a little push?

[lthw]

Ok, so after a not-so-good hospital birth with my DD (emotional & physical trauma resulting), DH and I have done a lot of considering of homebirth. He's a doc himself, but is 100% on board. We've done reading, watching the Business of Being Born, and in my heart I know it is the right thing to do for us. We've interviewed 3 CPMs and today I know I met the right one (DH wasn't able to be present for this last interview). I really felt I connected with her. So now it comes time to make the leap, really choose to sign up with her. I feel something holding me back, for some reason I think it's more indecisiveness (about making the choice to switch out of our current CNM practice and the hospital system) than fear at this point.

I think I just need a little push. Did anyone out there have to really reason out the decision to HB, and how did you come to take the plunge? I consider myself a pretty conventional person, but for the co-sleeping and nursing a 4 year old LOL. Ok, thanks for listening and for any insight or help you might offer!

[ShwarmaQueen]

I think everything you listed is justification for a HB.

[shell_sea]

When I switched from planning a hospital birth to a home birth for my 1st pg, I reasoned to myself (and my highly skeptical family) that I could change my mind at any time and choose to go to hospital. I told myself that if I wanted pain relief, a doctor's medical attention, if I experienced ANYTHING out of the norm I could hop right in the car and go straight to hospital. But if I chose to continue with hospital based care I couldn't choose to stay home if that was what I wanted during labor, or at least not without choosing to birth unattended, which I'm not personally comfortable with.

[blue_salsify]

hi. i thought hard and quite analytically about it, changing my mind around 30 weeks w/ my second (1st in hosp). i loved the idea but had safety concerns and just never pursued them.

but then a new midwife came onto my (hospital) care team & at a routine checkup she asked rather out of the blue, "have you considered a home birth? most of us midwives have them, they are very safe for Mom's like you."

so she just got me thinking. and i did the research and found that large-scale study showing their safety. (although i labored in the tub, i decided not to deliver in it b/c i couldn't find any large-scale studies proving its safety) and as i addressed my doubts i gradually began to love the idea more and more.

everything about my birth was great! good luck with your decision

[fairygirl13]

to tell you the truth, i knew all the facts and stats, but I was still not 100% on board with the idea for my self. i was sitting talking to a friend and she said "im taking you with me when i get pregnant so they wont do all that bad stuff to me" i told her that if she really did not want all the internention, that she needed to stay the hell away form a hospital and doc, and start with a MW. that was my turning point when i KNEW it was the right choice.

but now i have risked out of a bc and hb. so its only hospital for me, which scares me, i feel like im walking into a fight, fully aware that they are bigger and stronger than me.

[lthw]

thanks everyone, this is really helpful to read. I appreciate all the input!

L.

[Limabean1975]

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/330/7505/1416