Panic Panic Panic

[scout86]

I even asked her to write me a note asking the embassy staff to expedite the visa processing time so that I wouldn't have to be out of the country for more than a couple days,

I don't suppose you could do that yourself? (I have no idea how this stuff works!)

And I don't suppose there's anyone you can report her and her clinic to, that would work to allow you out of the contract? You've got enough to do right now anyway.

My best suggestion would be to communicate with everyone you deal with along the way. So they know you're pregnant (and I see know reason you couldn't describe your pregnancy as "complicated"). People like the conductor on the train, for example. So, just in case anything DOES happen, you don't have to start at square 1. They can begin with "Oh yes, the pregnant lady!" Same with the embassy. I'd like to think that, if they know the situation, they might give a little extra effort to move things along. (My T keeps saying I give other people too much credit for being rational.....)

 

[Casey_03]

@expectingbetter Thank you for commenting. The thing about me being born two months earlier is that I survived because my mother had good medical care -- I, however, am not so sure I do/will. I guess that's why I really want some sort of stability, or at least to get this stupid work trip out of the way so i will know what country I am going to give birth in. Even in Ukraine, the system is different - you go to different places for prenatal care and birth, so you deal with completely different teams of doctors. The doctor I have now is only for prenatal care, and the clinic she works at isn't even equipped for the birth. I need to find a maternity hospital for that, but in order to do that - I first have to go on this trip to get a visa. So I see a lot of areas where a premature birth could cause problems - one, if it happens while i'm traveling (depending on where i am, I don't know how medical care will be) or two, if it happens before i've found a maternity hospital (in which case i won't even know the doctors treating me, they won't know my background or medical history, etc) .... it's just way too much uncertainty

 

[Casey_03]

@scout86 They might speed things up for me knowing I'm pregnant, but bureaucracy in eastern Europe can be pretty terrible. It really just depends on who is sitting at the visa window when I go in. Officially, they are only allowed to make exceptions if a note from a doctor is provided to prove extreme circumstances. But yes, unofficially, it is possible that they will just be nice to me when they see I am pregnant. I am a bit jaded from my last trip though, when people seemed to not care that I was pregnant. No one would give up their seat for me in the waiting hall of the airport, even seeing my baby bump; a train conductor refused to open the toilet for me even when I explained I was pregnant and going to be sick. Some people just don't care, I guess. Though some do!

 

[Casey_03]

I'm sorry to everyone if I seem to be nit-picking or being really negative, I think the hormones are just making me expect only doom and gloom and I won't be able to calm down until I get this stupid work situation sorted! Until then I will try my damndest to relax more ...

 

[scout86]

I'm sorry to everyone if I seem to be nit-picking or being really negative,

You actually just sound worried. I expect that comes with the territory, but it's got to be extra hard in your situation. Think of this as one big, happy, slightly dysfunctional family and feel free to come here and do what ever makes things easier for you! :hug:

 

[expectingbetter]

I guess that you have to go to that trip although it would be the best if you could postpone it. But even in that case be sure that doctors who are going to admit you for the delivery wherever it is going to happen are going to check with you all the details about your medical history, they have to do that, any doctor would take the medical history of their patient before any procedure is going to be undertaken. So don't worry at least for that.

 

[digger]

I think it's incredibly 'normal' to worry when you're pregnant, especially with your first, but I also think that you have extra stresses that a lot of women don't have to deal with. So keep venting!

So I see a lot of areas where a premature birth could cause problems - one, if it happens while i'm traveling (depending on where i am, I don't know how medical care will be) or two, if it happens before i've found a maternity hospital (in which case i won't even know the doctors treating me, they won't know my background or medical history, etc)

I know it's not the same as actually having had face to face contact prior to needing them, but something that might ease this one a little bit is to make yourself an 'in case of emergency' file to carry with you, with the information in it that you want the medical staff dealing with you to know. Copy it into whatever languages it needs to be in to carry it with you when you need to travel too. It's not a perfect solution but might help you to feel slightly more in control, or prepared?

 

[Ronin]

I'm sorry to everyone if I seem to be nit-picking or being really negative,

Nope, you're not.
Eastern Europe is a dark f*cking place, you're being realistic about it, not shooting comments down.
/goes back to reading

 

[Ronin]

They might speed things up for me knowing I'm pregnant, but bureaucracy in eastern Europe can be pretty terrible.

Any male journalist (the weller known the better) friend you might have as a tag along while you go through it?

Asking for impressions. Clerks tend to not want to screw with people where they /suppose/ there is power and influence, present on site and directly seeing they're just causing problems for whoever their dear affiliate is.

 

[Casey_03]

@Cashew I wish. I do have one good male journalist friend but he wouldn't be able to drop everything and go on this trip with me. Maybe I will just start crying when I go in there and have a break down. Then they will probably be very eager to appease the hysterical, sobbing pregnant lady making a big scene.

 

[Ronin]

I'm also guessing a travel companion with medical training would charge me a ton of money for the service,

No, what I meant is someone who'd be living around the same parts you're going to travel to, willing to extend a hand, who'd also happen to have required training and would be willing to help out, not a paid professional in training. Apologies for not clarifying on the meaning sooner.

And you know what, actually it may be your chance, playing into what these people are able to see.

 

[Ronin]

@Casey_03, about the travel, are there any alternate possibilities that would make you safer? Different routes, different travel companies to take, different class of travel even if more costly?