Birth announcement? Born at home?

[Carson]

So when (positivepositivepositive) we have this HB, I was wondering if it's tacky or offputting to mention it? I guess I feel like I want to put it out there as a choice for women - I'm not known as someone who's 'crunchy' or 'spiritual' (borrowing words from the other thread). I want to say, you can be mainstream and choose this too. I don't think I'd go into details, but something like:

Addison
born at home 12/29/09
etc...

Opinions?

[cartersllama]

I like the idea of adding born at home. We really want to have a homebirth and I will definetely add that. I think it is important for people to see.

[amandaleigh37]

I plan on mentioning it on ours... just because I think it's an important part of the birth I don't see why anyone would be put off by it.

[kcparker]

I think it's important. If you tell people that you birthed at home, nursed baby for 2 1/2 years, used cloth diapers, cosleep, didn't circ., whatever you do that might be considered 'not mainstream' - tallking about it makes it seem a little more normal, a little more possible, a little less something that only weird hippies do with their kids. Maybe you will inspire somebody else in your circle to look into homebirth as an option, maybe you will change somebody's mind about it being a dangerous thing to do...Plus, doesn't it just sound beautiful?

Our child _____, born at home on Month XX, 2009.

[Beauchamp]

I have been mulling over something to the effect of...

Baby's Name
born at home on June x, 2009
into Daddy's hands
at whatever o'clock
x lbs, x oz


DH wants to catch the baby, and so I like including that, although he is not wild about being called "Daddy". (He prefers just "Dad", which doesn't sound as cute.)

[GoldmanBaby09]

I was definitely planning on putting "born at home" before the baby's birthdate on the birth announcement. And if we do one for the local newspaper, I will insist that it is mentioned there, too. I think people should know, not only that it is an option, but that women are choosing it. Plus, since it is uncommon (especially where I am geographically), that is something special about my baby, and I want people to know it!

[~Kristina~]

We added a homebirth blurb to our birth announcment for ds. I think we put "born at home into his Daddy's hands"

[celestialdreamer]

My second baby was a homebirth and we put "joyfully born at home" on his announcement. My last homebirth ended up turning into a c/s (baby #3) and I actually procrastinated on sending out his announcements. I had been SO excited to send out baby #2's announcement with that line and I had no idea what to put instead.

I think it is totally appropriate to put it on there if you want. Personally I wouldn't use the part about born into mom/dad's hands even though it is beautiful...some mainstream types might be kinda weirded out about it.

[Carson]

Originally Posted by kcparker

tallking about it makes it seem a little more normal, a little more possible, a little less something that only weird hippies do with their kids. Maybe you will inspire somebody else in your circle to look into homebirth as an option, maybe you will change somebody's mind about it being a dangerous thing to do...

Yes, that's exactly the point I'm trying to get across. I was reading my alum newsletter yesterday and was thinking that it would be great announced that way. And then I thought about work and family announcements, etc... So I'm glad it doesn't sound crazy.

[DahliaRW]

I put born at home on my ds2's birth announcements.

[JenniferLS]

What an AWESOME idea! Thanks for sharing! It does sound really beautiful to "born at home." It makes it sound so special and intimate and
just really cool. God-willing we make it through a successful homebirth, I would want to shout it from the rooftops!

[littlebb]

I have to agree with all PPs. DH and I were discussing this and we will be mentioning on everything with pride that our LO was born at home, and into Daddy's hands (hopefully that will be the case). We are SO NOT the 'crunchy type' and most people in our lives were shocked at first, but most are intrigued now. While not everyone agrees with our decision, everyone seems to have come around and even when neighbors ask and we tell them we're birthing at home, the comments lately have been far nicer and more supportive. For us personally, we think it's important to commemorate the fact that he'll be born at home, and yes, it makes it seem far less 'strange' or 'impossible' if people are aware that we're not all hippies who eat granola and can food (although that's okay, too : )

[averlee]

Absolutely! Birth announcements almost always tell which hospital the baby was born, even the address of the hospital. If you use yours and the father's full names, and the full address of the birthplace, it can even be used as a document to establish residency, citizenship, and parentage.
I was happy and very proud of myself- she was posterior/anteflexed, and I put something like,
Welcome our beautiful daughter, born at our home on Ivy Street, sunny side up.

[the_lissa]

We put that our son was born at home in the birth announcement, just as we mentioned the hospital where our daughters were born in the birth announcement.

[JenniferLS]

I was happy and very proud of myself- she was posterior/anteflexed, and I put something like,
Welcome our beautiful daughter, born at our home on Ivy Street, sunny side up.[/QUOTE]

I LOVE IT!!!! I laughed out loud! How precious! and creative!

[2+twins]

Absolutely! I didn't send out anything formal with my first but I did with my 2nd and 3rd/4th. We said something like, "born peacefully into her daddy's hands" on my dd's and on my twins it was similiar but added "with big sisters in attendance". I think anyway. I can't find a copy right now!

[Romana]

I wouldn't but that's primarily because I wouldn't really want to answer all the questions or hear the criticism. I wouldn't put what hospital the baby was born at on a hospital-birthed baby announcement, so for that reason also I wouldn't mention it on the birth announcement. To me, birth announcements are just for date, name, length, weight, and a cute picture.

[Comtessa]

My good friends put on their daughter's birth announcement, "Born peacefully at home." It was the first time anyone I knew had a HB, and it encouraged me that homebirthers aren't crazy, and to look into it for myself. (As one PP suggested, talking about your non-mainstream choices is wonderful when done in a way that helps others consider them for themselves too!! It worked for me!)

I was so looking forward to putting the same words on my own baby's birth announcement, but our planned HB ended in a transfer after two days of labor. The best photo we had of her right after birth was of me, DH and baby in a hospital bed, : so that's the one we included in the announcement, and a whole load of emails from friends came back saying, "what?! Why are you in a hospital bed in that picture?? What happened?"

Oh, well. There's always baby #2... someday!

[melamama]

I've always put it on our announcements.
I think it's worthwhile to remind people that not all babies come from hospitals.

[Adasmommy]

Originally Posted by Beauchamp

DH wants to catch the baby, and so I like including that, although he is not wild about being called "Daddy". (He prefers just "Dad", which doesn't sound as cute.)

"into his dad's hands" sounds silly to me, but "into his father's hands" works for me. Just an idea!

I would definitely include "born at home." I might even get graphic: "born in our bed and into our arms on 9 September . . ."