[admin]

Our pool guy is wonderful. He's been with us for years. His wife is pregnant with their second, and just like the first, they are going to try to deliver this baby naturally at home, with the help of a midwife. It would seem that this would be risky if there was any unforseen complication. However, a good number of people have chose this option? Have any of you, or people close to you, chosen childbirth at home? What are the positives and negatives? How risky is it?

[mommartin]

I had two of my three kids at a clinic w/ with the third we were planning on having at home but due to low fluids we had to have her in the hospital.I can tell you from experience that having a baby at home/clinic is soooooo much more relaxing then having them in a hospital (if you can do it, as with my last one I couldn't). Your midwife is there for you and you don't have to wait until your 9 centimeters before they page her she is with you through it all so you don't have to worry about going from labor room to the delivery room or her not making it in time (as long as you let her know you are ready).

Anyway in my humble opinion it was so much better for me to have them at her clinic and if we have any more (Lord willing) we will have them at home.

[babydawn]

I think that if you can have them at home, that is great, but I also think that you need to be careful, I have 2 neices and 2 nephews that would have died had they been born at home instead of a hospital. But my sister of 3 of them knew that before hand and so she could be prepared, my last neice however, my sister had a very normal non productive pregnancy and her baby ended up having to be rushed to the NICU the second she was born, so for that reason alone, it is very scary. Many of my friends have done it and they love it though, it is certainly cheaper as well. Bottom line, I think that as long as you pay attention to the signs and not be so stubborn as not to go to the hospital if something does come up, then it is fine.

[mommartin]

I definately agree with you about being careful. I have a wonderful midwife (that is why she caught that we needed to check out my low fluids and ended up having her at the hospital). I know of times when she knew something was wrong before the mother did and had them rushed to the hospital so I know what you mean. I am just saying that if you do have a midwife who knows what she is doing and everything is going fine with the pregnance and if you are comfortable with having them at home (if you aren't comfortable then don't even attempt it) then I say give it a try.

[jgreene]

First I must say that I completely understand the desire to avoid the hospital and have your baby at home. I would support this idea except that, while it is normal for women to have babies with little or no medical care, it is also normal for women and children to die during childbirth. A dear male friend of mine had both children at home with the help of "a few women friends" (his wife is an herbalist). Their baby could not breathe at delivery and the oxygen tank they had did no good. Ultimately, the husband performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and, thank God, it eventually worked. I agree that hospitals/doctors introduce too much medical intervention that can result in harm for mother and baby, but if you and your midwife stay in control of the situation, you can have your baby with no medical intervention, but with a team of neonatal experts on-hand should you need them. I would like to know more about this topic, however. Please let me know if you have information that suggests home births are safer. Thanks!

[mommartin]

Well no one can guarentee that a home delivery is going to go without a hitch. But the hospital in our town is not the greatest. I think you should do what you feel comfortable with. If you feel comfortable with your midwife and know that she will call if there is a problem then I say go for it. If you don't feel comfortable or you have complications then it is probably a wise idea to go to a hospital. Some hospitals even let a midwife delivery you which would probably be more comfortable to you and then you have the doctors right there if they are needed.

[jgreene]

I was lucky enough to have midwives deliver both of my children, whom I had in a hospital. I loved having midwives...I think they tend to be present for more of the labor and advocate for less medical intervention (episiotomies, drugs, C-sections, etc.). However, since I was in a hospital, doctors were on-hand in case of a major problem. I never had a doula, but I think that would be a great addition as well. The more support a woman has during labor, the better!

[mommartin]

I totally agree. I try to go as natural as possible no epidural or anything. And since my midwife is the same way she doesn't try to push me into doing something I didn't want to do. But the last one which I had at the hospital (I had to be induced) they tried to push me into things that I didn't want to do.
I wish I had a hospital close that would let my midwife deliver there but they won't.
It has been fun talking about though

[pattiewrites]

I would love to have a baby at home. The only reason we aren't doing it is that insurance doesn't cover the fee for a homebirth midwife. Otherwise, this baby would be born at home. My husband's grandmother made me want a homebirth. When we got married she said, "Now I want to tell you something. When you have a baby, have your baby at home." She had her first three at home and her fourth in the hospital. She told me she was never so sick as she was with that baby.
Yes, there are risks, but the human race wouldn't have survived if it were that risky. Women have been birthing at home with midwives for literally thousands of years. They have only been going to the hospital for about 75 years. Interestingly, when you really research it, the infant mortality rate really hasn't dropped since women have been using hospitals. Problems do arise, which is why I'd use a midwife. They work with a doctor and will transport you if needed. In too many cases, infant deaths are actually caused by medical interventions. One of the doctors at our local hospital just killed a baby with a pair of forceps. He is on administrative leave and is being sued for wrongful death.

[shazbo]

i wanted a home birth then i thought say there was complications with me or the baby that needed instant attension then i realised best to be in hospital just incase