Ahhh It's confirmed...Anna Duggar pregnant!!

[slp]

I seem to remember reading in the comments on the blog about the last baby's birth that Kelly Bates said she'd had an epidural for all of her hospital births in the last few years. She kind of joked about being older and unable to handle it without.

Michelle Duggar said in their book that she doesn't do epidurals or pain meds in labor b/c they slow her labor down (although obviously she would have had something for her C sections), but she said she absolutely took the meds they offer after the birth.

I had two homebirths. The midwives definitely had oxygen for the baby and were trained in how to use it. They also used herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies, and essential oils for mom and baby as needed. But they are not allowed to give pain relief meds other than OTC stuff.

[Evilbad]

I am all for epidural a but it did slow my labor down a lot, I would probably go for something that took the edge off but not the full on epi if I ever did it again.

Which I won't. Because no.

[Dollypeeps]

As far as I can tell, you Americans and Canadians don't have gas & air (entonox). It's just the best stuff ever. It's like laughing gas. Gets you slightly off your face for 30 seconds and then you go back to normal. And then breathe it again for the next contraction and so on...

Isnt it the best stuff ever.

I felt as if I was roaring drunk for a bit and then the pain came so more sucking on that tube was the order of the day.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

instagram.com/p/V7Vw_DmrY5/#link_profile

On this picture, taymorgan13 responded to someone's question about Anna being pregnant saying,

I know the answer to your question, but I can't say anything. (This does NOT imply that she is pregnant, I'm just saying I know the answer)

When asked how as knows she claims to go to church with them.

I have to say, if you know but you won't say you're saying she is. Unless the answer is "She isn't but Michelle is."

[Buzzard]

instagram.com/p/V7Vw_DmrY5/#link_profile

On this picture, taymorgan13 responded to someone's question about Anna being pregnant saying,

When asked how as knows she claims to go to church with them.

I have to say, if you know but you won't say you're saying she is. Unless the answer is "She isn't but Michelle is."

That kid has been posting up a storm in the past week all over instagram but her account appears to be private. She looks VERY young...

I wonder if there is a blood oath not to disclose anything from the church (unless youre joshie) and this is her way of leghumping. Next week she can remind them how good she was not answering while still calling attention to herself.

[Feberin]

^^^^ This. Since many of these groups encourage being self-employed, I would bet that most are uninsured completely and those that do have Scamaritan's Purse...well, I'd bet it doesn't cover "extras" like epidurals. So while there may be a religious reasons--God is punishing you for someone else's mistake--there is definitely an economic reason to promote natural birth. This probably also has something to do w/ Gothard's midwifery training...

Riffles

I skipped the epidural for my second birth because I knew how much extra it was going to cost us. I had my first without one because I wanted to see how long I could last without one and when they came in to start it then it was already time to push. Since I already knew I could manage without an epidural I was not about to spend so much money on one. I also have a fear of needles, which is part of why I waited so long the first time.

[BabyFullOfSin]

As far as I can tell, you Americans and Canadians don't have gas & air (entonox). It's just the best stuff ever. It's like laughing gas. Gets you slightly off your face for 30 seconds and then you go back to normal. And then breathe it again for the next contraction and so on...

Yup we (Canadians) do - and it's fantastic! :lol: I threatened harm when the nurses tried to get me to take a break from it :oops:

[linnea27]

I have no sympathy for a man who cant support his wife theough labour. with our first, my husband stood hunched over me for 16 hours, training the shower nozzle just perfectly on my back. with our second, I started pushing before the midwife arrived and he was so nervous about catching the baby he thought he was going to he sick. he told me later he put his jacket in front of him with the intention of vomiting into it if he needed to, so he could bundle up the jacket when he was done and throw away the mess. I cant picture him leaving to take a fucking nap, and would have chopped off his fucking nuts if he even considered it.

[Violet]

In the US you have to effectively pay for an epidural???? :shock: Sorry silly British girl here, but the only bill we have to worry about when at the hospital is the cark park fee! I really hope that the fundy women 100% choose to have drug-free homebirths and not that that decision is made for them by their husbands.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

That kid has been posting up a storm in the past week all over instagram but her account appears to be private. She looks VERY young...

I wonder if there is a blood oath not to disclose anything from the church (unless youre joshie) and this is her way of leghumping. Next week she can remind them how good she was not answering while still calling attention to herself.

From what she said later on, I assume she's in her early maybe midteens. She's still being homeschooled, and most of them "graduate" at 16.

[polabear]

In the US you have to effectively pay for an epidural???? :shock: Sorry silly British girl here, but the only bill we have to worry about when at the hospital is the cark park fee! I really hope that the fundy women 100% choose to have drug-free homebirths and not that that decision is made for them by their husbands.

It depends entirely on your insurance or lack thereof. Even with insurance surgery can be pricy. If I were to give birth this year, I'd pay 500 dollars to cover my deductible, then 10 percent of other fees, assuming I stayed in network. That includes tests, office visits, hospital stays.... And I have pretty good insurance considering I only pay 10 dollars a pay check. Not to mention, we don't get paid maternity leave.

Oh and if I wanted to put the baby on my insurance, the baby comes with its own deductible.

[Violet]

It depends entirely on your insurance or lack thereof. Even with insurance surgery can be pricy. If I were to give birth this year, I'd pay 500 dollars to cover my deductible, then 10 percent of other fees, assuming I stayed in network. That includes tests, office visits, hospital stays.... And I have pretty good insurance considering I only pay 10 dollars a pay check. Not to mention, we don't get paid maternity leave.

Oh and if I wanted to put the baby on my insurance, the baby comes with its own deductible.

No paid maternity leave, not even for the first 6 weeks???? :shock: Do you not have paternity leave either?

Edited for riffles.

[Lillybee]

I think that maternity leave varies from state to state. In California one can get six weeks disability after the birth of a baby. Disability pays about 80 percent of one's salary and it is not taxed.

[chickie]

In the US you have to effectively pay for an epidural???? :shock: Sorry silly British girl here, but the only bill we have to worry about when at the hospital is the cark park fee! I really hope that the fundy women 100% choose to have drug-free homebirths and not that that decision is made for them by their husbands.

What you have to pay depends on how good your insurance is. We have fairly good insurance so I only pay a $250 copay for giving birth, regardless if it is a cesarean or vaginal. The copay covers all hospitals fees, hospital stay up to three days, all meds, and all fees related to the new baby (nursery, meds, etc.).

An 80/20 insurance plan is pretty common. After the insurance negotiates the fees down, they cover 80% and you pay the remaining 20%.

When I gave birth to my daughter in 2009 (cesarean) the bill from the hospital was almost $70,000. My insurance negotiated it down to $14,000 and I was only responsible for $250. If I had an 80/20 plan, I would have owed just under $3,000 after the insurance paid its share.

Edited to remove a stray apostrophe.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

What you have to pay depends on how good your insurance is. We have fairly good insurance so I only pay a $250 copay for giving birth, regardless if it is a cesarean or vaginal. The copay covers all hospitals fees, hospital stay up to three days, all meds, and all fees related to the new baby (nursery, meds, etc.).

An 80/20 insurance plan is pretty common. After the insurance negotiates the fees down, they cover 80% and you pay the remaining 20%.

When I gave birth to my daughter in 2009 (cesarean) the bill from the hospital was almost $70,000. My insurance negotiated it down to $14,000 and I was only responsible for $250. If I had an 80/20 plan, I would have owed just under $3,000 after the insurance paid its share.

Edited to remove a stray apostrophe.

That's why I pay extra for my health insurance. I'm paying for it as an individual, but if I did end up pregnant all of my prenatal care is completely free, I have 24 months of well-baby check ups that are free, and I only have to pay $250 a day for labor and delivery (or any other time I'm admitted to the hospital).

[Guest]

No paid maternity leave, not even for the first 6 weeks???? :shock: Do you not have paternity leave either?

Edited for riffles.

Now you sound like a silly British girl ;) No, very few people in the US have paternity leave. In fact, it's nearly unheard of. Most fathers are expected to be back at work as soon as the mother is home from the hospital. I can only think of a couple people I know who took more than a week or maybe two off when their wife had a baby. Like I said, it's a totally foreign concept here.

[pixydust]

Now you sound like a silly British girl ;) No, very few people in the US have paternity leave. In fact, it's nearly unheard of. Most fathers are expected to be back at work as soon as the mother is home from the hospital. I can only think of a couple people I know who took more than a week or maybe two off when their wife had a baby. Like I said, it's a totally foreign concept here.

when my daughter was born (10:30 pm, and we spent the night up dealing with minor preemie issues) my husband's boss was mad that he took the next day off! Yes, on an hours sleep, with a girlfriend who had a c-section, and a 5 week early baby, his boss thought he would be at work! It wasn't preplanned time off. I only know one man who took more than 2 or 3 days off when their baby was born.

[polabear]

Now you sound like a silly British girl ;) No, very few people in the US have paternity leave. In fact, it's nearly unheard of. Most fathers are expected to be back at work as soon as the mother is home from the hospital. I can only think of a couple people I know who took more than a week or maybe two off when their wife had a baby. Like I said, it's a totally foreign concept here.

My husband was back at work within a few days of his son being born, despite his son being very premature and his then wife slowly recovering from pre-eclampsia. He didn't have the vacation time to take, and he had to make money.

[Fargood]

In the US you have to effectively pay for an epidural???? Sorry silly British girl here, but the only bill we have to worry about when at the hospital is the cark park fee! I really hope that the fundy women 100% choose to have drug-free homebirths and not that that decision is made for them by their husbands.

My epidural was not covered by insurance, because it was considered "elective" and was not pre-approved by insurance. I think it wound up costing around $1250 USD. US insurance companies have lots and lots of clever ways to avoid paying for medical expenses.

[Ralar]

My husband took the better part of a year off . . . . and he's not my husband any longer!

[gezykah]

when my daughter was born (10:30 pm, and we spent the night up dealing with minor preemie issues) my husband's boss was mad that he took the next day off! Yes, on an hours sleep, with a girlfriend who had a c-section, and a 5 week early baby, his boss thought he would be at work! It wasn't preplanned time off. I only know one man who took more than 2 or 3 days off when their baby was born.

I know a number of men who took a week of their accrued vacation time of but can only know of two men who took any "paternity" leave. One man I know had a child yesterday and is taking three weeks off leave. A few years back I knew another man who received a full six weeks of paternity leave when he was expecting his first child. The company he worked for was very GLBT friendly and he told me the respect for family they had and support the showed him made him become less closed minded and stop judging people based on their orientation.

[Irishy]

So, does each hospital operate as a business effectively? Are they for-profit? Are docs and nurses considered private sector workers?

[garciarodrigez]

My son was just able to take a full week off for the birth of their first child. Of course, he too had to use accrued vacation time. He thought there was a paternity leave and wanted two weeks but found out otherwise. He was happy he got the week off to be home with his wife and new little guy.

Kinda OT: Yes, I am a proud first-time grandma here as of February 1st. So Happy!

[yewchapel]

In the UK women get 39 weeks paid maternity leave, and their partners (including same-gender partners) get 2 weeks paid parental leave. If you adopt a child/are the partner of a person adopting a child you also get 2 weeks paid parental leave.

[Violet]

Cross-posted with yewchapel, buggar.

I feel really sorry that the FJers in the US don't get proper parental leave, every man can take up to 2 weeks paternity leave in the UK (David Cameron famously took it when his youngest daughter was born.) I'm not sure what happens in the case of prem babies - I think my dad got compassionate leave anyway (bro#2 died) but was also able to take carers leave/go off sick....

garciarodrigez: Congrats on the grandbaby! :)