who is attending your birth?

[evjolin]

so right now the plans are for a hospital birth (the hubby just isnt's comfortable with home, and it's his baby too). i am really happy with our group of midwives, and the hospital they have privileges at is by far the most natural-birth friendly around.

anyhow--policy is 2 people in addition to the mother and father. i am definitely going to have a doula. thoughts on having my mom there??? i can't decide if she will drive me crazy, or if she will be encouraging and comforting. she had 2 natural births, and has attended many of her friends births.....any advice?

[AliciaP8]

What does Dh think? My Dh is very sure he doesn't want anyone but himself and our son if DS chooses to come in. I have a midwife and doula and he's fine with them coming in of course but no other family members. I wasn't set on anything so I'm OK with that.

[cileag]

How do you feel when she's around and you have a terrible flu or when you're sleep deprived and cranky? when you're sick do you want her around? It's not completely the same obviously, but if she annoys you then, she'll probably annoy you in labor too.

[evjolin]

aliciap8--DH honestly doesn't feel strongly either way, he wants whatever i want for the birth. ps--what kind of goats do you have? i used to raise oberhaslis. love goats

cileag--good things to think about....i recall wanting her "there" when i was sick, but definitely NOT wanting to be touched. hmmm....will try and think some more. thanks!!

[Channelle]

I'm giving birth in the hospital's birth center (so pretty much a hospital birth) with my DH and doula. I did invite my mom, on the condition that she stays supportive and positive and that I can ask her to leave if I want more privacy. She didn't love that, but she has accepted it.

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Birth and Beyond.

[Engineering_Mama]

Planned a homebirth with DD so here's the list:

Me
DH
Midwife
Midwife's Assistant
My mom
My brother

My brother was/is living with us so obviously he was going to be around when the baby was born. Amazingly enough when we ended up transferring to the hospital he wanted to come with us. I think it was very good for him. In many ways he's an introvert and a loner, but he is very attached to DD. Even calls her "our" baby.

[Belle]

If my mom were supportive and knew how to behave around a birthing woman I would have loved to have her there.

As it was she didn't know how to act around a birthing woman and her aura of fear that she had was contagious. She was present at my first dc's birth but not invited to the second one.

[JennTheMomma]

With Hunter's birth in the Birth Center it was-
* DH
* Mom
* Dad
* Nurse
Once I was very close to birth extra folks came in, which included
* OB
* Pediatrician
* Ped. Nurse
* OB Nurse
* NICU Nurse

This birth will be at home and it will be-
* DH
* DS
* Mom
* MIL
* Midwife
* Midwife assitant
* Dad - If he wants to