Postpartum Checkup

I had my 4 week postpartum visit on Friday. It was harder than I had anticipated. When the whole incident first happened, I thought it would be impossible. As time went by, I thought it wouldn't be so bad.

After parking far from the Women's Center (as if parking isn't bad enough at IMC-there had to be some heart convention going on that same day) I made my way to where I needed to be.

First I had to go make a visit to the business office to discuss my new insurance plan that actually kicked in a week after I delivered Eden. I talked to them about what had happened, what was going on with insurance, and who to talk to about options for our outrageous bill. After having to talk to three different people, I finally was sent back out to the waiting room. Well, there I sat with other women who were there for their 6 week postpartum visits-baby in hand. I sat just feet away from the exact chair I had sat in just 4 weeks earlier awaiting the future of my baby girl. I stared out the window, the same ugly gray lit the sky. There I waited...and waited...and WAITED! I was alone and couldn't keep my mind distracted. I looked around for a magazine. December dates and Christmas themed stuff covered most of front pages. Ugh, December. Just the sound of it made me sick. I sat back and choked back tears for what seemed like forever. Finally I get called back.

I just cringed hoping the cute little aid knew what had happened so as to not do the normal routine and have to awkwardly explain the situation-yet again. My perfect nurse Syndee asks how I was doing. I just responded with an easy, "alright." She looked at me, "Really, be honest, it's hard coming back to the office. "Yes, I said, it is. It really sucks." Still I had to keep my mind off of the purpose I was there for.

After a quick blood pressure check-who gives what it is, I was shoved into my room to sit on crisp, crackling, white parchment paper while half nude. I thought, "really, how insulting at this point!" As if my waiting wasn't long enough, he finally pokes his head in. First he apologizes for his cold. I've had one since I was a couple months pregnant so this could not concern me in the least. Then he tells me he is off to deliver a baby. Awesome. He was sweet enough to offer me water or a diet coke. While I would have loved the second, I told him I had water and should be fine. Lie. I had spent some of my time prior just texting but now my phone kept chiming it's low battery beep at me every couple minutes. Great, a dead phone. Luckily I had brought a good read. I sat with that ugly plastic sided rough napkin draped over me. Those are laughable anyways. They have seen it all anyways. As if this thing is going to save you any kind of dignity. Now, while I am not a private person, I would seem much more ridiculous sitting there without it.

He FINALLY comes in and explains how stubborn the baby he just delivered was, facing upward instead of down. I wasn't really in any mood to hear about the birth of a baby at this point but it was nothing against my Doctor. I wouldn't trade him for anything. He is amazing. We talked a lot about insurance, next pregnancy, etc. I explained the timing of what happened and the whole insurance issue. I explained to him the bills we had received. I asked him if there was anything I could do to get any of it taken care of. I told him we weren't even in the hospital for 24 hours. He asked how much our bill was. I told him we were at $4500. Money we don't have lying around. That's a whole other stress in itself. He asked if I had been billed from them yet. I said yes, but that it was his partner that had to deliver the baby. He told me to hold on and disappeared out the door for a few minutes.

When he came back in, he said the total from them was now $0. I was so grateful and so extremely relieved. I apologized and he immediately turned and said, "Robyn, Robyn, Robyn...no no no no no!" He told me that he obviously couldn't do anything about the hospitals portion but he could do something about his. He seriously is the best.

I would not expect to get off like this if I had had a different end result. I feel like I went to the grocery store, racked up an extremely high bill, but walked out of the store with nothing. If anything, a huge empty space I would try to fill for who knows how long.

He said that physically, everything was looking good. I told him we would really like to have a baby before the end of the year. While there are two major reasons for this, I told him again about the insurance. He told me to only wait one cycle instead of two. Apparently, that is still 2 periods??? Believe me, it took several times to get it straight. It was honestly not a relief seeing that I was under the impression two cycles was two periods. Well, he thought he was being generous and it's the thought that counts, right? He did say the sky wouldn't fall down if it happened before then. While I really hoped I would just be miraculously pregnant, I am not. I also am not sure if I am emotionally ready. May give it time.

After a couple hours, I was finally done.