Any Home birthers here ?

[aroundtheworld]

Whoops, I quoted the wrong person! Let me fix this.

[stillwanttwomore]

On the contrary...I am not angry at all. I have no frustration at home birthing or home birthing mothers. you have your opinion and i have mine. I don't agree with home birthing, and now where were interventions mentioned so I am not sure how that is relevant. Yes every mother does have the right to choose and that is her choice. My OPINION is that babies should be born in a hospital. If that offends you or anybody else that's fine, I would never tell someone not to have a home birth. I am having a difficult time understanding where the connection was made to strip every women of her right to choose. Opinions are opinions. I have mine and you have yours. You do understand that it is okay for someone to disagree with what you think or what you do. Its your family and your body and your baby.

Tiffany, you seem very angry, and I hope you can sort those feelings out at some point. Homebirth and homebirthing moms are not the source of your frustration, I assure you. My main reason for giving birth at home is because, for my own family, I feel 100% that it is the safest place on earth and, in fact, that a hospital is extremely risky. Interventions in the very natural process of childbirth are extremely common and can cause some very, very bad things to happen at times. So as far as it being "safe", we'll just have to agree to disagree. In the end, I think that each mother should have a right to choose where she wants to birth- wherever that may be. And I cannot dream of ever stripping a woman of that right.

Best wishes in the future of your hospital births. Mine will be taking place in the comfort of my happy home with the rest of my family gathered around me. And you know what? Both of those are okay.

[aroundtheworld]

I used to work in a children's rehabilitation hospital- and I mainly worked with the infants. I did have a few patients that were the result of home births 'gone bad'. I know it's not the majority- but it's so hard to get those stories out of your head especially since they could have possibly had a different outcome. If I didn't work in healthcare- I may have once thought about home birthing. It sounds like an awesome thing as long as you can guarantee nothing going wrong. Then again you can't completely ever guarantee nothing going wrong during any type of birth. I would never judge anyone for making the decision to home birth though. Just educate yourselves and make the best decision for you and your family.

Thank you for the kind response. I can appreciate a hospital setting in a serious situation- I do not believe that hospitals or doctors are the devil, mind you, however for a healthy mother and child I believe that placing them in a high intervention situation is dangerous. And, yes, I do believe that death can come from a series of needless interventions that are considered "normal". For a woman who is in labor, which is a vulnerable position to be in, and under the care of a doctor, I am of the opinion that things can be forced or "forcefully suggested" to her that can cause serious detriment to her and/or her child. Can a hospital be a refuge in time of emergency? Absolutely. Can a homebirth actually save a life? I believe that it can and absolutely has for many women/babies. As a doula, I have seen first hand more than once how things can become dangerous in the hospital because someone wanted to stick their noses into a natural process and "help it along" when it absolutely was not needed. But, of course, there are times when things go awry at home as well and a hospital is needed and desired. Which is why, if a mother is educated, aware, and prepared for either home or hospital, having a choice is a beautiful thing.

[Mrs_P]

Thank you for the kind response. "High risk" is subject to debate in itself, I suppose. I can appreciate a hospital setting in a serious situation- I do not believe that hospitals or doctors are the devil, mind you, however for a healthy mother and child I believe that placing them in a high intervention situation is dangerous. And, yes, I do believe that death can come from a series of needless interventions that are considered "normal". For a woman who is in labor, which is a vulnerable position to be in, and under the care of a doctor, I am of the opinion that things can be forced or "forcefully suggested" to her that can cause serious detriment to her and/or her child. Can a hospital be a refuge in time of emergency? Absolutely. Can a homebirth actually save a life? I believe that it can and absolutely has for many women/babies. As a doula, I have seen first hand more than once how things can become dangerous in the hospital because someone wanted to stick their noses into a natural process and "help it along" when it absolutely was not needed. But, of course, there are times when things go awry at home as well and a hospital is needed and desired. Which is why, if a mother is educated, aware, and prepared for either home or hospital, having a choice is a beautiful thing.

Whoops, I quoted the wrong person! Let me fix this.

Not meaning to start a fight as i understand emotions are running high but you seem to know what you are talking about so a question if i may?

As i said in my earlier post i had planned a home birth but ended up with complications (bleeding) in labour with ds3 and although i was more than happy with how the hospital had handled it, he was safe; i didn't get the natural home birth i had planned. Seeing how quick things can go from normal to scary i decided i wouldn't risk it with this baby but this thread has got me thinking, especially in light of the news by us and baby's catching whopping cough in hospital (which worried me last time with the whole mrsa scare partly hence the home birth in the first place - hospitals are germy places and somewhere i would rather avoid with a tiny vulnerable baby).

What happens if something goes wrong when you have a home birth? Do they just send you to hospital asap or are there things the midwifes can do at home if the worst happens

[aroundtheworld]

Tiffany, this has become pointless banter. I can try to be civil, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. So I'm going to go ahead and retreat now. Because you have already shown your extreme distaste for homebirth under any and all circumstances, I hope that in future threads looking for like-minded homebirthers, you will refrain from causing such negativity and allow us to bond over something we feel good about.

[aroundtheworld]

Not meaning to start a fight as i understand emotions are running high but you seem to know what you are talking about so a question if i may?

As i said in my earlier post i had planned a home birth but ended up with complications (bleeding) in labour with ds3 and although i was more than happy with how the hospital had handled it, he was safe; i didn't get the natural home birth i had planned. Seeing how quick things can go from normal to scary i decided i wouldn't risk it with this baby but this thread has got me thinking, especially in light of the news by us and baby's catching whopping cough in hospital (which worried me last time with the whole mrsa scare partly hence the home birth in the first place - hospitals are germy places and somewhere i would rather avoid with a tiny vulnerable baby).

What happens if something goes wrong when you have a home birth? Do they just send you to hospital asap or are there things the midwifes can do at home if the worst happens

Certified midwives come very well prepared. They have many tools they bring with them that can assist in case of an emergency, such as oxygen, medicine to hault bleeding, etc, etc. They are skilled, knowledgeable, and prepared for emergencies. Of course, they cannot peform like a hospital (such as surgery), however they do come as prepared as they possibly can and are always on the watch for signs of distress. Many also have doctors who are familiar with you and your pregnancy (having seen them for appointments) who are on call in case of emergency and a hospital transfer.

[Mrs_P]

Thank you for that, maybe its something i should re-discuss with my midwife then. Sounds silly now having asked the question i suppose she wasn't going to turn up empty handed!

In fairness although things took a bad turn in my last pregnancy if i had been being monitored it could have been spotted earlier (I went into hospital saying i was bleeding, someone had a look said it was a bloody show although i thought i was more than that and had been happening on and off for a day or so - i had gone in twice before then, but as i was in labor they kept me in, it all stopped and they tried to send me home a couple of hours later til i asked what about the bleeding, she got a bit grumpy and said let me look, then panicked and rang delivery and suddenly i was high risk, they broke my waters and me half an hour to get him out before they went in). In all the time i was the hospital i was only checked once, maybe if i'd been at home it would have been picked upon sooner - the hospitals always seem so short staffed by us which was one of the things i liked most about a home birth - proper one on one attention.

I'm hoping i'll get the same midwife i had last time, who was lovely and very supportive of home births, if i do its def a conversation i will have with her - thank you

Ps Doula what a lovely job - getting to share that miracle of watching a new little person come into the world, must be really rewarding

[Dreamofpink]

It's such a shame that this thread has become a hotbed of emotions. I apologise for being the first to post who has not or will not be experiencing a home birth. Unfortunately that was choice taken completely out of my hands, by a very life-or-death situation with DS1. However, this does not mean that I am anti-home births. Far from it! I remember reading a fabulous book when pg with DS1 about midwives who attend Amish women in America and how they found that the natural process of giving birth at home was very successful compared to when they started to bring them into hospitals and the unnatural environment caused many of them to start having more complications. Now, please forgive me it was 6 years ago since I read that book and due to DS1 being born so early I never could bring myself to finish it, BUT it left me with the over-riding impression that like all mammals we are designed to find somewhere safe, dark, warm and where we won't be disturbed to give birth. It makes perfect sense in theory, but nothing in life is certain and for most women this would probably be a good and preferable way to give birth. I'd have given anything to be one of those women who could pop out babies with relative ease, but it wasn't to be and I feel very lucky that I am blessed with a very good milk supply and EBF DS1 when he came out of hospital weighing only 3lb 15oz. I'd expressed for him for the previous 6 weeks. I know that 100 years ago I wouldn't have survived my pg so am thankful to modern medicine BUT I still feel that nature knows best when we give her chance to.
Mrs P - I hope you find the right way for you and hopefully you can experience a wonderful home birth.
Aroundtheworld - I really admire the very diplomatic and reassuring way in which you express your opinions. I imagine that you're a fantastic, calm doula and envy your ladies!

[aroundtheworld]

Thank you for that, maybe its something i should re-discuss with my midwife then. Sounds silly now having asked the question i suppose she wasn't going to turn up empty handed!

In fairness although things took a bad turn in my last pregnancy if i had been being monitored it could have been spotted earlier (I went into hospital saying i was bleeding, someone had a look said it was a bloody show although i thought i was more than that and had been happening on and off for a day or so - i had gone in twice before then, but as i was in labor they kept me in, it all stopped and they tried to send me home a couple of hours later til i asked what about the bleeding, she got a bit grumpy and said let me look, then panicked and rang delivery and suddenly i was high risk, they broke my waters and me half an hour to get him out before they went in). In all the time i was the hospital i was only checked once, maybe if i'd been at home it would have been picked upon sooner - the hospitals always seem so short staffed by us which was one of the things i liked most about a home birth - proper one on one attention.

I'm hoping i'll get the same midwife i had last time, who was lovely and very supportive of home births, if i do its def a conversation i will have with her - thank you

Ps Doula what a lovely job - getting to share that miracle of watching a new little person come into the world, must be really rewarding

That sounds awful, Mrs. P. I do have to wonder why they didn't pay more attention to what was going on with your body...? Each woman is different, each baby is different, and certainly each labor is different. All childbirth professionals have to keep this at the forefront of their minds! I'm glad you and baby are safe, though.

I do enjoy being a doula. I'm certified, but it's not a job at this point because I've got 4 children of my own! Maybe someday. I've also toyed with the idea of someday training to become a midwife, but now is not the time. I did, however, get to catch my friend's baby last year! She was going fast, but wasn't showing many signs of being in transition, and via telephone her midwife and I agreed that she probably had a good while longer. Well low and behold 15 minutes after I arrived she was ready to go! She was in the bathtub and I was outside it timing her contractions when she said, "This baby is COMING!" I reached down to check her and, wouldn't ya know, she was crowning! Her midwife was on the way, but she lived 45 minutes out, so I jumped into action. I climbed into the bathtub with my sneakers on, cupped the baby's head, checked for a cord around the neck, and helped ease her out! haha It was sudden, but it was exhilarating! I checked baby's breathing, she was totally fine and didn't need any suctioning, and held her above mom's belly button until mama got over the shock of it all. Then she laid down in the bed with her baby until the midwife arrived, to which she then delivered the placenta and the cord was cut. It was amazing- my friend did a fantastic job and her baby is so happy and healthy!

[aroundtheworld]

Aroundtheworld - I really admire the very diplomatic and reassuring way in which you express your opinions. I imagine that you're a fantastic, calm doula and envy your ladies!

Thank you. I'm not always diplomatic! But I do try. I appreciate the compliment.