A dilemma!?

Question

I am process of trying to get pregnant. This would be my fourth child. My youngest is 6 years old. I have had all my children at the same hospital and very pleased with them. Also I love my obgyn. The hospital where I want to deliver does not preform tubal ligations. I was wanting one right away because I'm right there. I think it would be more painful to heal and then go in and have it done and have to heal all over again. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

The hospital that you prefer is probably affiliatted with a religious sect that is a major source/sponser of their controlling capital such as Catholic because any birth control method, other than natural is against the church doctrine and therefore against the hospital's policy. Find out if your OB/GYN practices at another hospital or birthing center that also accepts your insurance and is willing to perform the sterilization procedure. Most physician's practice at multiple locations and your doctor may have other facility resources at his/her disposal. You also need to contact your insurance company to confirm that the birthing and sterilization procedures are covered during the same operating session.

Answer 2

Well, if you are going to have a vaginal birth, I am not sure that it will matter either way, other than stringing the pain out over an extended amount of time. The method used for tubals, at least around here, is to make two small incisions in your abdomen and put a tiny rubber band around both fallopian tubes. Mostly painless anyways, and out of the hospital same or next day. Unfortunate that your preferred hospital doesn't do them, but I would suggest staying with them for the delivery since that is what you are comfortable with. Good luck!

Answer 3

Congrats to you!

I'd ask your OBGYN if she practices out of any other local hospitals. I live in a smaller city, but we still have five or six local hospitals, and I found out that MY OBGYN practices out of three of them. It might be possible that your OB practices out of another hospital that DOES do tubal ligations... that way, it may not be the same hospital, but at least it would be the same doctor.

BUT things you would need to consider if she DOES practice out of another hospital: does your health care cover treatment at the other location? Does it cover tubal ligation at the other location? (IF you were planning on relying on your insurance company to cover the costs...) Lastly, is there ANY chance that your OB will be on vacation on/around the time you are due. It would really stink if you went through the trouble to plan on having your little one a different hospital only to find out the week or two before you're set to have her that your OB isn't, for some reason, going to be able to be there..... just food for thought.

If you're in a smaller town that only has one hospital in driving distance to you, then I'd recommend contacting practitioners in your closest big city to see if anyone there would be willing/able to travel to the hospital of your choice to do the tubal ligation. Of course, this would require that practitioner to be on call, and to be on her/his way as soon as you went into labor so that they could be there in time to do the surgery after the baby's born.... that starts jumping into realms I'm not all that sure about. Besides, in today's age of lawsuits and medical insurance restrictions, I don't even know if doctors can practice out of a hospital they're not "officially" affiliated with... but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask, right? And again, if you're planning on relying on insurance to cover the costs, you'd want to confirm with your insurance company that a visiting practitioner and procedure would even be covered.

From what I've read, it does seem like a great idea to just get the procedure done while you're there. If anything, because immediately postpartum the uterus and ovaries are so close to the abdominal wall. BUT, if the above options don't pan out, most of what I've read points to tubal ligation as being an outpatient procedure, so I'd hope and imagine the healing that followed wouldn't be too debilitating.

Best of luck to you. (oh, and I attached a link to one of the more informative sites - I feel - that I found on tubal ligation).....

Answer 4

I was not allowed to have a tubal when my twins were born because of my age. I went back when they were almost 4 to have one done. It was an in and out procedure. You can't even see the scars. If you want to have the baby there, then go ahead and do it and just get the tubal later. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

It's pretty cut and dry. You just need to decide if having the procedure done ASAP or using that hospital you like is more important.