Any homebirthers here?

[marciebaby]

I'm pregnant with my third child, and have been contemplating having a homebirth. My husband is not so sure about the idea, although I've shared statistics and research studies with him.

Has anyone here experienced homebirth? Would you like to share?

Thanks!

 

[sara elizabeth]

I have had all five of mine at home. It has been great for us...wouldn't do it any other way
The nice points are being in your own home, and because of that being so much more relaxed. You don't have to ride in the car during labor. Other kids don't have to be without you for long or at all depending on how what you choose. (Our kids went to spend the day with Grandma and came home to a new baby )
I used great midwives who knew how to handle anything that came up including excessive bleeding. (I began bleeding alot after my first, and was treated with herbal remedies that stopped the bleeding flat) Most midwives are trained to prevent problems, but also are well equipped to handle emergencies.
Good luck on your decision

Here is a link to my birth story with #5 http://www.christianforums.com/t2124504

 

[jgonz]

I already posted in the main forum, but wanted to post here too.

I LOVED my homebirth. I truly wish DH had been on board with my earlier kids' births. I had had all natural uncomplicated births for my first 6 kids in the hospital (except for #1~ epidural~ yuck), and had had it with hospitals. DH finally went for it, and I ended up with a home water birth in our bathtub for #8. It was Great! So much less fuss than a hospital. I did go back to have #9 in the hospital, but it was for Purely financial reasons. (I should have just stayed home... I had an "unassisted" birth IN the hospital with my youngest. No one in the room... hehe)

Have you researched midwives in your area? I would suggest looking through MANA http://www.mana.org/ (a friend of mine is the treasurer of MANA ) and other midwifery organizations, as well as asking around in your area. Sometimes DHs do better if y'all can sit down and talk directly to a midwife~ then any fears he has may evaporate, or he may come up with some valid points that need to be considered for your situation.

You can also look into a birth center birth using a midwife (if your DH still isn't comfortable with homebirth). That's how a friend of mine compromised with her DH... She wanted a homebirth Badly, but he just wasn't ready... so they went with a birthing center and both of them were very happy with the experience.

 

[marciebaby]

I had a CNM delivery in a hospital with my two other babes. I have an OB this time (insurance, blah), and I've been horrified at his lack of attention. He never introduced himself to me, or asked if I had any questions... As time goes on, I've been more and more anxious about the hospital setting. It just seems "wrong" this time.

I contacted a CPM in the area who does homebirths, but haven't heard back yet. Insurance will probably not pay for a homebirth, although they'll cover every penny if we deliver in a hospital, so that's a huge issue for dh, but I'm trying to get him on board.

 

[symphonyb]

I'm pregnant with my third child, and have been contemplating having a homebirth. My husband is not so sure about the idea, although I've shared statistics and research studies with him.

Has anyone here experienced homebirth? Would you like to share?

Thanks!

Oh hey,yes-my cousins wife did. I was frightened at the thought but it went without anything happening and all I heard was she plans on this again. I could never feel that relaxed but maybe you have to be a certain kind of person. Maybe I'm the nervous type where my cousin(in law) is calm. Young too! That fear just doesn't set in for her. I do know that other than a midwife there were 2 assistants and my cousin himself helping off and on. I could never do this!

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I'm pregnant with my third child, and have been contemplating having a homebirth. My husband is not so sure about the idea, although I've shared statistics and research studies with him.

Has anyone here experienced homebirth? Would you like to share?

Thanks!

I've had 3 homebirths and it just feels that home is the right place for giving birth.

Happy to answer any specific questions.

Congratulations on your pregnancy

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

I had one baby at home, and planned a second homebirth, but had to transfer to the hospital... I had an abrupted placenta. It was my secodn abrupted placents, and o now I birth in the hospital...but I have the best OB- who totally leaves me alone and lets me do my thing, and since I don't do most of the prenatal tests we spend my prenatal appts. talking about God and our kids! lol!

I love having babies at home. The one thing that I would urge you to think about, though...is the rest you will have after the baby... is there someone who can come and take your older kids away for larger portions of the day for a few days? That, to me is the only draw back of being home...but you don't get any rest in the hospital per se....but no one needs you those first 24hrs, either....

I have thought about dual care if I am blessed with another baby. My biggest problem is that the midwives are and hour away at the closest, and if I have any bleeding at all I need to be monitored immediately.

 

[Cright]

I'm not fond of hosptials, but I can't imagine being comfortable at home to give birth.

If you give birth at home, which room do you give birth in? How do you clean up the mess, and how can you stay relaxed worrying that it'll all get done?

I'd rather be somewhere that's not a hospital, but also NOT home.

(disclaimer: This is comeing from someone who's not yet given birth ... um... ever)

 

[jgonz]

If you give birth at home, which room do you give birth in? How do you clean up the mess, and how can you stay relaxed worrying that it'll all get done?

I'd rather be somewhere that's not a hospital, but also NOT home.

(disclaimer: This is comeing from someone who's not yet given birth ... um... ever)

If you are really interested in home birth Cright, I encourage you to do a LOT of reading on the subject. Homebirth is actually Safer than hospital birth... Hospitals have a Lot of germs floating around and that's where sick people go... Pregnancy and birth is not a disease, it's a condition.

You asked about the "mess". It totally depends on the individual how much "mess" there is. However, in general, you buy a birth kit ahead of time which includes absorbant pads (just like in the hospital), you make your bed (or wherever you plan to be laboring and birthing) with a waterproof sheet under an old comfortable sheet (actually you layer your bed~ regular set of sheets, next is the waterproof layer, next are old sheets you don't care about so you're comfortable), and you let the midwife worry about it. The birth kits have all sorts of cool stuff in them as well.

Speaking of the midwife~ she is a Fully Trained, competent professional who knows what she is doing. She has been fully trained by other midwives, and in many cases has worked for years in delivering babies. Midwives actually have more training in natural birth and how to handle odd presentations than OBs do. OBs are trained for surgery, so that's their first thought if the baby is presenting oddly. A midwife will be able to deal with it and it's not a big deal. If something comes up that can't be handled at home, she will know and get you to the hospital asap.

I could never really relax in the hospital... Home was a lot more relaxing, it was easy to clean up (I actually had a waterbirth in the tub, so pretty much everything went right down the drain lol), and I was able to crawl right back into bed (after the midwife stripped off the waterproof layer) and cuddle and nurse my new baby. I also didn't have to worry about where my other kids were and who was watching them~ they were in the other room. So much less fuss.

 

[Leanna]

Doh. I just have to entirely disagree on home births being "safer". As I mentioned on the last thread about home births I know a lady who's third child died in a home birth, and she believes that had she been at the hospital the baby would have lived. She has to live with that. She had a normal low risk pregnancy, same as her first two pregnancies and births (which were all natural births).

They only accept low-risk pregnancies for home birth for a reason! And even then there's a risk. I won't cause any more trouble here though....

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

Doh. I just have to entirely disagree on home births being "safer". As I mentioned on the last thread about home births I know a lady who's third child died in a home birth, and she believes that had she been at the hospital the baby would have lived. She has to live with that. She had a normal low risk pregnancy, same as her first two pregnancies and births (which were all natural births).

They only accept low-risk pregnancies for home birth for a reason! And even then there's a risk. I won't cause any more trouble here though....

Leanna, I know you're more educated than to throw in an isolated case to "disprove" solid statistical data!

 

[Leanna]

Leanna, I know you're more educated than to throw in an isolated case to "disprove" solid statistical data!

Okay okay if I must say more then I will say this. "Statistics" that say that there are less deaths by homebirth are there only because they only accept the best case scenerios. Meaning if you are high risk the midwife will refuse to give you a home birth. I am glad for this, obviously, but this means that if a baby dies in a home birth they had a low risk pregnancy and everything looked good and yet the baby still died.

Its like making a rule that only children who have an IQ of over 130 can be home schooled, they must be tested first-- then coming out with "statistics" that say homeschoolers are more intelligent.... DUH!!! They CREATED the right situation for the "statistics"

When a baby dies in a home birth it was from a low risk pregnancy.... scary!

 

[jgonz]

I am glad for this, obviously, but this means that if a baby dies in a home birth they had a low risk pregnancy and everything looked good and yet the baby still died.

Leanna, if a baby died in a low risk pregnancy at home, then that baby would have died ANYWAY, even in the hospital. Sometimes these things happen~ it's part of life, unfortunately.

Hospitals are not always life-saving perfect places. I had TWO friends of mine die in hospitals in the last few years. Both were there for "routine" procedures. One died the day she was supposed to come home, and the other one died During the "routine" procedure. It was obviously their times to go Home (both were Believers). We hear of medical malpractice ALL the time... stupid things like leaving instruments in patients, or the patient contracted a staph infection and dying in hours. These things happen.... G-d is still in charge though. Having a baby at home Minimizes these risks that you find in hospitals.

Also, the label "low risk" or "normal" in pregnancy is just that~ a label. OBs tend to throw the term "high risk" around quite a bit... but what is "high risk" to an OB may not be for a midwife who has a completely different take on pregnancy and birth. I know several women whose OBs told them they were "too small" to birth vaginally and were told they'd have to have c-sections. All of these women who switched their care to a midwife had zero problems birthing at home.

It's a matter of researching and deciding what's right for you and your family. Not everyone should homebirth.... especially if that woman is nervous for Any reason about it.

 

[Leanna]

I just had to say *something* .... my conscience wouldn't allow me to be silent... but I really don't care to get into a big debate about it, you know? So I said my piece and now I have peace.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

Okay okay if I must say more then I will say this. "Statistics" that say that there are less deaths by homebirth are there only because they only accept the best case scenerios. Meaning if you are high risk the midwife will refuse to give you a home birth. I am glad for this, obviously, but this means that if a baby dies in a home birth they had a low risk pregnancy and everything looked good and yet the baby still died.

Its like making a rule that only children who have an IQ of over 130 can be home schooled, they must be tested first-- then coming out with "statistics" that say homeschoolers are more intelligent.... DUH!!! They CREATED the right situation for the "statistics"

When a baby dies in a home birth it was from a low risk pregnancy.... scary!

This is not the case. Low risk homebirths are still statistically safer than low risk hospital births. They also have less interventions which lead to less complications. Here is some stuff for you to read:

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7505/1416?ehom

http://www.aboundingjoy.com/insstats.htm

http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/mambo/index.php?option=articles&task=viewarticle&artid=64&Itemid=3

http://www.cfmidwifery.org/pdf/CPM2000.pdf

http://falcao.best.vwh.net/archives/homsafty.html#NorthAmerican2005

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[Naomi4Christ]

I'm not fond of hosptials, but I can't imagine being comfortable at home to give birth.

If you give birth at home, which room do you give birth in? How do you clean up the mess, and how can you stay relaxed worrying that it'll all get done?

I'd rather be somewhere that's not a hospital, but also NOT home.

(disclaimer: This is comeing from someone who's not yet given birth ... um... ever)

You can give birth in whatever room you like. That's what's great about it - you do what is comfortable to you.

My midwives have always cleaned up afterwards, which amounted to putting a sheet, pillow case and maybe a towel into the washing machine (this all happens when mum is having her shower, so she comes back to a freshly made bed). Homebirth does not have to be messy. Bodily fluids end up on disposable pads (inkopads) that are taken in clinical bags to the hospital for incineration.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Regarding safety and risk...

Babies die - it happens, it's part of life.

Statistically, planned homebirth is less risky than hospital birth, especially for morbidity. That's a fact.

What most homebirthers do is accept these risks and put in procedures to manage them. To me personally, that means having a midwife who works both in hospital and home environments (meaning if you do need to be transferred, she knows what do do and all the people involved). It also means understanding when things go wrong and what action to take.

Most things that go wrong, do so before the onset of labour, so there is plenty of time to go to hospital. Transfers during labour are usually because the labour is not progressing or because mum wants more pain relief. Transfers after the birth are usually due to PPH that require more ergo than the midwife has, or a transfusion.

We have a good system here in the UK, where the mum is a hospital 'patient' - when she is in labour, she calls up the hospital and they send a couple of midwives to your house.

 

[jazzbird]

Babies still die - sometimes they die at home, sometimes they die in the hospital. You just don't hear about the hospital deaths, but they seem to like to sensationalize the babies who die at home.

Leanna, I encourage you to look into Ina May Gaskin's statistics. At The Farm where she practices, they take all kinds of women who would not be considered low risk, and their outcomes far exceed those of hospitals.

"Statistics" that say that there are less deaths by homebirth are there only because they only accept the best case scenerios. Meaning if you are high risk the midwife will refuse to give you a home birth. I am glad for this, obviously, but this means that if a baby dies in a home birth they had a low risk pregnancy and everything looked good and yet the baby still died.

When they do comparative studies, those studies are looking at women in the same low risk group. They are not looking at all women who birth in the hospital compared with the home birth group. The comparison is between low risk women. There is no difference in mortality rate, but the morbidity rate in hospitals is higher. Women and babies at home, come out much better. Babies born at home are statistically born in much better condition and have undergone less trauma than the hospital born babies in the same low risk group.

Also, there are studies out there that are quite biased - those are the studies against home birth which throw in unplanned home births (having babies in cars on the way to the hospital or in the toilet stall of the high school bathroom, for example).

The unbiased statistics really do speak for themselves. Homebirth certainly isn't for everyone, but for those women who want to do the work and who feel comfortable at home, it is a safe, legitimate (and imo wise decision).

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

I'm not fond of hosptials, but I can't imagine being comfortable at home to give birth.

If you give birth at home, which room do you give birth in? How do you clean up the mess, and how can you stay relaxed worrying that it'll all get done?

I'd rather be somewhere that's not a hospital, but also NOT home.

(disclaimer: This is comeing from someone who's not yet given birth ... um... ever)

Any freestanding birth centers around you? It's not the hospital and it's not home!