I was pretty excited when I was told I was #5 on the wait list and that all of the rooms at the Storks Nest were full. So I made reservations at the Dragon Hill Lodge (that my unit would reimburse me for if the Storks Nest was full). Imagine my disappointment when I received a call today saying they had a room for me.

So rather than stay in a comfortable room with internet access so I can be connected to the outside world, a tv, gym, and things to do, I get to stay in a small cramped room with no tv, no internet, no anything. Plus I get to cook for myself! I already only eat one meal a day most days. If I have to cook, I'm sure I'll eat even less. So I guess I'll be losing some weight while I'm up there - I don't cook; especially just for me.

Anyway, does anyone know where the Storks Nest actually is? I couldn't get much out of the Korean woman on the phone. How far of a trek will it be for me to get to the fitness center and somewhere that has internet access? I won't have a car and I'm not paying for a bunch of taxis all the time. I'd rather just walk my fat pregnant butt around the base.

How long will they make me stay at the 121 as long as there are no complications? I hate hospitals and would rather just have the baby at home but I'm active duty so I know I don't have a choice in the matter.

I'm at Osan. If I decide not to go to the Storks Nest just yet and wait a little longer, what are my options if I accidentally go into labor and can't make it up there. (I have 20 minute labors so I won't be able to go far). Anyone know any doulas/midwives that can just come over to my apartment?

Sorry if I'm a little irritable. I'm only 38 weeks and my last one was born 8 days late. And they just moved my due date up a week so I may only be 37 weeks. Who knows! The last thing I want is to have to stay up there by myself with nothing to do for a month.

The 6 weeks convalescent leave where they make you stay home with the baby is bad enough. Had I known they'd make me go up there for a month first, I never would have gotten pregnant here in the first place!

The girls will jump in with, I believe, good news for you. But I know that it is all of 300 feet from Collier Gym! Next to the good Katusa Snack bar! You may have the baby at home! Midwives are available! Many Koreans do that every day. Good Luck, whatever you decide.

That's great that it's next to the gym. I'd go completely insane without it. I'm an aerobics instructor at Osan and haven't taught in 11 days (which is probably part of the reason I'm so irritable right now - no high)

I know anything Korean will have a lot more experience than they will at the 121. I don't even know where to find a midwife or anything. The last thing I want is to spend a month up in Seoul. A day will be excruciating enough! Any idea where I can find someone to help me out here? Is that even an option being active duty?

You need to copy your first post over to our Spouses Club in Korea Forum. Go read back through that Forum and many of your questions have already been answered there. Guarantee you'll feel better right away!
(And lots of GI's swear by that Snack Bar next door!)

From the hospital: go out the main doors, turn right. follow the sidewalk down and cross the parking lot at the cross walk, past the buss stop, cross the street and just followthe side walk (on the left side of the street) all the way around, you can't miss it.

Now...there is TV's, but no internet..blah blah blah...so I had to go over to the library to use the internet. There is a big sign that says you must have a library card to use the internet, but I just told the guy I was visiting from Osan and he let me use them. The library is about 2 miles (someone better aquanted with the area will probably be able to tell you how far it is better than I can) from the Stork's Nest.

You can order food delivered to your room so you don't have to cook (cooking actually made me throw up, so I ordered in or ate out or microwaved stuff the whole time). Oh yeah and the hospital has a cafeteria and the food isn't to bad..nothing a little salt and/or pepper won't fix

They told me that they make you stay 36 hours, but they made us stay 48 to make sure baby was ok.

If you don't go to the Storks Nest and you go to the ER, you will get the @$$ chewing of you life, especially since you are active duty. Trust me I got in sooooo much crap, and I'm just a dependent...just go to the Storks Nest.

What buliding are you going to be in? The old building (5214 I think) is awful (sorry it's true) I had the room right beside the bathroom. There was no chair or anything else to sit on but the bed, and it was really tiny, I was so depressed. Luckly when I went to check in I had my 4 year old with me and so she said as soon as the family room opens up she'd move me in there. That is in the new building and is SUPER nice. The new building (5212) is so much better than the other building.

I empathize with you honestly. I was 8 days late and all I wanted to do was go home the whole time. I HATED being away from my kids and on top of that I was so BORED!! There is a gate right there and someone told us if you go out the gate there is a huge mall, so if you are more brave than I am you could go check that out. I was afraid to go anywhere off base alone just because I was sure I'd go in to labor and not be able to figure out how to get back I took a laptop and played games on it and took stuff to read. Looking back to the whole 3 weeks ago that it was, it seems so long ago lol. After the baby comes though it'll make it all better, you just have to bare through it.

Hey I'm starting to write novels like Dee :)

The woman I spoke to specifically told me that there is no tv in the room that I get. Woo hoo!

36 hours is longer than I've ever had to stay at a hospital.

I have an appt on the 15th and will check into the storks nest on the 15th so hopefully Dr Han won't give me that chewing out you spoke of. I'm not sure how I feel about her. I didn't get a warm fuzzy at my last appt...

I was so looking forward to staying at the DHL and being somewhat comfortable down there. Now I get to stay in a glorified prison cell. How fun. And I won't get to see my girls while I'm down there. My husband doesn't want to pull them from school and I'm not taking my one year old down there without a TV for her to watch Wiggles on. Unless I can just bring my own tv/dvd player - the little disney princess one in the playroom seems pretty portable.

I guess I could work on the baby books I've been neglecting but I know even if I bring everything I own, I'll be bored to tears after a day.

I feel so negative right now. I just know I'm going to be miserable.

Dr Han delivered my baby. I think she's really nice, maybe it's because they are rushed during appointments ( i never saw her for appts). Dr Han didn't chew me out, sorry for the confusion, it was the Dr in the ER at Osan.

I only saw my girls during the weekend since they both go to school also, so I know how you feel. I really really did not want to go up there. You should read some of my other posts about it. Take that money that you'd a have used at DHL and go get a massage or something. Clippers at DHL is really nice and they offer LOTS of services, just a thought.