Last Friday was my last official prenatal appointment before my C Section. I'm getting pretty excited, and only a little nervous. So far my experiences with prenatal care in Japan have been good. The main difference I've noticed between my experiences here and back home in the US is that the prenatal appointments here have been generally longer and with more tests and procedures (like having an ultrasound every time, getting an ECG, having my cervix checked more frequently, and also giving a urine sample at every visit, for example). My Dr has been very nice though, and I've really liked all the nurses. I hope the nurses upstairs in the birthing part of the hospital are as good as the ones in the prenatal department.
For my last visit I had another ultrasound (last one I hope!) and this time I also had to lay down and wear a fetal monitor for half an hour (which wasn't very comfortable since I had to lay on my back :P). The nurse checked the baby's heart rate and checked to see if I was having any contractions. I had two little ones and one bigger one (probably a Braxton Hicks contraction, not a true labor contraction). I ended the appointment with a consultation with the nurse. I didn't see the surgeon except for the brief time he was with me doing the ultrasound. While I was with the nurse I tried to think of any last minute questions I wanted answered before checking into the hospital on Monday. I asked if I could bring my own snacks (yes), if Braden could bring me dinner on Thursday so that I could eat something that at least resembles Thanksgiving (she said she didn't know but she would ask, and told me to ask again when I check in), and I asked about breastfeeding, and circumcision. She said that typically the moms rest the first day or two and don't start breastfeeding until the second day, which surprised me. I told her that I had started breastfeeding Clara right away, even though she was a C Section too, and I said I wanted to start breastfeeding my son right away too. She said that she thought it would be okay and made a note of it in my file. The last question about circumcision, I didn't know the Japanese word for it and couldn't describe it very well, and she seemed to have no idea what it was (I had previously read that it is very uncommon in Japan) but she said she would ask the Dr about it. I actually got a call today from the midwife to answer the questions I had asked the nurse. She said that Braden could bring me dinner on Thursday as long as it was a light, easy to digest type of meal. I told her it would be chicken (no turkey in Japan unfortunately), potatoes, corn, bread, cranberries, and stuff like that, and she said she thought it would be okay. She reiterated what the nurse had said about breastfeeding, that moms typically rest the first day, but she said she would advocate my desire to start breastfeeding sooner. She did know what circumcision was (even based on my poor Japanese explanation of it to the nurse) and said that they don't do it at Kaseki Hospital (No surprise, really) and apologized too (I told her it was fine). Anywho, I thought it was very nice of the midwife to call me personally to answer my questions. She said that she would not be on duty the day I have my C Section, but that she would see me some time after (She, along with the Dr, are the only ones at Kaseki Hospital that speak English, that I know of).
Well, that's all I can think of to write this time around. I'll have lots to write about in the coming days though, so stay tuned!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Getting Ready For My C-section in Japan
One week left folks! I had my 37 week appointment last Friday and the nurses went over the basic schedule of the C Section with me and my Dr. introduced me to the surgeon who will be doing the procedure. My main Dr. is the director of the hospital and used to do the C Sections, but a nurse told me that since he is older now (he looks like he's probably in his 60s or 70s) he no longer does the surgeries. The surgeon is a friendly, middle aged man who seems pretty quiet. He doesn't speak English as far as I know, but we didn't have much trouble talking to each other in Japanese during the brief consultation I had with him.
This time around I had to have an electrocardiogram done. I've never had one done before. When I was pregnant with Clara in the US I didn't get one. The calendar of prenatal appointments I got from a nurse near the beginning of the pregnancy does mention it, so I guess it's normal procedure for all pregnant moms, at least at this hospital. It's a painless and relatively quick procedure. A nurse put sensors on my ankles, wrists, and several on my chest, and then the nurse watched my heartbeat. She kept telling me to relax, saying that my heart rate was kind of fast. I told her that I had taken the Utemerin that morning and it always made my heart beat kind of fast. She didn't say much about it and finished the test. I wasn't sure she understood what I said. I have to have the same test again next week and I imagine the result will be the same, so maybe I'll have to try explaining again.
I also had a blood test done, (I hope that it's the last time I have to give blood in a while, I hate needles XP) and the routine ultrasound. The surgeon did the ultrasound this time. It was pretty quick, just measuring the baby's head and femur bone to check his growth. I've been told that my baby is pretty big, but I think that maybe he's just big compared to Japanese babies? I think he'll probably be the same size as Clara was when she was born. Both with Clara's pregnancy and with this one my belly has stuck out a lot and a lot of women comment on how big my belly seems XD. I was talking to a woman at the daycare just yesterday who is giving birth today, and her belly looked quite a bit smaller than mine, so I guess I really do have an unusually large belly!
After all the tests/consultation were done I had a meeting with two nurses to talk about the C Section. Apparently I'll be checking into the hospital the day before (which kind of surprised me, I thought I'd be going in the morning of). They said they could arrange for a translator to be there to help me check in, but I told them that my husband could come with me that day. That day happens to be a national holiday, not sure which one, and even though Braden hadn't requested that day off, thinking that I'd be admitted the day of the surgery, he doesn't work that day anyway, so it all worked out. The nurses went over the list of things I'd need to bring, gave me some permission forms to fill out, and gave me a rundown of the schedule. Check in Monday at 3 pm. Anyone I invite to see the surgery (just Braden in my case) needs to come in Tuesday at noon, and the surgery will take place in the early afternoon. They said I could have Clara brought over in the evening to meet the baby, and then Braden and Clara will return home that evening. They said that it is permissible for my husband to stay the night with me for a small fee (just 500 yen, about 5 dollars) but since Braden will be with Clara they are just going to go home to sleep.
I asked the nurses if I would owe the hospital any money when I check out (the government will give me a lump sum to help with child birth, but it doesn't come until later, so I may need to pay the hospital before that). They said that it's hard to say. The deposit I paid before the birth may pay for everything, or it might not, depending on how things go. I asked if there was any chance it would be a lot, and they said it probably wouldn't be more than paying the deposit again (which was 150,000 yen) if it ended up that I did owe them. They also said that the insurance would pay for 70 percent of the bill. The Japanese National Health Insurance doesn't pay anything for a normal birth, but since I'm having a C Section requested by the Dr. they will pay 70 percent.) As I was getting ready to check out, another nurse gave me an insurance form to fill out. She tried to explain it to me but I really didn't understand anything except that I should fill it out and take it to the Insurance Office as soon as possible (All the nurses only speak Japanese, and although I'm getting better at understanding basic medical stuff, insurance stuff is way over my head 0_o). Over the weekend one of my English students (I teach a couple of private English and Spanish conversation classes on the side) told me that the form will lower the maximum amount I would have to pay if a medical bill becomes very high. So if there are problems and the bill skyrockets, I would normally pay 30 percent of the bill (which can end up being quite a lot), but now I won't have to pay more than a certain amount (There was some sort of equation on the form based on your monthly income that I didn't really understand, but I guess it determines the cap). Anywho, Braden filled it out and turned it into the Insurance Office yesterday, and they gave him a card that they said I need to give the hospital when I check in. I guess I'll have to wait until after the birth to see how much everything ends of costing in the end, and how much insurance ends up paying.
Anywho, sorry for the long drawn out post XD. I want to include lots of details just in case there's someone out there giving birth in Nagoya that could benefit from my information. I hope it's not too much or too little :P.
This time around I had to have an electrocardiogram done. I've never had one done before. When I was pregnant with Clara in the US I didn't get one. The calendar of prenatal appointments I got from a nurse near the beginning of the pregnancy does mention it, so I guess it's normal procedure for all pregnant moms, at least at this hospital. It's a painless and relatively quick procedure. A nurse put sensors on my ankles, wrists, and several on my chest, and then the nurse watched my heartbeat. She kept telling me to relax, saying that my heart rate was kind of fast. I told her that I had taken the Utemerin that morning and it always made my heart beat kind of fast. She didn't say much about it and finished the test. I wasn't sure she understood what I said. I have to have the same test again next week and I imagine the result will be the same, so maybe I'll have to try explaining again.
I also had a blood test done, (I hope that it's the last time I have to give blood in a while, I hate needles XP) and the routine ultrasound. The surgeon did the ultrasound this time. It was pretty quick, just measuring the baby's head and femur bone to check his growth. I've been told that my baby is pretty big, but I think that maybe he's just big compared to Japanese babies? I think he'll probably be the same size as Clara was when she was born. Both with Clara's pregnancy and with this one my belly has stuck out a lot and a lot of women comment on how big my belly seems XD. I was talking to a woman at the daycare just yesterday who is giving birth today, and her belly looked quite a bit smaller than mine, so I guess I really do have an unusually large belly!
After all the tests/consultation were done I had a meeting with two nurses to talk about the C Section. Apparently I'll be checking into the hospital the day before (which kind of surprised me, I thought I'd be going in the morning of). They said they could arrange for a translator to be there to help me check in, but I told them that my husband could come with me that day. That day happens to be a national holiday, not sure which one, and even though Braden hadn't requested that day off, thinking that I'd be admitted the day of the surgery, he doesn't work that day anyway, so it all worked out. The nurses went over the list of things I'd need to bring, gave me some permission forms to fill out, and gave me a rundown of the schedule. Check in Monday at 3 pm. Anyone I invite to see the surgery (just Braden in my case) needs to come in Tuesday at noon, and the surgery will take place in the early afternoon. They said I could have Clara brought over in the evening to meet the baby, and then Braden and Clara will return home that evening. They said that it is permissible for my husband to stay the night with me for a small fee (just 500 yen, about 5 dollars) but since Braden will be with Clara they are just going to go home to sleep.
I asked the nurses if I would owe the hospital any money when I check out (the government will give me a lump sum to help with child birth, but it doesn't come until later, so I may need to pay the hospital before that). They said that it's hard to say. The deposit I paid before the birth may pay for everything, or it might not, depending on how things go. I asked if there was any chance it would be a lot, and they said it probably wouldn't be more than paying the deposit again (which was 150,000 yen) if it ended up that I did owe them. They also said that the insurance would pay for 70 percent of the bill. The Japanese National Health Insurance doesn't pay anything for a normal birth, but since I'm having a C Section requested by the Dr. they will pay 70 percent.) As I was getting ready to check out, another nurse gave me an insurance form to fill out. She tried to explain it to me but I really didn't understand anything except that I should fill it out and take it to the Insurance Office as soon as possible (All the nurses only speak Japanese, and although I'm getting better at understanding basic medical stuff, insurance stuff is way over my head 0_o). Over the weekend one of my English students (I teach a couple of private English and Spanish conversation classes on the side) told me that the form will lower the maximum amount I would have to pay if a medical bill becomes very high. So if there are problems and the bill skyrockets, I would normally pay 30 percent of the bill (which can end up being quite a lot), but now I won't have to pay more than a certain amount (There was some sort of equation on the form based on your monthly income that I didn't really understand, but I guess it determines the cap). Anywho, Braden filled it out and turned it into the Insurance Office yesterday, and they gave him a card that they said I need to give the hospital when I check in. I guess I'll have to wait until after the birth to see how much everything ends of costing in the end, and how much insurance ends up paying.
Anywho, sorry for the long drawn out post XD. I want to include lots of details just in case there's someone out there giving birth in Nagoya that could benefit from my information. I hope it's not too much or too little :P.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Nagoya, Japan Red Cross Hospital
So good news, I went to the Dr. at the Red Cross Hospital here in Nagoya like my Dr. at Kaseki asked me too and he said everything seems fine. My Dr. at Kaseki was worried that I might be at risk for a uterine rupture before the scheduled c-section and wanted me to get a second opinion to see if I should transfer to Red Cross or not.
My first impression of the Red Cross Hospital was that it was VERY large (It's the biggest hospital in Nagoya according to my Dr). It was also quite new looking. One of my friends told me that a very old Red Cross Hospital used to be on the same site, but it was recently completely rebuilt. It took me a while to find out where to go, but the staff I stopped to ask directions from were helpful and pointed me in the right directions. I first had to go to the New Patient desk and give them my Health Insurance Card. They had a survey form for me but when I told them I couldn't read Japanese very well they said it wasn't necessary for me to fill out. The rest of my info they must have received from Kaseki Hospital because they didn't ask me to fill out any registration forms or anything. After that I was sent to the Outpatient Obstetrics and Gynecology section (Luckily all the major desks had the section name written in English as well as Japanese). Once there I checked in and then waited... and waited... and waited a little more. I wasn't very surprised. It's a big hospital after all and the waiting room had quite a few patients in it. My appointment was scheduled for 3pm and my name was called at around 4pm. The Dr. and I spoke mostly Japanese, but he did know the English names for some more technical terms (Like uterine rupture, which I still don't know how to say in Japanese, mostly because my other Dr. always says it in English). The consultation room, unlike the one at Kaseki Hospital, was a private one. Just me, the Dr, and a couple of nurses. Similar to Kaseki Hospital the consultation room had its own ultrasound machine and area for cervical checks. I had an ultrasound done and then the Dr checked my cervix. Unlike your typical chair with stirrups, however, this chair was more high tech and fancy, and comfortable! Instead of stirrups it was just like sitting in a recliner, but it had moving parts that just kind of moved you into position. It was much more comfortable than any other Drs chair I've ever sat in. Just like Kaseki Hospital, though, there was a curtain obscuring my view of the Dr. and nurses. I had a hard time moving it aside, but the Dr. saw me messing with it and asked if I wanted it out of the way. I said yes and he kindly removed it for me. Again, I have no idea if that's typical behavior for Japanese patients, but I just can't stand having it there. After getting checked the Dr. asked me if I wanted to transfer to Red Cross. I explained to him what my Dr. had said, which was that I only needed to transfer if there was a problem. The Dr. said he didn't think there were any problems and I could return to Kaseki Hospital if I wanted too. I told him I did. I'm already familiar with it (and I've already paid my deposit too!) so I didn't want to transfer if it wasn't really necessary. He said that was fine but he did advise me to keep taking the Utemerin (a medicine prescribed to discourage early labor). I'm not thrilled about taking it for the next two weeks (I still get bad jitters from it) but I'm willing to put up with it for everyone's peace of mind.
I had asked a friend to watch Clara for me during the appointment and so when it was done I took the train to her house to meet up. She invited me to stay for dinner too, which was super nice since it was getting late and I was really quite hungry (I hadn't had any snacks after lunch like I usually do). I called Kaseki Hospital the next business day and scheduled my next appointment, just a short one to get a refill of my meds, and then I have another regular appointment this Friday.
Well, that was my experience at Red Cross. Aside from the long wait it was a good day overall. Now I just gotta hang in there for two more weeks! Stay in there baby until then!
My first impression of the Red Cross Hospital was that it was VERY large (It's the biggest hospital in Nagoya according to my Dr). It was also quite new looking. One of my friends told me that a very old Red Cross Hospital used to be on the same site, but it was recently completely rebuilt. It took me a while to find out where to go, but the staff I stopped to ask directions from were helpful and pointed me in the right directions. I first had to go to the New Patient desk and give them my Health Insurance Card. They had a survey form for me but when I told them I couldn't read Japanese very well they said it wasn't necessary for me to fill out. The rest of my info they must have received from Kaseki Hospital because they didn't ask me to fill out any registration forms or anything. After that I was sent to the Outpatient Obstetrics and Gynecology section (Luckily all the major desks had the section name written in English as well as Japanese). Once there I checked in and then waited... and waited... and waited a little more. I wasn't very surprised. It's a big hospital after all and the waiting room had quite a few patients in it. My appointment was scheduled for 3pm and my name was called at around 4pm. The Dr. and I spoke mostly Japanese, but he did know the English names for some more technical terms (Like uterine rupture, which I still don't know how to say in Japanese, mostly because my other Dr. always says it in English). The consultation room, unlike the one at Kaseki Hospital, was a private one. Just me, the Dr, and a couple of nurses. Similar to Kaseki Hospital the consultation room had its own ultrasound machine and area for cervical checks. I had an ultrasound done and then the Dr checked my cervix. Unlike your typical chair with stirrups, however, this chair was more high tech and fancy, and comfortable! Instead of stirrups it was just like sitting in a recliner, but it had moving parts that just kind of moved you into position. It was much more comfortable than any other Drs chair I've ever sat in. Just like Kaseki Hospital, though, there was a curtain obscuring my view of the Dr. and nurses. I had a hard time moving it aside, but the Dr. saw me messing with it and asked if I wanted it out of the way. I said yes and he kindly removed it for me. Again, I have no idea if that's typical behavior for Japanese patients, but I just can't stand having it there. After getting checked the Dr. asked me if I wanted to transfer to Red Cross. I explained to him what my Dr. had said, which was that I only needed to transfer if there was a problem. The Dr. said he didn't think there were any problems and I could return to Kaseki Hospital if I wanted too. I told him I did. I'm already familiar with it (and I've already paid my deposit too!) so I didn't want to transfer if it wasn't really necessary. He said that was fine but he did advise me to keep taking the Utemerin (a medicine prescribed to discourage early labor). I'm not thrilled about taking it for the next two weeks (I still get bad jitters from it) but I'm willing to put up with it for everyone's peace of mind.
I had asked a friend to watch Clara for me during the appointment and so when it was done I took the train to her house to meet up. She invited me to stay for dinner too, which was super nice since it was getting late and I was really quite hungry (I hadn't had any snacks after lunch like I usually do). I called Kaseki Hospital the next business day and scheduled my next appointment, just a short one to get a refill of my meds, and then I have another regular appointment this Friday.
Well, that was my experience at Red Cross. Aside from the long wait it was a good day overall. Now I just gotta hang in there for two more weeks! Stay in there baby until then!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
34 Weeks Pregnant (in Japan)
So on Wednesday night last week I was feeling a lot of Braxton Hicks, and I had some pain in my lower abdomen. It was right before bedtime, so I took one of the Utemerin and promptly went to bed. The next morning I felt normal, but during my appointment on Friday I decided to mention the incident to my Doctor. He said that having pain in my lower abdomen was a concern since my incision from my last C Section is there, so during the Ultrasound he very carefully looked at the area around the incision. Sometimes my appointments feel a little rushed (there are always a lot of patients in the waiting room), but the Dr really took his time and looked at me very carefully. I also had a cervix check and the Dr took a look at my uterus from that direction as well with another ultrasound. It took a while but it was nice to know that the Dr is willing to take his time when there is a concern and not rush things.
The Dr. said that my uterus looked like it might be a little thin in the area around my scar and encouraged me to take the Utemerin three times a day and to visit a specialist at the Red Cross Hospital here in Nagoya on Monday. He had the nurses fax the Dr and make the appointment for me. My C section date is only three weeks away at this point. I'm not too worried about it, I think my Dr is just being super cautious, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. The Dr told me that if the specialist at Red Cross feels it's necessary than all my care will be transferred to Red Cross. My current hospital, Kaseki Byouin, is a nice looking private hospital, but it is kind of small, and I don't think they have an Intensive Care Unit, which must be why my Dr is considering transferring me. Personally I hope that I am not transferred, since I am already familiar with Kaseki and it's closer to my home, but I guess we'll have to see.
So I've started taking the Utemerin everyday, and it's actually pretty awful. I didn't notice anything strange the first time, I guess since I fell asleep soon after taking it, but now that I'm taking it regular I've felt the side effects very keenly. The nurse had warned me about them and told me to endure it, for the baby's sake, but they are quite unpleasant. About a half hour after taking the meds I get terribly jittery. My hands shake pretty bad, my heart and breathing become more rapid, and I feel like I can't even concentrate on things. This lasts for about an hour and then starts to fade, and then I don't feel well for an hour or two afterwards. By the time I feel normal it's usually time to take it again. I'm putting up with it for now, but I really hope the specialist at Red Cross tells me everything is fine so I can stop taking it.
On a side note, I thought I'd talk a little about the examination rooms at Kaseki. From what I've heard and read they seem to be a typical set up in Japan, but it's a bit different from the US so I thought I'd mention it. The main consultation/examination room is divided into several parts using curtains. There is usually two women in this room at one time. For example, there is often a woman having a consultation with the Dr while I am being prepped by a nurse for my ultrasound. Doesn't allow for much privacy, which kind of surprised me (in the US I always had consultations with my Dr in a private room with just the two of us and the occasional nurse.) The other thing I found interesting was the curtain set up in the part where they do cervical checks, pelvic exams, etc. (Basically anything that requires taking your pants off and sitting in a chair with stirrups). There is a curtain that actually comes down right in front of your face, obscuring your view of the Dr while he does his examination. The first time I sat in this chair, naked from the waist down, with the curtain in front of me, I found it very... disconcerting. Without asking permission I pulled at the curtain and, to my relief, was able to move it aside quite easily. The nurses, and the Dr himself, did not try to put it back, and they didn't say anything about it either, they just continued as normal. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only patient who moves it, but I haven't had the nerve to ask. The nurses didn't seem surprised so maybe they have other patients who do it. One time, just recently, a nurse who noticed it was open pulled it back in front of me (probably out of habit) and I just moved it again. Anywho, just a little cultural difference I noticed (in the US I never had a curtain separate me from the Dr during anything.)
On Monday I will have my appointment at the Red Cross Hospital and I'm a little nervous, because I don't know if the Dr there speaks English. Also my Dr. told me that it's the biggest hospital in Nagoya, so I hope I can find my way around it! I'll let you all know how it goes.
The Dr. said that my uterus looked like it might be a little thin in the area around my scar and encouraged me to take the Utemerin three times a day and to visit a specialist at the Red Cross Hospital here in Nagoya on Monday. He had the nurses fax the Dr and make the appointment for me. My C section date is only three weeks away at this point. I'm not too worried about it, I think my Dr is just being super cautious, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. The Dr told me that if the specialist at Red Cross feels it's necessary than all my care will be transferred to Red Cross. My current hospital, Kaseki Byouin, is a nice looking private hospital, but it is kind of small, and I don't think they have an Intensive Care Unit, which must be why my Dr is considering transferring me. Personally I hope that I am not transferred, since I am already familiar with Kaseki and it's closer to my home, but I guess we'll have to see.
So I've started taking the Utemerin everyday, and it's actually pretty awful. I didn't notice anything strange the first time, I guess since I fell asleep soon after taking it, but now that I'm taking it regular I've felt the side effects very keenly. The nurse had warned me about them and told me to endure it, for the baby's sake, but they are quite unpleasant. About a half hour after taking the meds I get terribly jittery. My hands shake pretty bad, my heart and breathing become more rapid, and I feel like I can't even concentrate on things. This lasts for about an hour and then starts to fade, and then I don't feel well for an hour or two afterwards. By the time I feel normal it's usually time to take it again. I'm putting up with it for now, but I really hope the specialist at Red Cross tells me everything is fine so I can stop taking it.
On a side note, I thought I'd talk a little about the examination rooms at Kaseki. From what I've heard and read they seem to be a typical set up in Japan, but it's a bit different from the US so I thought I'd mention it. The main consultation/examination room is divided into several parts using curtains. There is usually two women in this room at one time. For example, there is often a woman having a consultation with the Dr while I am being prepped by a nurse for my ultrasound. Doesn't allow for much privacy, which kind of surprised me (in the US I always had consultations with my Dr in a private room with just the two of us and the occasional nurse.) The other thing I found interesting was the curtain set up in the part where they do cervical checks, pelvic exams, etc. (Basically anything that requires taking your pants off and sitting in a chair with stirrups). There is a curtain that actually comes down right in front of your face, obscuring your view of the Dr while he does his examination. The first time I sat in this chair, naked from the waist down, with the curtain in front of me, I found it very... disconcerting. Without asking permission I pulled at the curtain and, to my relief, was able to move it aside quite easily. The nurses, and the Dr himself, did not try to put it back, and they didn't say anything about it either, they just continued as normal. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only patient who moves it, but I haven't had the nerve to ask. The nurses didn't seem surprised so maybe they have other patients who do it. One time, just recently, a nurse who noticed it was open pulled it back in front of me (probably out of habit) and I just moved it again. Anywho, just a little cultural difference I noticed (in the US I never had a curtain separate me from the Dr during anything.)
On Monday I will have my appointment at the Red Cross Hospital and I'm a little nervous, because I don't know if the Dr there speaks English. Also my Dr. told me that it's the biggest hospital in Nagoya, so I hope I can find my way around it! I'll let you all know how it goes.
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