So, I will preface this by saying that we are not TTC and don't plan to for a couple years. I am just curious.
I watched a documentary last night called "The Business of Being Born". It was fascinating. It was about the shadiness of the American hospital system when it comes to birth (there were tons of things in the video that I had no idea about) and about raising awareness on the issues of midwives and natural home-birth.
I've always liked the idea of natural childbirth and having a midwife. I don't like hospitals in general, so the idea of giving birth in one kind of weirds me out anyway. I feel like I kind of lean towards a midwife and a home-birth, maybe even a water-birth. The video said that in the US, only like 1-2% of women give birth outside a hospital, but in the rest of the world, that number is much, much higher.
So, I was wondering what the bees thought about the idea. Would you ever consider having a baby at home with a midwife? Why or why not?
(I am NOT looking for an angry debate, but a friendly, intelligent discussion.)
My ideal would be to give birth in a hospital that is midwife/doula-friendly, has a small tub/pool type setup, and is respectful and responsive to my needs. I have a few friends who gave birth in that situation, and to me it seems like the best of both worlds.
I think it's fine for those who want to do that, but it's not for me. I also watched that movie, and some other documentaries on this subject. I am a worrier so I would like to be in a hospital just in case something happens. I think if I were at home, I'd worry the whole time that something bad would happen and I'm not in a hospital, and it would just make my labor experience horrible.
Personally I wouldn't.
There's a LOT that can go wrong during childbirth and I'd hate to lose time traveling to a hospital if their services were needed. I don't love hospitals but I trust my doctor, plus personally I don't feel like it's something I could do on my own (and I want an epidural).
I could see a home birth as a better for a woman who's not having a first child and has some been thru the experience before so she kind of knows what to expect. But it can be a good option for a woman who's had a bad hospital experience - I'd just say make sure to do a ton of research and make sure that any mid-wife or doula used is properly trained.
For child-birth there is no "right" way to do it, there's only what is best for the baby and the mother and each woman has to make her own decision based on the risks of each option and her own values. Plus there are a lot of hospitals that offer more flexibility and birthing centers that have hospital connections.
I thought about it with my second but was to scared too due to having a cracked rib... (passes out at 13 weeks at the bank and due to pregnacyt the rib couldnt heal) But there is so much that can go wrong I would be too scared to... And i think everyone would be suprised how many people have to be enduced... I dont know if you can do that for a home birth...
I watched that documentary as well and it really opened my eyes to home birth as an option. DH and I are still thinking about it and considering it (we are not pregnant or TTC). I get really anxious in hospitals and uncomfortable so the idea of giving birth in an environment I am comfortable with appeals to me. I like the idea of being able to move around, shower, and give birth in a more comfortable position than laying on my back. I still have some time to sort out how I feel but it is definitely a possibility for us.
Unfortunately for me, I can be a raging hypochondriac if I happen to be anxious on a given day. I'm pretty sure panic over my coming child's safety and my own safety would very quickly end any homebirth attempt, even before it started :)
I really like the idea, but my husband doesn't so it will be at a hospital, but most probably with a midwife and I would LOVE it if I could have a waterbirth. He's not opposed to any of it, but he is adamant on being at the hospital.
I would not, because I could never forgive myself if there was a problem with the baby and we were not at the hospital for them to get care as quickly as possible. While I agree that childbirth in a hospital used to be a shadier experience in the past, and still ends up shady for some people today, as long as you trust your doctor there is nothing to worry about. It is all about finding someone who has similar views as you. Some people like to vilify all ob's but there are plenty of them out there that care tremendously about their patients and what they want, and they are probably really insulted by people who hold such views.
Logically, i know homebirths are just as safe as hospital births, but it would scare me that if something went wrong, we wouldnt have the resources avaiable at home like we would in the hospital, if there was an extreme emergency. Plus i dont think my insurance would cover it at home. however, when i do get pregant, my gynocologist office that i already go to has a midwife and a birthing center, (all within the hospital) that i owuld like to use and possibly do a water birth there.
I like the idea, but I think in the end I probably won't. I'm very small, and I could potentially not be able to have kids vaginally and need a C section, so I want to be at a hospital in case that happens. That happened to my mom with my younger siblings and they weren't big babies, so you never know!
I would like to have the option of having a water birth, though. We're years away from TTC, but I've researched it and love the idea!
@AlliRae- I'm not saying that all OBs are shady. I have an Ob/Gyn and he's awesome, so don't get me twisted here. I never said that.
I would definitely be cool with a birthing center too, not just a homebirth. I guess I just don't want to end up in the vicious cycle of drugs and c-section. I am SO not okay with that, unless it is the absolute only choice left. I guess that's my main issue with it. I want to be in control of things and I don't want a doctor trying to step in and change it (like at the end of Knocked Up, I know it's a bad example, but it still illustrates my point).
I guess it is just a matter of finding the right person to assist you though, like some of you said. If I met an OB who was willing to let me do it my way and just monitor for problems, I guess I'd be cool with that too.
That movie really opened our eyes, too. (I watched it with my husband.) He's dead set against a hospital birth now... I'm not sure but I'm far more open to an alternative setting than I was before watching the movie. There are a LOT of interesting and convincing points in that movie.
We're not TTC yet.. but when the time comes, you can bet this will be high on our discussion list!
The prospect of giving birth at a hospital horrifies me. There are SO many reasons for home birth that have nothing to do with my fears, but the safety for a low-risk mother and baby. Yeah, if I'm high risk, I'll go to a hospital, but if my old doctors are there, I'm gonna punch their teeth out. My reasons don't really apply to most people, and they are emotion-based (though avoiding the level of stress hormones my baby would be subjected to seems reason enough.)
The last time I was treated at a hospital (as opposed to having tests run), I ended up with pneumonia (a weird side effect of a medication), liver failure, 103-104 fever for 2 weeks, the early stages of toxic epidermal necrolysis, and I was sleeping for 20+ hours a day for a full month. The nurses kept giving me meds that were on my charts NOT to give me (my liver was shot, and it wasn't recovering until I started asking what they were giving me, then it was "Hell, no. This fever can stay at 103 unless you find the right meds.") After a week and a half, my liver was starting to recover, and the TEN had stabilized (top layers only, mercifully)... and they sent me home because they thought I'd catch something at the hospital and my immune system couldn't handle a simple cold. This was all due to a medication that they are supposed to screen patients for. Two months later, when I had my first bout of amnesia (as opposed to forgetting basic facts relating to my job) - "come back in again if the amnesia doesn't clear up within a day or so." Um... I couldn't remember my co-workers or where I lived. All of this was due to a vaccine (which I didn't even THINK to question until over a year into the side effects) with a five year efficacy for an otherwise preventable disease.
So... Do I want to have my baby around these people when I, after an epidural, am unable to move to protect my baby? Around super-bugs and vaccines for STDs I don't have? (Hep B is given the day a baby is born.) Birth is a natural process, and there's a lower rate of infant death among home births. Admittedly, I have a fear bordering on hatred of doctors (though I didn't until the third pharmaceutical product I had a reaction to), so I'm not exactly objective on this issue. But it's better to do a home birth than be terrified for the last two months of your pregnancy, right?
Big FAT no. I really need to be in a hospital if I'm about to have a baby coming out of me. Naturally I'd hope for a smooth delivery but I'd like to also be prepared or any surprises. As far as I can control it I would want to give birth in a hospital
I'm going to a birth center with a midwife (assuming there are no complications). It's across the street from the hospital. I'd consider a home birth if I were the type of person that's more sensitive to my surroundings, because I think the mother's emotional state can play a big part in how the labor goes. But since I don't feel that strongly about the location itself, I am fine going to another place. Certified midwives have just as much (if not more) training as a nurse to know when a doctor should be involved.
I am probably biased as I am in medical school, but I would never give birth anywhere but a hospital, and I would go so far as to say I would only give birth in a hospital that has a NICU. Although most births go just fine, giving birth is extremely dangerous and when it goes wrong, it can go VERY wrong for baby or mom. Therefore, I would never chance something going wrong and not being close enough to care that could be life saving.
Never. I would rather drive through Hell (during transition) than give birth at home where there are possible complications. My SIL is going to have a homebirth in August and I think it's silly but whatever, her prerogative and I hope nothing bad comes out of it. I do think midwives are best suited for most births and I love the idea of having a birthing center water-birth, ideally attached to a hospital ;)
We're far from TTC, but I know that I'm somewhere between 'birth center' and 'friendly hospital.'
Home birth just has to much risk associated with it for me (what if you can't get to the hospital on time in case of an emergency?). I also want to be in an environment that lets me walk around, get my back rubbed, sit on my hands and knees, be in the shower or tub, etc, whatever I want to do. Strapped to a bed is not going to be my only option, that's the one thing I feel very strongly about.
i've seen the video as well. i studied to teach childbirth ed/breastfeeding classes, so we read/watched a lot on the subject. i have family that works within the field in a hospital setting, so i think these have a lot to do with my views on the subject.
i don't think there is a lot said about how flexible hospital settings can be, granted each hospital is different. they have routines, but if you are in contact with them ahead of time, you can talk to them about your concerns/wishes and as long as you are reasonable and willing to work with them, they are usually pretty willing to work with you. it is very unfortunate that in our country people are so sue-happy that drs often take a super conservative/controlled approach so they can't be held liable should something negative occur. not that this is the reason for all drs unbecoming behavior (hello skyrocketing c-section rate during friday afternoon deliveries!), but it is certainly a reason for a lot of it.
personally, i wish we had more options where i live. we have a couple of hospitals and a few midwives that do home births. i wouldn't be comfortable to do a home birth, but i'd like to labor at home as long as possible (once we're pregnant, lol). we had planned to move to north shore, where there is a fabulous birthing center on the campus of a hospital, but our moving plans fell through & i think it's too far for us to go from where we are now. there, you can go home after delivering at the birth center (which is like a little house, with big tubs and beds) or after you can decide to stay in postpartum, just like you would had you given birth in labor & delivery dept within the hospital. it gives patients a lot of control over their care, which i think is important. it's a very personal choice, and what's right for one family isn't right for another. it's important to be an informed on your options, and then proceed however you deem best for your situation.
I would love to have a home birth and honestly, the main thing that deterred me from looking into further is the preparation/clean up! I know that sounds shallow, but I also know my husband would not be happy if there was amniotic fliud on the carpet or something.
The good thing is that you can always find a happy medium, as PP have pointed out. Midwives, birthing centers, etc. I will be delivering in a hospital, but am lucky to have found a doctor who is supportive of delivering unmedicated and in positions other than flat on your back. I think there is always a way to strive for the birth experience you want.
@agerard23: I agree 100%. Hospital with a NICU is the only thing I would even CONSIDER.
There would be no way. None.
My husband's aunt is a midwife and she has done home births but I am not at all comfortable with the entire concept. As many have said, when it goes bad it goes really bad.
No way. I'd much rather be at the hospital in case something were to go wrong with me or with the baby. That way you're already there and you wouldn't have to drive like a crazy person to get to one.
NO way. I would not feel comfortable giving birth without doctors and medical techonoloy immediately available. I'm not saying that hospitals give me the warm fuzzies, but IMO, it's the safest place to give birth to a baby.
i'm also not ttc now, but my grandfather was an ob/gyn, and he was the most wonderful, loving person, so i don't have any distrust issues with hospitals/doctors. of course, he was my grandpa so i'm biased, but i know that there are very good, very dedicated doctors like him out there. i definitely would want to be at a hospital to give birth, but one that i feel i could trust
If I was in an ideal world (aka not getting married to a man who's a foot taller than me with a HUGE head and wide shoulders), I would opt for a home waterbirth with a midwife. As the situation stands (with the head and the shoulders and the tallness), I'm going to TRY to find a birthing centre that's connected to a hospital, or a hospital that specializes in natural waterbirths...but if I'm not able to find one I'll probably deliver in a hospital. : (
I read the book when I was pregnant with Moose and interviewed a "midwife" (I put in the quotes because she didn't even have infant CPR) to deliver at home and am so glad I didn't go with her. Even if she'd been a Certified Nurse Midwife, I would've felt like that's one reason Moose died. Granted, that's not the norm, but no one wants to think about another "what if..." in that situation. Now I'm pregnant and delivering at a hospital because I'm borderline high risk.
@Jenniphyr: aka not getting married to a man who's a foot taller than me with a HUGE head and wide shoulders
LOL, ditto to that! Ahh the joys of being a small woman marrying a bigggg man.
Our local news this week:
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/04/19/baltimore-midwife-charged-in-va-with-manslaughter/
I know this is just one case, but maybe if they had been in the hosptial this baby would be alive. Maybe not. I would hate to live with having to always wonder.
I'm high-risk, so I have to give birth in a hospital, but if I wasn't, I probably would do a birthing center or a place that was really well equipped for emergencies. I also wonder how high the mortality rate is in other parts of the world compared to the US. We may be unique in doing mostly hospital births, but does that mean we have a better mortality rate? That would be something to consider when looking at stats.
I had a horrible hospital experience with my first child. I'd really like to have a water-birth at a birthing center, but I have to convince my FH first. We've got time, though. Not planning to TTC until June.
@MissKatelyn: Actually, the US has one of the higher infant mortality rates in the developed world. Ours is higher than most of Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the UK, etc. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html
@zippylef: Really? That's so interesting. I wonder why. I can't imagine giving birth in hospitals is the whole reason.
I had a homebirth! It was wonderful. Homebirth is as safe as (and in some cases MORE safe than) hospital birth *IF* you are an ideal candidate (for example, the link above about the lawsuit involved a breech baby, which is NOT an ideal candidate), have a qualified attendant (such as a CNM) and have a transfer plan that involves a nearby hospital who is aware of your plans to transfer and has your medical records on file. Some people just aren't good candidates for homebirth, but in my case I was. I loved having my son at home and will 100% do it again if I have the opportunity.
One common misconception is that it will take too long to transfer to the hospital if there is an emergency. Provided you live close to a hospital this is simply not true. There was a study done that showed that you will get to surgery in the exact same amount of time whether coming from the maternity ward or your house. This is because it takes time for the surgeon to travel to the hospital, and for the room to be prepared for you. In the interim, you will receive the same care in the ambulance as you would on a gurney in a hallway.
I would like a water birth or a birth at a birth center instead of an hospital but I don't know if that is possible. My DH has a health condition that worries me. Of course I would ask the doctor if our baby is ok but just to be safe I would rather be near a doctor.
@agerard23: I couldn't have said it better myself. I am a nurse and I work in a NICU, there is some scary shit that comes through. I wouldn't even consider giving birth anywhere without a NICU. In fact, I am delivering at the hospital I work at and I will not think twice about it. I know if anything happens my baby and I will be in the very best hands. There is nothing more comforting to me than knowing that.
I would neve have a home birth. There is just to much that can go wrong, and if its only a matter of minutes to fix a problem i dont want to spend the time they could be saving my baby to get to the hospital and have it be to late. I feel like i had the best of both worlds! I had a midwife, but I gave birth at a hospital and I would do the same thing again :)
I don't have the choice since I will have to have c-sections for any babies, but if I had the choice I would 100% choose to give birth in a hospital. The thought of delivering at home scares me to no end. What if something goes wrong? Definitely not for me and my husband has the same viewpoint.
You must log in to post.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| pengoala | 46 |
| AllieANT | 46 |
| MsBeer | 35 |
| adoc86 | 30 |
| AlwaysSunny | 28 |
| TaurianDoll | 26 |
| badabing88 | 26 |
| dannielle89 | 21 |
| littlemiss511 | 21 |
| MrsPanda99 | 19 |
Sorry, there are no users yet.
