How did you choose your birth setting (home, hopital, center, or UC?) - Page 3

[Smokering]

My body 'chose' my birth setting by getting fulminating pre-eclampsia, darn it. But I'd been planning a home birth, for the usual MDC reasons... no reason to medicalise an uncomplicated birth, less chance of interventions, a nicer atmosphere, and so on.

Hopefully next time!

[ErinBird]

I knew from before conception that I should have an unassisted birth with my first child. I had some reservations and reading to do, but ultimately my heart was made up and it took some effort to get my head to follow.

I already know that my next child will be a midwife assisted homebirth. I have no idea why, but the feelings about it are just as strong as my feelings about UC, so I will trust them.

[MamaKickyPants]

I gave birth to my son at home, with midwives. I have always known I wanted to have a homebirth. My mom is a midwife and I've been exposed to pregnancy and birth as normal and safe for my whole life (I remember seeing a bag in our chest freezer labeled 'placenta', sitting next to the meatballs - my mom was keeping it for a woman who didn't have room in her own freezer, until spring when the woman could plant it in her garden). I'm fortunate to live in Ontario where Midwives are covered by our provincial health insurance plan, so they are free for residents of the province, and homebirth is an regarded as a safe and acceptable option for many women. It was definitely my choice. I know I could have accessed a hospital if I'd needed one, and living in a large city, I am within 5 min by ambulance of some of the best hospitals in the country. My birth was wonderful. I was in active labour for 6 hours, mostly laboured in the birth pool, then got out to push - for about 45 minutes. My mom was there, as well as my midwives, and my partner of course. We have a beautiful 6 m.o. baby boy. Barring complications, we will absolutely do it again for the rest of our children.

[dayiscoming2006]

With my son Colin, I chose a hospital birth because I didn't think there was any other choice. We only had one hospital and I didn't know anything about homebirthing.
The experience was terrible. When I saw my OB she always talked to me in terms I didn't understand. Everything I managed to learn I had learned by doing research. I didn't like my OB and felt she didn't care about me. She didn't even tell me when I should go to the hospital in labor. When I had my child, she didn't tell me the risks of the epidural I asked for at 6cm. She didn't tell me the risks of pitocin which they offered me to help me have a faster labor. They told me my labor was inefficient because it took me so long to get to 5 cm. She gave me an episiotomy even though I didn't want one. I was totally upset over the whole experience.

This time around I was going to UC because I trust God fully with my life and the life of my baby and see no reason why I should have to go to the hospital to have a baby. I would have UCed if I stayed in Minnesota but I ended up moving to Romania where I am now and I am doomed to a hospital birth because home births are illegal here. I plan on having more children and hope to be somewhere that is home birth friendly the next time I give birth.

[Surfer Rosa]

With my first, I planned and had a MW attended hospital birth. It was awesome. I went to the hospital in active labour, laboured for 4 hours (didn't have to deal with hospital staff, just my MW: no pressure for "routine" this and that, just had the birth I wanted and visualized), had DD, and was home 4 hours after that. I had the drug free and empowering birth I wanted, and was happy to be in the hospital "just in case". My MW really educated me and gave me LOTS of info on both hospital and home birth, and I felt like the decision was the right one for me.

With my second, I also had a really incredible MW attended birth, but at home. I trusted my body and knew what to expect, and was more comfortable with the idea of birthing at home. If we have a third, it will definitely be at home, barring any complications.

[petra_william]

when i was pregnant i knew i didnt want to go to the hospital because i knew i wouldnt feel comfortable there. the last time had been to that hospital i saw my dad pass away and the awful "care" he got i just knew i wouldnt be able to relax there and i also knew that if i was tense / upset / uncomfortable it could affect the birthing process.
so my plan was to homebirth until i talked to my neighbour who told me about a lovely birthing centre near us with midwives. at my appointment with the midwife i told her i was undecided about whether to have a HB or go to the BC. when we went to see the BC i knew that i would feel comfortable there and got quite emotional thinking that my baby could be born here. i decided to go with the bc because of the lovely atmosphere and also because i still felt more comfortable going there with it being my first baby and not having the mess and especially, having 24 hour care to help me get used to breastfeeding and handling this new little baby of mine. i really wanted to breastfeed and wanted to be in an environment where it was encouraged and i would have help whenever i needed it. the birth itself was lovely, essentially unassisted except for intermittent monitoring with a handheld monitor. i was in a birthing pool and the mw just sat and watched and let me do my thing and william was born into his fathers hands who caught him much like he catches his fishes lol! he then spent the next 40 minutes attached to my boob (william that is, not his dad )
with my next baby i will be having a HB though, ive done the bf thing and know what to do with a newborn and feel more confident throughout. i will have a birthing pool and william can be there if he wants and our baby wil be born into his or her home. the worst thing about the birth of william was the car drive to the BC and i wont have that with a HB. im hoping to find a mw who will sit and let me get on with it and ONLY intervene if she truly sees a risk to either baby or me. thats why I am not happy with an unassisted birth - i just want somebody there who knows about birthing women and can see signs of danger. but essentially i want to birth unassisted - just with a mw there should i need her

[MrsBone]

I have chosen to have my baby at a freestanding birthing center with a CNM midwife. I'm actually due on Friday, so we'll see what happens. This is my first baby, and honestly I wouldn't have chosen a birthing center if it weren't for my sister's 2 successful homebirths and 1 horrible hospital experience. My mom also had bad hospital experiences, so not being in a hospital was very important to me. I did interview a OB at a hospital that also has a birth center with midwives, but decided that I needed to be somewhere a little less medical. I'm not very medically minded anyway. The fact that there is no epidural available to me in case I want it was the biggest fear of not birthing in a hospital, but I've come to realize that birthing naturally is really very important to me, so if I have to risk that to have the birth that I want, pain and all, then I'm going to do it. I chose not to have a homebirth just because for some reason I feel safer at a birthing center. We'll see how I feel the second time around. The BC is only 5 minutes from the nearest hospital and my house is about 20 minutes away, so that's the biggest thing.

[onelilguysmommy]

my first i went to a hospital because my dad was threatening all kinds of crap, i was due when i was 17 and then i had no contractions or anything at all and was almost 43 weeks. i prayed and felt i needed to get him out, so i went. i was in a house alone for a week by then (we were in the process of moving) and would have had a uc if not for that. when i got pregnant, all i had were these thoughts of just their dad and i in the room in my house having our little one birthed together :sigh:

my second i had at a bc, i wanted to at home, as well but there weer too many people who i dont like and dont like me around and no way would i have been able to focus among other things ..though i DID have a uc

this one...well see!