One of the reasons why I think this is a bad idea and much is taken for granted

[nuthinbutpink]

Who could've known? Nobody...that is why I think doing this at home without real medical care isn't the best idea. So much can happen that you just cannot plan for and much is taken for granted even with the best of intentions.

Home Births on the Rise: But Are They Safe? | Parenting - Yahoo! Shine (http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/home-births-rise-safe-205400504.html)

[purple sky]

I agree 100%
That is tragic:(

[TTC5]

So sad :(

[Cinss]

Oh how sad. The idea of a home birth is appealing but safety comes first, the hospital is what is best for the baby.

[MatildaMai]

My mother in law told me yesterday that the woman who died is the wife of her cousin's son. She then went on to say that one of her girl cousins called to tell her about it as the girl cousins keep in touch but the boy cousins don't and only see each other at funerals these days. My MIL has 3 boys herself (who she sees very little of and are terrible correspondents/callers). It really does just cement all my concerns about not having a DD.....

[begonia]

Oh how sad! MatildaMai, I'm sorry to hear the loss was in your family. And sorry to hear it made your concerns about not having a DD harder! FWIW I think it's much more about the person than the gender when it comes to staying close to family. We all have our own experiences we draw from with these things (females in my family are NOT at all close) but I do think overall it ends up being more about the personality/upbringing and less about the gender when it comes to having tight family ties.

[purplepoet20]

I personnaly have no problem with homebirth but dying and never seeing my kids grow up scares me. I want my kids to have me as long as they need me.

I think homebirths can be both safe and dangerous but it depends on the mother's health, babies health, and the midwife. A midwife here was recently arrested for lying about doing homebirths for 20 years so everyone trusted her. When she failed to take a mother to the hospital when she started bleeding to much the husband stepped in and his wife was saved. The truth came out about the midwife never having any training in anything and she had only delivered 8 babies. Homebirths should be done right with blood test, health reviews, plans, a knowledgable midwife, and backup equipment that a hospital or birth center would have.

But one person dying to me doesn't mean homebirths are not safe... women have been giving birth at home for thosands of years and yes a few died but many lived. Hospital births can end bad to if they are not done right.

[atomic sagebrush]

Not trying to debate but I know of many people who had things go wrong at the hospital as well unfortuately.

The data indicates that in normal pregnancies, homebirths are just as safe as hospitals.

[purplepoet20]

Not trying to debate but I know of many people who had things go wrong at the hospital as well unfortuately.

The data indicates that in normal pregnancies, homebirths are just as safe as hospitals.

I mentioned that too... nothing is ever 100% right

[Flava]

Im right there with purple and atomic. Homebirth can be just as safe and ppl die in hospital births too only we don't read all about it in the news...

[zanacal]

I actually had a home-birth with DS2 but he didn't breath when he was born - it was 5 minutes before he gasped and 15 minutes before he was making regular respiritory effort. It was scary but actually nothing was done differently at home than would have been done in hospital and I'm so pleased that I hadn't had the drugs I'd have been tempted to have if I had been in hospital because my 'sleepy' baby may have been even sleepier. I actually think that many of the complications experienced in birth (in hospitals) are due to the interventions given there. I had DS3 in hospital and that's where we'll have the next one too but after my experience I would never have drugs in birth or allow any unnecessary intervention.

[nuthinbutpink]

Yes, but if worst case scenarios happens, I'd rather be in the hospital. I'd rather be alive.

I see you guys write about things being forced upon you but you must give consent so I really don't understand that argument at all. It's more about access to help. Nobody can force you to have Meds and nobody can force you to have a cesection. I know you can give birth at home but you cannot foresee what may happen and it's a huge risk to take.

If things go wrong in the hospital, I can't imagine what would have happened at home. You have a say in your medical care. You just have to voice it.

[lindi]

I think that in normal, healthy babies and mothers home births are definitely acceptable with a midwife or OB present.
That said, there are many, many women for whom a home birth is not the safe option, and it is hospital's responsibility to create an environment where women feel safe to give birth first and foremost. here they have failed and that is the real tragedy, that many women who would be safer in a hospital choose not to have their babies there because they are more afraid of being there than being at home were there is no access to emergency surgery.
Hospitals have failed big time. All mammals need to feel safe in order for our bodies to respond in the most favorable way to birth. If a mother feels scared, intimidated, not supported, not feeling like she *can* refuse treatment (so many women have no idea you can sign an AMA at a hospital and frankly, being in the middle of active labor is not ideal to be signing legal documents anyways!) and this I think needs to change.
I support women giving birth without fear in a comforting and supportive environment. To me, its a shame that a SAFE one is so difficult to find.

[somerlouise]

I personally wouldn't have a home birth- DS1 and 2 were difficult births, but I have several friends who have and I think that is great for them.
I do know that as soon as I'd had each of my babies I wanted out of the hospital! I was lucky with DS2 and DD- got to go home the next day.

[DoulaMama]

After having a horrible hospital birth, and witnessing 25+ births in the hospital, there's no bloody way I would ever give birth in one again. I have a higher chance of dying in a car crash on the way to the hospital than dying giving birth at home. I know my stuff, I can help myself if problems happen(not all but most), and to me, being at home where I feel safe is the best option for me. Homebirths are as safe as hospital birth. It's a fact. Problems happen in and out of the hospital...life is not garuanteed no matter where you give birth. I've been attending births for 4 years now and homebirths are so much more relaxed, peaceful, quiet, etc....to me how could that not be more conducive to a smooth labour? Moms have better recovery, easier breastfeeding experiences, and most who have done both would say that it was much more private and family centered. Hospitals are for the sick and injured. Pregnancy is not a sickness. I believe that women, no matter where they give birth, should take more responsibility for their births and know what the interventions do to them and their babies. A women that's induced, has an epidural and then bleeds out after birth cannot say that she would have died at home...because she would have never been induced in the first place.
Anyway...rant over. I give birth at home and I am not risking my child's or my own life...I am living life. And to me, birth is as safe as life gets:) I can't imagine what some of you may think when I tell you I'm giving birth at home with NO medical help...LOL Just me and my hubby and a friend...oh and my kids;) We did the same thing with #3 and it was the best birth for me and my family. Everyone needs to do what they feel is best:)

[grasshopper]

I truly think that we are incredibly lucky in our western societies that we have such wonderful medical facilities on hand for when things go wrong. It is obvious from the higher rate of deaths (maternal and baby) during/after childbirth in developing countries that having access to hospitals and urgent medical care saves lives. There is no dispute about that.

Having said that I believe that women should be encouraged to birth their children in the most natural ways possible instead of allowing the medical interventions to be seen as necessary tools to get our baby out. I love knowing that we have all of the tools readily available (and hospitals and doctors) to help save ours and babys lives should it become a medical emergency but until then we should be encouraged to trust our bodies, our babies and our instincts as much as possible during childbirth. We are losing touch with one of the most incredible intimate experiences of our lives. Meeting our babies that we created and grew inside of us, for the very first time!!!

I had DD#1 in a hospital environment and I felt pressured and annoyed by the presence of sooo many people I didn't know and the bright lights and the constant prodding, touching, checking, machines etc. It was my first and I didn't know any different so thought at the time it was normal but afterwards I realised that there really wasn't a lot about it that was natural. I had put my faith totally in the doctors and let them make decisions for me about my UNCOMPLICATED birth even though I really just wanted them all to leave me alone to get on with it myself.
I learnt my lesson and had DD#2 in a birth centre which was an amazing decision. WE did it...me and my baby...without help, monitoring etc, just a midwife and DH by my side to encourage and support and it was painful and emotional and TOTALLY AMAZING.
I haven't experienced a home birth, but I would have no problems with the decision to have my baby at home KNOWING we have help if we need with a hospital not far away. My DH would prefer we birth at a centre despite him being medically trained and I will repsect his decision but I would hate for that choice to be taken away from me from officals who think they know better than me how to birth my own child.
As DoulaMama said, childbirth is never risk-free, either at home or in a hospital, but I fell lucky that we still have the freedom to choose what we feel is best for our own circumstances.

[Ribbons]

I had a hospital birth with DS1 at age 19, and had every intervention known to man (with the exception of a C-Section, for which I am eternally grateful.) All of them were likely unnecessary and I didn't even know I had a choice at the time, unfortunately. With DS2, I was determined to do it differently and had an absolutely amazing homebirth with a very competent midwife who was also a CNM, so I felt completely safe in her care. (It also helped that the hospital was right next door - DH joked that if anything went wrong, they could just toss me in a wheelbarrow and run over there!)

The experience was a night-and-day difference from my first birth - so relaxing, peaceful, surrounded by everyone I loved - and DS2 was able to nurse right away, we didn't even cut the cord for awhile... Amazing. I will DEFINITELY do it again if I am lucky enough to have a low-risk pregnancy. It's not for everyone, but it's for me!

[zanacal]

I would not have a homebirth again after my experience with DS2, however I feel very lucky that I live in the UK where the maternity wards are run by midwives and natural childbirth is encouraged - there are rooms with pools, you're encouraged to be active and left to your own devices for much of the time and you're free to create whatever environment you want in the room with lighting, music etc., the midwives at my hospital are even trained in aromatherapy! They're also respectful of wishes like baby being placed straight on chest and not cutting the cord until it's stopped pulsing. None of the legs in stirrups, pushing to the count of 10 that I see on some overseas childbirth tv programmes - my goodness if somebody counted to 10 when I was pushing I'd likely slap them!

[Ribbons]

Sounds wonderful... if that was how it was here, I would certainly consider it!