Homebirthers?? Unassisted ladies? - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[MaerynPearl]

we claim 0 through the year to ensure our tax return is as large as possible... it's our money anyway but we look at it like an account we can only take money out of at the end of the year, which is handy for things like this and the fact that our washer JUST died... so we'll also be getting a new washer and paying off our van loan. Also, when we eventually buy a house we think being in this habit will likely keep us from having to actually pay out of a paycheck, just use the extra money to pay our taxes.

[Sojourner]

We are planning on a homebirth with this baby. We had a midwife-assisted homebirth with our first son. Our second son was a planned unassisted birth. There are so many things that I loved about the unassisted birth. It was just me and my husband so it was very private and wonderful. My husband was very helpful and attentive and I was so in tune with my body. It was an amazing birth. That being said we are planning for another midwife assisted homebirth. I think that we will ask her to stay out of way as much as possible but I really want someone to be there, an extra set of hands you know. I felt a little overwhelmed about a half-an-hour after the birth with my previous baby. All I wanted was to snuggle in bed with my baby but I knew I had a tear and I just wanted someone else to cut the cord take care of the placenta and check the tear. I felt like my whole entire focus was on the baby and I didn't want it to be anywhere else. So, that is what I'm going for with this next birth!

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by Sojourner 

I think that we will ask her to stay out of way as much as possible but I really want someone to be there, an extra set of hands you know. I felt a little overwhelmed about a half-an-hour after the birth with my previous baby. All I wanted was to snuggle in bed with my baby but I knew I had a tear and I just wanted someone else to cut the cord take care of the placenta and check the tear. I felt like my whole entire focus was on the baby and I didn't want it to be anywhere else. So, that is what I'm going for with this next birth!

This is why I LOVE my midwife. Last pregnancy, my midwife stayed in my livingroom most of the pregnancy, just walking in to check on me every so often, ask how I was doing, if I needed food or drink (since my husband was acting like a chair to me so he couldn't get anything) then would go back to the livingroom. Came into the room just a few minutes before the birth, caught her, did all the post-baby stuff and cleaned up, tossed the laundry in the washer, gave my husband instructions in my post-care and left. We were alone to snuggle and love our new baby just over an hour after the birth (because half an hour was spent with us cuddling her before we cut her cord.)

[Jodie]

We are planning another homebirth this will be our third.

We have no insurance , can't afford it.

We have paid out of pocket for the other 2 while we were on food stamps and WIC.

Once we got a personal loan from the bank, paid on it till we got our tax return and then paid it off.

Can't remember about the other one. We just made it happen.

This one we plan on paying using money from our tax return.

My midwife would totally take payments or even trades if we had a service or something to trade.

She also gives a discount for paying by 37weeks.

[lactomom]

First birth was a negative hospital birth, second a beautiful home birth. Third will definitely be another beautiful home birth!

[lactomom]

Originally Posted by Jodie 

We are planning another homebirth this will be our third.

We have no insurance , can't afford it.

We have paid out of pocket for the other 2 while we were on food stamps and WIC.

Once we got a personal loan from the bank, paid on it till we got our tax return and then paid it off.

Can't remember about the other one. We just made it happen.

This one we plan on paying using money from our tax return.

My midwife would totally take payments or even trades if we had a service or something to trade.

She also gives a discount for paying by 37weeks.

Last birth, I worked in my Midwife's garden and around the house to help pay for the birth. This time we'll pay for it out of taxes.

Are choices are spend $10,000+ (our health insurance won't touch the first $10,000 on maturity) on a hospital birth. And I have to fight to get my birth my way. Or a home birth for $3,600 and all appointments in our home, and respect for my birth. Very easy choice for us!

[XanaduMama]

@Jodie: have you checked to see if you're eligible for pregnancy Medicaid? www.medicaid.state.al.us/documents/apply/2B-Qualifying/2.2_Sobra_MLIF_handout.pdf

Don't know if they'd cover HB, but they seem to cover MWs.

[Kayla Moon]

I am almost 12 weeks and this will be out first baby! We plan to have a water birth at home with our midwife. I am so excited but nervous as well. There are so many people who tell me I am crazy for doing this and I don't need to prove anything by not having meds but my husband and I both agree this is how God intended birth to be unless complications. So I stand firm in our decision and trust in him! I think this experience will bring us even closer together! We start a Bradley Birthing Class in January that I hope will help with the little bit of "fear" I have!

[lactomom]

Originally Posted by Kayla Moon 

I am almost 12 weeks and this will be out first baby! We plan to have a water birth at home with our midwife. I am so excited but nervous as well. There are so many people who tell me I am crazy for doing this and I don't need to prove anything by not having meds but my husband and I both agree this is how God intended birth to be unless complications. So I stand firm in our decision and trust in him! I think this experience will bring us even closer together! We start a Bradley Birthing Class in January that I hope will help with the little bit of "fear" I have!

I recommend you read "Childbirth without Fear" a natural birthing classic!

[Kayla Moon]

I will have to check that out! Thanks :) I know my body was made for this but still a little intimidating to think about!

[lactomom]

It can be intimidating, especially because our society has horrible birth stories that the call "normal birth".

The first 200+ pages of "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" is positive birth stories. Another great read. For my last birth (first at home) I reread those birth stories as my birth time came close. Something I plan to do again.

Both books are very empowering! As a mother who has had an induced birth with an epidural and a natural home birth, the home birth is 100% worth it!

[lisarenee25]

Funny story.

I was at the pediatrician with my daughter a week and a half ago.  She had a sinus infection - so checking it out, blah blah blah.

My son told her I was preggo. She looks at me and offers her congratulations and then asks if I am going to birth at home again.  Let me preface this story with the fact that I have already had two beautiful home births.  She knew about them both.  She then proceeds to tell me how she is scared for me cause I have two kids to think about - and then tells me a gruesome hospital birth story where the woman hemmoraged, and nobody knew about it.

Apparently, when she got up to go to the bathroom (mind this is 6 hours after the birth) a liter of blood spilled out on the floor.  There were no nurses or doctors around.

I just sat and listened to her go on and on - although I had some of my own questions.  She told me, labor and pushing the baby out will be no problem - but now that you are older (and have had previous births), it's much easier to have bleeding problems.  She then proceeded to say - I know you are going to do what you want to do, but Shady Grove has nice birthing rooms in a hospital - just in case something goes wrong.

It sounded to me like if something like that went wrong, there would be no nurses and doctors to tend to me anyway, no?  Am I wrong?

Anyway, she was being real nice about it, and it's not my personality to tell someone off.  I just told her that I appreciated her thoughts, however, I have had two beautiful, spiritual births among people that I loved and respected very much.  Why would I trade that in - for no reason?  It makes no sense.

lol.  She never ever said a word about birthing my other two.  I wonder why she felt compelled this time?  I love people. 

[lactomom]

Originally Posted by lisarenee25 

She then proceeds to tell me how she is scared for me cause I have two kids to think about - and then tells me a gruesome hospital birth story where the woman hemorrhaged, and nobody knew about it.

Apparently, when she got up to go to the bathroom (mind this is 6 hours after the birth) a liter of blood spilled out on the floor.  There were no nurses or doctors around.

My first thought was 1) after baby was born they pulled on the placenta to "help" it come out, causing excess bleeding and 2) she didn't get up to pee until 6 hours after birth! 

My thoughts are the Dr caused the heavy bleeding and it pooled in her uterus until she finally got her self up. This is NOT a, better off to be in the hospital story, it is another case for out of hospital birth! 

[lbkw]

I did have a friend who had a serious hemorrhage after a really fast labor and natural birth. She is a doula and her mentor-doula was with her and no one feels the dr. was responsible for it. After that, she said she was plenty happy to have the hospital birth. Not saying you can't have a homebirth, but I guess if you've had that experience, it sticks with you.

[lactomom]

Originally Posted by lbkw 

I did have a friend who had a serious hemorrhage after a really fast labor and natural birth. She is a doula and her mentor-doula was with her and no one feels the dr. was responsible for it. After that, she said she was plenty happy to have the hospital birth. Not saying you can't have a homebirth, but I guess if you've had that experience, it sticks with you.

My previous midwife told me a story about hemorrhage, when we interviewed her. She was on her 4th baby and had hemorrhaged after each birth. This was her first birth at home and with this midwife. The mother of the mother giving birth (does that make sense) had been at each of her daughters births. Like the other 3, the mother hemorrhaged. After mom was taken care of (no hospital or pit needed, thought it is great they are there for those who do), the mom of the new mom told the MW, the bleeding had stopped SO MUCH FASTER at home with herbs than it had any time at the hospital with there fancy equipment and meds. Just saying... 

[Jodie]

Originally Posted by XanaduMama 

@Jodie: have you checked to see if you're eligible for pregnancy Medicaid? www.medicaid.state.al.us/documents/apply/2B-Qualifying/2.2_Sobra_MLIF_handout.pdf
Don't know if they'd cover HB, but they seem to cover MWs.

I have applied but haven't heard back yet. I was on medicaid for the other two, but homebirth midwives are sort of on the down low in my state so not covered. We don't have any CNM's in the hospitals around me, not that I would volunteer to give birth in the hospital.

Medicaid will provide me with my shadow prenatal care(If I want to do that) and/or take care of emergency hospital birth or a transfer and has the baby covered when it is born. So yeah medicaid a good idea if one has no insurance, for the just in case. I am just hoping we qualify this time, so I can have my backup.

What I was saying though is that even when we were at or below the poverty level we still found a way to have our home births and compensate the midwife. We didn't let finances determine our decision. Where there is a will, there is a way.