This is an update on my last blog.

So I got in to see the doctor today and it went badly. I've been going to this practice for my whole pregnancy, but the doctor I was with recently left town so I was assigned a new doctor. My kids see him too. He's nice and he speaks my language, I don't need more than that... right?

Not right.

I tell him I'm there because of my hips and the paaaaaaaiiiiin and please help me. He looks up my file, asks how far along I am, asks if I'm birthing at the nearest hospital, the regular questions. Even though it's right there on the screen in front of him.
I'm 33 weeks. No, I'll birth at home unless I need a transfer...

Then he's reading my file more "This pregnancy you've had a blood test, two ultrasounds, a urine test with us. Oh, you're RH negative.... you haven't done the gestational diabetes test!" Ugh, dude, not what I'm here for. Focus!!
"I opted out of that test. And yes, I'm RH negative. While I'm here if you could give me the prescription for the Anti-D that would be great."
"But the GD test is important!" <insert ranting>
"How about, you give me the script for the Anti-D and I'll take your GD test?"
"OK!" He says, then he tells me he doesn't know how to make a prescription for that drug because he doesn't do "share care" (That's what they call it when a clinic doctor looks after the easy parts of your pregnancy and the associated hospital takes care of the messy parts) and he will just call the reception for advice.

He does that. He then proceeds to tell me he can't offer me any help what so ever because his boss, the owner of that practice, doesn't want the practice associated with home birth mothers. They don't support that. "And I agre with my boss" he says.

Ok, so no Anti-D, cool. About the massive amounts of pain I'm in???

No, not they can't help with that. Whilst it is most likely pregnancy related SPD, it could be other things too, like a UTI (it's not a uti mate, my fucking bones hurt.) so they would need to do some tests, but at any rate he can't offer me those tests or pain relief because he can't help me because I'm pregnant and planning to home birth. Even if the pain wasn't pregnancy related, he can't/won't help me until after the baby isn't in me.

*Sigh* nothing new right? I think this has happened at least once with both my other pregnancies. But it gets old. And I'm in a lot of pain. I can't sleep, I'm tired as shit. I cry.
He tells me he can give me a number for the head midwife of my region and they will surely know what doctors in my area are willing to help a HB woman/ share care with a homebirth midwife.

I tell him home birth wouldn't be so fucking dangerous and wouldn't have the stigma if women like me were actually allowed to access the same standard of care. I load my kids into the pram and leave humiliated.

Half an hour later he calls me back to tell me not to waste time on that number. He called them for me, and they don't help homebirthers either. Of course they don't. Then he's like "I'm so sorry. I really want to help you, you need this Anti-D and I know you're in pain..."

So yeah. That's what happened with that.

I spoke to my midwife again, and she'll get me a letter to help me get the script for Anti-D (keep trying different clinics until I find one who will do it style) but she doesn't believe anything more can be done for SPD (other than these compression pants I've ordered but don't yet have) and so zero help with getting a second opinion from a doctor is coming from her.

Of course, I spoke with my sister after that, and told her what happened (she knew I had an appointment because she's been helping me look after the kids and picked me up off the floor a few times) and she basically said I'm getting what I deserve because I shouldn't be giving birth at home. "You know I don't support that" she says. Yes I know. Thanks. I feel so much better now.

I do seem to be making some headway managing the pain and reducing it a bit, so maybe I'm awesome enough not to need their help. But I'm pretty demoralised right now