Friday, January 30, 2009

Tales from the Storks Nest/121 episode 2

I am here in an unaccompanied status. I was told not to come since healthcare would be available to me only on a space available basis (the usual drill) but once I arrived (at 18 weeks) and was put into the women's health system, I was in it for the duration and didn't have to battle for every single appointment. While I've had a more difficult time getting in to pediatrics, Dr. Burns is phenomenal and has seen Quinn anyway.

I did not attend the 121/Storks Nest orientation tour and in hindsight, I don't think I missed anything. I was hoping for a natural birth and by chance met with the midwife (Jenny Lee) for both my 36 and 38 week appointments. I think they like for you to meet with as many different providers as possible since there's no telling who will be on shift when you actually deliver.

I took the bus up for my 38 week appointment at the 38 week and 3 day mark. I had no intentions of checking into the Storks Nest that day and even though the midwife told me I had ZERO signs of impending labor, for some reason I changed my mind and decided to stay. I consider myself pretty tolerant of substandard conditions- pretty easy to please and not one to complain and while I never issued any kind of formal complaint, I will say that the Storks Nest was horrendous. Without exaggeration, my room temperature was below 60 degrees and I had to keep the door open just to allow some heat in from the common hallway. There was a communal bathroom with one shower and two toilets, simply not sufficient for 6 pregnant women. And I won't even go into the decor...it was scary, but the big issue here was the lack of climate control. That very night my water broke and I was fortunate enough not to spend a single night there.

The girl across the hall ruptured her membranes at the same time, so we rode together in the ambulance the 300 yards to the hospital. Since my water broke and I was still showing ZERO signs of labor (aside from the membrane rupture) I didn't get the natural birth I was planning on. I did, however, feel that I was adequately briefed on my options for induction and pain management and was able to make informed decisions about the process. Overall, I was very pleased with the level of care at the hospital. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, even through shift changes--even when I didn't necessarily know their names. There were only two of us in the ward that night, so I suppose it could be different with more patients, but I know they don't have a very large capacity and occasionally send people downtown. FYI, I shared a recovery room with the other new mom, even though there were two other rooms- fortunately she was nice! There was also no place for the hubbies to sleep if they wanted to stay the night...my husband squeezed in the bed with me.

As far as breastfeeding support went, my nurse came in every few hours to wake me in order to feed the baby. She showed me different positions and offered suggestions on how to rouse the baby in order to eat those first few days. She also observed to make sure the baby had a good latch. They consistently asked how the breastfeeding was going but didn't insist I complete the chart (#/time of feeding sessions, # of diapers, etc) until day two. I was released not quite 48 hours after delivery.

Tips to bring with you to the 121...warm clothes for the storks nest, calling cards (their vending machine was down), and black undies! Another FYI, if you're a one cell phone and one VOIP household like we are, you can rent a cell phone by the week at the Dragon Hill Lodge. There was no phone in my Storks Nest room, so needed a way to alert the husband that the baby was coming.

Things I wish I'd known...I think people don't tell you a lot of stuff about the late stages of pregnancy and/or delivery because then we'd never go through it! Really, it wasn't that bad :) But as far as breastfeeding goes, and certainly everyone is different...I wasn't expecting the vast difference in milk production between my left and right side. I've stuck with it, and now just affectionately refer to them as "slow flow" and "fast flow". I also didn't know what kind of feeling to expect with "let down" and didn't experience that feeling until more than a week or two after his birth. And finally, I wasn't prepared for the amount of milk that would be leaking through breast pads, bras, shirts, and even then STILL dripping from my body. Two months later, I am still experiencing this phenomenon- it's certainly better with an established appetite and I realize there are things to do to stop this let down, but applying pressure to the nipple/areola is uncomfortable for me, so if I'm at home, I just let it go (or flow, that is, into a cloth that I stuff into my bra- glorious, I know!)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Handy and fun websites to explore!

Ready Made Magazine instructions for everyday life

Get Organized with the Fly Lady!

Green parenting tips

Stay up on the local happenings with South Korea news sites

Custom made clothes without going downtown!

Reusable bags galore

Toy recall list

Got some more to share? Add them to the comments!

Friday, January 23, 2009

What is all this talk about Lunar New Year?

Seolnal (Lunar New Year) is the first of 2 major Korean holidays, typically falling on the second new moon after the winter solstice. (The second is Chusok in the Fall.) Seolnal is another important ancestral holiday in which the living celebrate their ancestry. Families fress in traiditonal Korean dress called "hanbok" and get together for traditional meals, food offerings, and family time including traditional holiday games, such as kite flying and a stick game called yuk.
"They kneel and bow to their ancestors and elders. Family members wish each other prosperity and good fortune. Then they exchange gifts. Children receive lucky money, candy and fruit from the elders. The family spends time together and have rice-cake soup for breakfast. Children often take this day to play special New Year games.


In parts of Korea, people usher in the New Year with a ritual called Jishin Balpgi. Loud drums and gongs are played to scare off evil spirits of the old year. At the end of the day, friends and relatives join together for dinner to renew their friendship. Sol is a celebration of family and good friends. And for the Koreans, the New Year is about family and community." (http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/korean_new_year.htm)
In Korea, most places are closed on Lunar New Year and the traffic is typically terrible. It is generally advisable to plan a nice quiet day with the family at home and avoid driving with a large portion of the Korean population. Perhaps you can even play some of the traditional Korean New Year games or try some of the food that is eaten.

To learn more, check out these links:
say hay boke-mahn he pah du say oh
(Many New Year's Blessings to You!)

Monday, January 19, 2009

Directions: Koo Mart

Koo Mart is a fun trip if you are interested in seeing how things are "done" in Korea. Koo Mart is the local dollar store and it is so different from what just popped in your mind what I said "dollar store". You wouldn't believe what you can get at Koo Mart for 1,000Won. It is large and filled with stuff. Kids can go (there is a small "toy" section"), but there is a lot to see.

To get to Koo Mart:

  • Head North on the Big 1 for about 10 minutes (tops!)
  • As you get to the "Welcome to Osan-Si" sign you will see a big "warehouse-type building" with a KooMart sign off the road on the right. It has a red sign with white letters. Looks a bit like a supermarket or Wal-Mart. It is set back from the road so you will have to look beyond the buildings immediately on the road.
  • Turn right at the light immediately after you see it on the right.
  • Turn right in to the parking lot.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Easy and Fun Activity for a Snowy Day

Like today! There isn't enough snow to play in, and it's too dry to do much with, so here's an idea: scoop up a bag full and put it on your deck. Get some tupperware containers or baking sheets and make some colored water with food dye or powdered Kool-Aid. Bundle the kids up and give them some spray bottles, sqirt guns or eyedroppers and let them color the snow. Or, try spreading some salt on it to see what happens. Add some water and make mini-snowpeople. The possibilities are endless, and when they start whining that they're cold, make some hot chocolate and laugh at them from your toasty living room. I mean, let them in and give the rosy-cheeked little darlings some hot chocolate and cookies. Or, if it's just too chilly outside, dump the snow in the tub and let them play there.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

How to have a baby in Korea

When I learned I was pregnant AND we were going to Korea, I had more questions than anyone could even think about answering. I began asking people who hadn’t even had babies but that had been to Osan. I got such a hodge podge of information it took me until after I delivered the baby to get all of the answers.

So for anyone wondering, here’s how to have a baby in Korea:

When you come to Osan and receive a positive blood test, your name’s given to Ms. Chon, the RN who works for our OB Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Chon calls with a date for your OB orientation. It’s a 3 hour class of some paperwork and information on how your care will be handled here. You’ll have your first set of blood work done then and receive an appointment with Maj. Koehler our Nurse Practitioner. If you’re considered high risk you’ll be sent to USAG Yongsan (an army post) to the 121 Combat Support Hospital and receive the rest of your OB appointments there. If not, you will see the Nurse Practitioner here in Osan until somewhere between 32-36 weeks and then transfer your care to the 121 as well.

If you do need to travel to Yongsan for prenatal care, there is a shuttle bus that runs several times a day between Osan and Yongsan that is only 5,500 won per way. It goes straight from base to base. There, you can take a taxi to the actual hospital (which is located on south post). I suggest taking the bus considering all of the traffic here. It only takes 70 minutes by bus (because of special bus lanes) and can take several hours by car.

There are several doctors who work in the OB clinic as well as one midwife. You can try and schedule your appointments with the one of your choosing but there’s no guarantee they’ll be available. I found it nice that I had seen every doctor at least once before I delivered so that I would know the doctor delivering my baby.

Everything about the actual labor and delivery is just like in the States. There are even options for c-sections, natural delivery, and VBACs.

At 38 weeks you are expected to stay up at the “Stork’s Nest” and wait to go into labor. This is basically to cut down on the cost of the Osan ambulance trip up there (and also for safety). Because of the horrible traffic here, it could take hours (and it frequently does) to finally make it to Yongsan. The storks nest is a small house with several bedrooms (mine had 8) with a common kitchen and bathroom. It’s just across some baseball fields from the hospital. Your spouse and children can stay with you. (Ask for a family room if you can get one) The current buildings are pretty small and old, but they were in the process of finishing new ones when I was there. Let’s just say I said a few prayers for my water to break the first night so I wouldn’t have to stay there any longer. (Lucky me, they were answered!) If there is no room at the storks nest you can stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge, the Embassy Quarters or two different hotels off base.

Here are a few other bits of information.

- Yongsan will only deliver a baby at 36 weeks gestation or later. Otherwise you are sent away to a Korean Hospital to have your baby because there is not a military NICU on the peninsula.

- Double check the time and date of your appointments at Yongsan with the personnel there. Several women have had a problem with the scheduling.

- Okinawa, Japan (which is also located in PACAF) has a NICU, I don’t know the rules and procedures for possibly delivering there but know that it is a possible option and it’s not too far away.

- Children are technically not allowed in the OB clinic, they suggest you really try and leave your older kiddos at home, CDC, what have you.

- They will not give you an epidural just because you ask for one. You have to be “so far along” and in active labor.

- They do not give you dermaplast or those nice little “woman part ice packs”. A good friend gave me a great tip. Tear open the back inside of a newborn diaper, fill with ice and have a seat.

I learned a lot and asked a lot of questions, if you have more I (or someone I know) knows the answer so e-mail me at laurennaddy@sbcglobal.net . I wish I could have had someone lay it out for me. It would have calmed a lot of fears for me in the beginning. Although not quite as convenient as having a baby in the States, it was a great experience and I’d do it all over again.

Lauren, guest poster

Friday, January 9, 2009

Getting a new ID card at Osan

To get a new 'Dependent' ID card here at Osan, you have to go to MPF (located between the O Club and the Community Center, off Songtan Blvd) with either your active duty spouse, or a form 1172. To get the form, your active duty spouse will have to go to MPF.

Once you have the spouse or the form, go down to MPF. You will need your old card and another form of picture ID (passport, driver's license). Sign in at the 'Pass and ID' desk and wait. When you have your new card, don't forget to go to the 'BIDS' station on the other side of the room and get your card scanned. This will allow you to get on base.

MPF opens at 0700, and early morning is the least busy time.