gel, because I'd heard of people who had inductions and could WALK, and to find out why they don't just introduce a policy that the phrase "I have to examine you" shall henceforth cause uttering ob/gyns and midwives to implode, and to ask why it's apparently ok for medical personnel to walk into a room containing a female patient naked apart from a hospital gown, arms and legs akimbo, stirrupped and strapped, and not even introduce themselves, let alone ask her permission to be there, with a prime view of her public privates.

I need to write a long letter to the hospital - the timeline, and a detailed birth story, and a sheet of questions, and a cover letter, I think. It will need appendices at this rate.

And I need to make my "If I was a stay-at-home-mother you couldn't read this tshirt" tshirt, and see if I can find out how many women I know personally who had traumatic births with healthy babies and were told "Well, the baby's alright, and that's what matters." And who told them - I have a feeling, from half-remembered conversations and from my own family (including in-laws) that it's close family who say it, not distant but well-meaning acquaintances.

And I need to write to Arriva and the people through whom I booked my tickets, about not being allowed onto that train. I'm annoyed about that.

Comments

[heraldis.livejournal.com]

Right behind youon all those letters, go you!
Especially the one about the doctor examining you, considering the _fuss_ made last time I had to have a top-half exam, about getting a chaperone in the room before the male doctor saw anything!

The male doctors were even pretty nervous when I was trying to breast feed that they were permitted in. Mind you, the female staff didn't give a stuff, and wandered in and out without a by-your-leave. I guess they get far too used to it...

I think I've had the "well the baby's alright" line a couple of times...

[tiggsybabes.livejournal.com]

I do recall from Holly's labour, that when someone entered my room, they always knocked, then told me who they were & what they wanted & asked my permission.

[shimgray.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a cultural thing - one or two forceful individuals at a given hospital or ward would probably be able to make it "common practice" there, if they made a fuss. Wonder if that would explain it...

[ruthi.livejournal.com]

Some of those sound like they'd be difficult to write (emotionally, I mean). I wish you good luck and strength for the writing.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

It's fucking in-laws, that's who. No, let me more accurate, and more specific. It's my fucking mother-in-law, that's who.

Me, bitter? No!

[ailbhe]

I liked "The baby's alright, that's what matters. And how is Rob coping? It must have been so hard for him..." the day she came to HELP OUT because I could hardly WALK and Rob was out at work. Oh, thinking about that day still makes me so, so angry. Whole hives of bees don't get this angry. Bzzz.