S/O: If you could have a "homebirth in the hospital," would you? - Page 2

[Peppamint]

My last baby was born after 2 hours of active (back) labor. If I had spent 30 minutes of that riding in the car to get to the hospital (there are hospitals closer, but I don't use them) I think I would have died.

And the whole infection thing... nope, I'll stay at home with our own germies.

[alegna]

No. Though I wish it were available for women who are more comfortable in a hospital or need to be in a hospital.

I would not because 1. drive, 2. I'm still not sick and 3. germ factor.

-Angela

[laohaire]

I voted No, but I would still strongly support this being an option.

* Cannot comprehend actually getting in a car in the throes of labor. Ugh. I was in utter pain in the sitting position.

* Cannot comprehend a hosptial staff who "lets" you be in charge. Maybe it's theoretically possible and just my imagination is lacking, but there ya go. I birthed at home but admitted DD to the hospital at day 3 for severe jaundice, and we had NO control, and that experience haunts DH and I to this day.

* Hospital is so close that I can't think of hardly any situation where the few minutes we'd need to get there would be too late (cord compression being the only thing I can think of - and I'm not even actually complely certain that being in a hospital in the first place would improve that outcome, but it might).

* Germs. And also general ick factor. And also knowing all the chemicals they use - HAVE to use - to keep the place clean. My home has germs, but they're MY germs.

* Just not home. My bed. My towels. My food from my kitchen. No surprises.

[mommato5]

After losing my daughter due to homebirth, I would love if the hospital had a homey atmosphere for me to give birth in.

[peainthepod]

No. There's nothing I could do to a hospital that would make it as good as my home. But I do wish hospitals would start heading towards a homier, less terrifyingly clinical atmosphere for women who choose hospital birth.

[*MamaJen*]

I voted no for a few reasons. Mainly, that would require a total and fundamental change in the American field of obstetrics, and I don't believe that would happen completely.
Also, being on your turf at home makes labor a totally different experience. Not to mention the hospital germs.

[barefootpoetry]

Great responses ladies! I made this poll because in almost all cases, it seems like the only choices for women are a homebirth where you can do what you want, or a hospital birth where yuo can't do ANYTHING. There's no happy middle ground, and that sucks. I don't think it's fair that some women get stuck with a crappy hospital birth because they need to be in the hospital for complications, and I also don't think it's fair that some women feel they have to stay home to avoid the unnecessary interventions even though they don't feel 100% confident about it.

I suppose what I am proposing is a FSBC that isn't freestanding. I know it's impossible to achieve all the nice things about homebirth in a hospital simply because that's the nature of the beast, but wouldn't it be nice?

[jrabbit]

I think the midwifery model for maternity care is the goal that we should be reaching for. (or whatever it's called) Me, personally - wouldn't do it in a hospital unless medically necessary, but if it WERE necessary, I'd be depressed about it because of all the crap. I just don't trust the medical establishment. I wish it were possible for ALL women to have respectful births in a hospital setting - but we're a long way from that, i think, especially when you think about the extreme dichotomy between those of us who crave hb and those who fear it. Not much middle ground.

[rockportmidwife]

I voted It depends. The fact that hospitals aren't like this is why I became a believer in homebirth to begin with. But I can tell you that I totally dread a transfer or transport if I were to become high risk. If these options were available to me, I probably wouldn't fear it so much. But the hospitals here and the hospitals where my boys were born were so not like this at all.

[weliveintheforest]

If I had something going on in my pregnancy that I felt wasn't making me a good candidate for UC, I might choose this homebirth at the hospital option.
However, if I didn't feel comfortable UCing I'd probably be risked out of this birth center too.

[Peppamint]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

I wish it were possible for ALL women to have respectful births in a hospital setting - but we're a long way from that, i think, especially when you think about the extreme dichotomy between those of us who crave hb and those who fear it. Not much middle ground.

Amazingly, I have seen such births... but we are very blessed that at one particular hospital there is an OB who offers concurrent care for homebirth clients. If we had a clone of him in every city, it would be great!

[jenneology]

I have said before if I could have appropriate care at a hospital (not this over-medicalized, interventionist crap), I would. BUT, I think there will always be some dramatic differences between "home" and "hospital" if you want to be in a comfortable environment where you know were everything is, and be surrounding by your belongings and things, and smells and everything that home is, I think you'd feel out of place and not as comfortable at home. I remember feeling during my hospital birth (which I wish wasn't hospital now) that I didn't feel like I belonged there, that I was a guest in someone else's house so to speak and I couldn't be fully comfortable or able to focus on the task at hand. I'm very much looking forward to my homebirth coming up. After that, we'll see if I could ever go back for a hospital for the "homebirth in a hospital" package. I doubt it.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I absolutely would. (Provided I could bring my own provider and their actual intervention and c-section rates backed up the claims.) That would absolutely be the best of both worlds in my mind.

[Murihiku]

I voted yes because I had two hospital births (I hope it's okay to post in this forum) and they were both pleasant.

For the first, we walked half a block to catch a taxi and were in the taxi for maybe three minutes. The labour/delivery room had a bath I could soak in for as long as I liked. I had no interventions and the nurse told me how great I was and was was so nice. Afterwards I did faint a couple of times and she suggested an IV and was extremely apologetic about it even though I was happy to accept. We walked home with the baby in an old fashioned baby carriage two days later on a beautiful spring morning.

For the second, the car ride was about seven minutes long. I had a midwife for that birth and no interventions before or afterwards (unless you count stitches). We were allowed to leave as early as two hours after that birth if we wanted but elected to stay the night because we were so comfortable. There was a cot for dh (an improvement on the first birth!) and we all got three hours sleep that night and left 13 hours after the birth. That was a big improvement on the 48 hour stay for the first birth (that wasn't so pleasant). I'd definitely want to do another midwife hospital birth again if I was to have another child. Either that or an actual homebirth!

Maybe the culture of hospital births varies widely depending upon where you live? My mother had two hospital in Zambia (early '70s) and two in New Zealand ('78 and '81) and they were all natural vaginal births, even though three were induced by stripping the membranes.

[frontierpsych]

Yes! I had complications with my hb that risk me out of another one, and I'd love to have a hospital experience that's as "homebirthy" as possible, and only have interventions if I needed them.

Of course, were I able to safely and legally homebirth, I would just choose that.

[ancoda]

I can see how this could be a step in the right direction, but I would say no. If I do not have to be in a hospital no way am I going to one. As has already been said you still have to drive there and back and that is one of the most inconvenient parts of having a baby out of your own space.

[Sailor]

No. I'm an asocial recluse. Generally, I don't enjoy leaving home, lol.

It can't be "like home" ... it has to be home. I won't feel comfortable or relaxed otherwise.

Besides that, if I'm having a healthy pregnancy, then there is no reason for me to go to a hospital. When I think of hospitals, I think of emergencies or diseases that need to be treated in patient.

I never think of birthing there ... the connotation just isn't there for me.

[ghuaghua]

I would have to go with "maybe"
If for some reason I risked out of home birth, I think that would be an okay back up.

[frontierpsych]

Originally Posted by Murihiku

I voted yes because I had two hospital births (I hope it's okay to post in this forum)

No, go away!



of course it's okay

[mama_ani]

Nope. I have had 4 hospital births and 1 homebirth. What I liked about my homebirth that I could never have in the hospital: 1) not having to travel while in labour 2) getting to climb into my own bed after having the baby and 3) having a shower in my own shower after having the baby. There's no way those could happen at the hospital.