Hostility to Homebirth « Back to Group Discussions

[hansigurumi]

Hello all,

Here is something I am curious about that.  I live in the PNW and we are planning to have our baby at home.  I think I am really spoiled in that this area is VERY friendly to home births.  We were seeing an OB for the first part of my pregnancy (when I was scared to death about the viability of this pregnancy... understandable since we lost the last one), and when I mentioned at 23 weeks that we were leaning towards having a homebirth with a midwife, her words were "You're low-risk.  You'll be just as safe at home as in the hospital.  And if you need to be transferred into the hospital, we'll be here for you."  She herself admitted that many OBs have negative opinions towards homebirths because they see a lot of the high-risk stuff.  But for low-risk women, a homebirth is as safe or safer than being in a hospital.  (Yes, yes, I know that I'm preaching to the choir here.  All of you know this.)  

So, this is the environment that I'm in, and I noticed this really awful article on the Daily Beast:  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/25/home-birth-increasingly-popular-but-dangerous.html

Honestly, it's a pretty craptastic article.  It uses that crazy anti-homebirth zealot Tuteur as 'expert opinion' (akin to saying that Newt Gingrich is an expert on climate change because he used to be a college professor).

Jennifer Block, author of Pushed (excellent book on the state of birth in the US), wrote a rebuttal on this for Slate, which is an excellent read:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/daily_beast_and_home_birth_fear_trumps_data_in_a_new_story_on_having_babies_at_home_.html

Anyhow, when I was skimming through the comments on Jennifer Block's rebuttal, I noticed the real *vitriole* and *hatred* out there regarding homebirth.  I mean really crazy comments regarding how use homebirthers can just let 'Darwinian selection' weed us out (sheesh, really?).  Truly surprising to me, as this is not what I encounter on a daily basis when I let people know that we are planning to give birth at home.  Are these crazy negative people just a bad sample of the population, or are these truly the kinds of people that folks in other parts of the country encounter?  

So, I suppose what I'm curious about is whether others here really do encounter these nutty anti-homebirth opinions in real life, and how they manage to stay sane about their choice to homebirth.

As I said, I am spoiled in that the environment in the PNW is very supportive of homebirth.  All of my friends are supportive of our choice, as are the in-laws; my parents (who are from Texas) don't know about the homebirth, but hey, what they don't know won't hurt them.  My mother is always worried about something (she thinks biking during pregnancy will cause the baby to miscarry... I should ask her what she thinks sex during pregnancy will cause), and she doesn't need to know about the homebirth.  But it would be harder to keep this from her if she lived close by.

Thanks for any insights you have.  As I said, I am just curious if others encounter lots of hostility towards their birth choice.

[dogretro]

Originally Posted by hansigurumi 

 Are these crazy negative people just a bad sample of the population, or are these truly the kinds of people that folks in other parts of the country encounter?  

Yes, these are truly the kind of folks that exist everywhere w/ regards to homebirth. I would say that negativity is the overwhelming opinion and you are v blessed to be in such a positive environment! My own state does not even make it legal for lay midwives to attend homebirths. The midwives refer to it as a-legal, which means no cops are going to barge in during the birth, but if something went wrong, they could be prosecuted whether or not that is what dh and I wished or we could sue the ever-living crap out of them.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan just had a hilarious piece on homebirth on his latest comedy special. His wife has birthed all four of their kids at home. He said the response from other people is always, "Oh, we thought about homebirth, but we wanted our kids to live." Pittsburgh has a free-standing birth center that is quite popular and even if you say you are birthing there, people give you the side-eye.

[BlessedJess]

I find the attitude towards homebirth to be really confusing, especially within the medical establishment.

On the one hand, you can find studies that show that  last trimester stress is very bad for babies birth outcomes, yet on the other, in an attempt to control last trimester women they pump them full of fear about their pregnancies, forbidding them to be in the same safe, familiar place they conceived and gestated the babies to begin with.

On the one hand, they will push, push, push for you to get fetal reduction with high order multiples for supposedly your own sake and on the other hand, when the babies are being born, they are like "move over mama, we are gonna cut you open to get those babies out on our time" - even though the statistics are not there affirming their decisions, since the second and third+ babies have just as dangerous a time with respiratory distress and mortality after the surgery as with vaginal birth.

So oooh,  you're a bad mommy, you didn't take care of yourself and reduce, so now be prepared to be crucified upside down and put your own life at 5X the risk of death instead of letting nature choose the outcome. Because now the babies are in need of rescue and supposedly matter more than your own safety health or happiness trying to care for many children and multiples and so they want you to recover from major abdominal surgery even while attempting to breastfeed and otherwise be a good mother! God forbid you might want to be healthy and have a safe womb for further gestations after the birth of multiples! (roll eyes)

So I just keep to myself and let them run along with their delusions about caring for and rescuing children from their mothers' bodies. Certainly I don't intend to give them the satisfaction of telling me what to do ahead of time.

Edited by BlessedJess - 7/7/12 at 7:12am

[pregnova]

lol...and then go a bit farther and tell someone you're planning an unassisted birth! LOL! Definitely not getting any warm and fuzzy comments of support there!

We actually attended that birth center in Pittsburgh! And yes, we thought we were radical about birth then because it just wasn't done and once you told someone that was your birth plan, they often had a horror story about how their baby had been 'saved' thanks to the hospital. And, in another state we lived in, I helped at a few births that were the same as the pp mentioned, 'a-legal' because chance was on your side that the cops wouldn't interfere although midwives were illegal. 

This new area we're in seems very pro-homebirth, but I wish we could go all the way and offer women support no matter their choices in birth. It feels silly to me to tell a woman I'm having a homebirth and have her get excited and share her own beautiful birth story with me. But once she digs deeper and finds out that I'm planning an unassisted, nevermind my background, training, or reasonings, she IMMEDIATELY shuts down and I can feel that the support is no longer there even if she avoids saying anything directly hurtful. 

[Chrisa]

Originally Posted by hansigurumi 

Are these crazy negative people just a bad sample of the population, or are these truly the kinds of people that folks in other parts of the country encounter?  

So, I suppose what I'm curious about is whether others here really do encounter these nutty anti-homebirth opinions in real life, and how they manage to stay sane about their choice to homebirth.

As I said, I am spoiled in that the environment in the PNW is very supportive of homebirth.  All of my friends are supportive of our choice, as are the in-laws; my parents (who are from Texas) don't know about the homebirth, but hey, what they don't know won't hurt them.  My mother is always worried about something (she thinks biking during pregnancy will cause the baby to miscarry... I should ask her what she thinks sex during pregnancy will cause), and she doesn't need to know about the homebirth.  But it would be harder to keep this from her if she lived close by.

Thanks for any insights you have.  As I said, I am just curious if others encounter lots of hostility towards their birth choice.

1. How I stay sane: my husband is sworn to secrecy. Still not sure if we'll have a home birth/ hospital/ birth center, it all depends on how the pregnancy progresses (I'm at risk for PTL). But we make NO mention of the plans we are considering to ANYONE. I remember reading about a woman whose mom called the police on her when she went into labor, because she wanted a HB; that's extreme, but I'd rather not deal with any negativity before the baby's here, and after.. well, too late for their opinion. Since we don't have family here, we don't expect anyone to "participate" in our birthing experience, which makes things easier. I'm sure ppl assume I will have a hospital birth (I have two close friends who are doctors and would think I'm insane to do a HB - one of them rolled her eyes at the mention of a doula, and that's when I shut up), but I've been able to avoid any specifics about birthing choices. 

2.The negative ppl: I think these are people who are completely uneducated about HB, and think of 19th century techniques and outcomes; or have heard/ read about babies who died in HB, because those stories make the news and stay in the news for weeks. Vitriolic comments are common on the internet, under the veil of annonimity, regardless of the topic - don't take it personally.

[pregnova]

Yes Chrisa, we also tend to keep our plans very private. No one who knows my address who isn't a close friend at least! It's only recently becoming more awkward as I'm horrible at being vague, and ppl are easily finding out that we just moved here and want to 'help' me find a medical provider or midwife for my pregnancy! lol 

I wish I were better at keeping it quiet, but I also hate to lie when asked explicitly what my plans are...especially if that person later turns out to be a close friend!

[hansigurumi]

Thanks for all your replies.  

dogretro - Lay midwifery is illegal in PA??  As in licensed midwives?  What?  That's pretty silly.  Somehow I thought PA was a liberal state.  I'm glad this comedian is putting HB into his routine.  'Entertainment' is usually a good way to educate people when they aren't expecting it and are least resistant.

BlessedJess - I am sorry about all the pressure towards fetal reduction.  It's one thing to offer it as an option, and another to shame people into accepting it.  :<  I am guessing you have triplets?  My hunch is that even around here in the PNW, it would be difficult to convince a doc to give you a trial of vaginal birth with triplets.  And I don't think any of the MWs around here would take triplets, as they would consider it too risky. My personal fear is that I will be pressured into a high-intervention hospital birth due to a breech presentation; baby seems to enjoy having her head up.  I'm only 28 weeks, so hopefully this will change in the next few weeks!

pregnova - Are you in the Pacific NW as well?  Or California?  These are the places that seem to have lots of options in terms of birthing (as I am learning).  But even here, I think people would have a hard time being convinced of UC, regardless of reasons, training, etc.  And I totally agree with this sentiment: "I wish we could go all the way and offer women support no matter their choices in birth."  I mean, I'm not going around trying to convince women who want epidurals and C-sections that their choices are bad; all I want is for all choices to be supported, be it natural or high-intervention.  In this way, birth is definitely a feminist issue, as it brings up the joint issues of body and choice.  Sigh.  I hope that you find a few people who are supportive of your choice for UC in your new city.  

Chrisa - What area of the country are you in?  It would drive me crazy to have to keep my mouth shut about my birth choice. :<  I'm sorry.  And you are right: the internet is always filled with anonymous vitriolic trolling types.  This is why I try to stay away from the comments sections of most articles, but sometimes, especially when it's an issue near and dear to me, I can't help but be drawn in.  Silly me.  And that story about having mom calling the police on her daughter during a HB??  What??  I have no words for such silliness.  My mom is pretty meddlesome too; I don't think she would do something crazy like that, but there are grandparents out there who have extreme ideas about how they have to protect their grandchildren from their parent's 'bad' choices.  Like the grandmother feeding her vegan grandchild chicken mcnuggets and milkshakes because she thinks her daughter-in-law is starving her kid.  

[BlessedJess]

hansigurumi, I haven't seen anyone at this point yet, though I plan to say hi to a naturopath in the area, just to have a separate witness to the pregnancy for certificate purposes, not for serious advice, you know?

My other births taught me that homebirth was the only way to actually protect me and the babies from interventions over safe variations in normal birth. And it's the only way to protect from stress induced complications heaped on by fearmongering "professionals." Hey, if they can't give me any credit for my experience, why should I give them any for theirs, especially since natural is alien to them?

I don't know yet for sure if it's triplets, but it feels and looks like triplets for now. I'm 20 weeks. I just had the most insane growth spurt when I finally managed to eat and drink a lot of food the past few days. A shocking growth spurt on top of an already shockingly huge-for-accurate-dates uterus. Like, I went from measuring 26cm lying down to 30.5. I figure the couple of gallons I drank went straight to the babies, explaining why I woke at 1:00am completely parched. I don't normally get any bigger than 33cm before birth, and once I only got to 31cm, even though my little tiny girl was probably 42 weeks gestation at birth. I'm a lot healthier than I was back then but that does not explain the difference sufficiently! Frankly, I don't even think twins would do this to me.

So I'm not about to go put myself into the hands of people who will cluck at me for not getting in early enough to reduce. They are idiots and untrustworthy to me. I read that 11% of triplets are born vaginally, but I don't see the numbers when I look at triplet mom websites. It looks more like 5% these days. I'm not going to let them turn me into a statistic for nothing.

[Angelorum]

The most hostility I've ever seen is online, which I just kind of expect.  People get hostile and stupid about the most inane things online.  I'm planning my second homebirth, and I don't really blab about it, but I do tell people if they ask.  So far, the worst I've gotten in person is wide eyes and "my baby would have died" stories.  I had a co-worker during ds's pregnancy gently suggest that I should see how I labor and birth before attempting a homebirth, because her mom randomly stopped breathing in the middle of labor in a hospital or something.  I just pointed out that planning a homebirth doesn't mean I'm stuck there, and if I want to transfer for any reason we just go to the hospital.  I've never seen an ob.  I don't really take ds to well-baby visits either, he's seen a naturopath who's wife homebirths, and a NP that was pretty respectful of all the crunchyness (homebirth, nursing in toddlerhood, no vaxes yet), though I could tell he didn't really support some things.  I did see a hospital midwife for a couple of appointments this time, and she thought homebirth was great.  My mom was a little uptight about it, but she's a worrier, and homebirth was outside of her realm of experience.  She had questions, and I could tell she was really trying not to come off as freaked-out or judgemental when she asked about things.  It helps that I can now tell people my last homebirth was a great experience. 

I'm not good at confrontation, so I'm glad I haven't run into anyone really crazy.  Not sure what I'd do if it happens.  If my dh were there, he'd probably have to speak up, because I tend to shut down in tense confrontations.  He's definitely not shy about voicing his opinions even to people he knows vehemently disagree with him. 

[Chrisa]

Hansigurumi, funny you should ask: I'm in New England now (CT); although there are some independent midwives here, it's not as HB friendly as PNW. There's only one person I know remotely (friend of a friend of a friend) who had a HB. But DH has final rounds of interviews in Seattle, so I hope to ask you for birthing recommendations in a couple of weeks (that's when we'll know whether DH gets the job.)

The "my mom called the police" story was on a woman's blog about her birth experience. I can't find it now, but there was an old thread here with someone facing a similar problem. http://www.mothering.com/community/t/212854/my-mother-is-insane

[gozal]

To me, this is similar to what happens about cosleeping/bedsharing with an infant that is really frustrating. Every infant cosleeping death is massively publicized, whereas crib deaths are classified as SIDS or a need for a product recall. It's because one is a cultural norm and one is not. I do think many people have very negative feelings about cosleeping and HB, but keep them to themselves. Sometimes someone will make a comment to me because they have no idea that I do XYZ. It doesn't usually bother me personally, though. It bothers me more for its societal implications.

OTOH, I will say that while I am very supportive of the choice to HB, it is not one that DH and I make for our family, and I have also encountered some pretty extreme negativity here on MDC for simply and respectfully stating what our personal reasoning was for our decision. That was disappointing also.

[pregnova]

ahh, yes cosleeping. We've gotten a LOT of smack for that. Especially with all the moving we do, we're always having to tell ppl that one bed or one bedroom works fine for us because ds sleeps with us. And then, they tell us straight up that it's dangerous! I have no idea how anyone who's never DONE it before and has zero idea how we actually DO it can tell me straight off that it's dangerous, but whatever. (ordinarily, we choose not to rent from someone who expresses those opinions!) 

Also, we were in the panhandle of florida recently, and there must have been a hundred or more billboards posted by some local pediatrician proclaiming that to sleep with your baby was to kill it! Like straight up, there in bold, huge print someone telling you that you are KILLING your child by sleeping with it!!! I was glad to leave that area as quickly as we could!

And, I agree with a pp that there's been horrible judging against people who DON'T choose to birth naturally! It's sad to me because while I obviously think that natural birth, homebirth, ect...is what is best for our family, I think that all the judging on BOTH sides is what creates this HUGE rift in birth choices, parenting choices, ect... I think that if we were more supportive of whatever birth a woman chose, some of the women who choose medicalized births would feel comfortable swinging over to attachment parenting practices later on, and they might even end up choosing natural births because they would be able to make that choice without the judgement. But, I also understand how those of us who are proponents of natural birth and these 'radical' lifestyle choices end up sounding judgemental and nazi-like in what we believe is right for our families! Which gets us a bad rap! Because we're often backed into a much larger corner than those who do things the mainstream way! After all, child services or police might show up after a homebirth or because you cosleep, but never if you go along with a C-section and have a nursery for your little one!

I'm not really sure how to fix anything at all, but it is very sad. It really all boils down to it being a woman's body, and her right to choose whatever she thinks is best...but that doesn't seem to be the sentiment shared by most of the population.

[hansigurumi]

BlessedJesse - Are you planning to UC, or will you be finding an undercover MW?  Sending my best wishes to you and the three babes you are carrying.  And I thought I was measuring large for my dates (measured 28 cm at 25 weeks)!  What do I know?

Angelorum - There are still occasional wide-eyes here, but most people know someone who has had a HB, so there's enough precedent that it doesn't seem *that weird*.  I am a little different about confrontation, in that I tend to get really angry and work myself up.  I have been reading Jennifer Block's Pushed, and I am well-armed with facts and figures.  Dangerous.  But if I had to do that too much... well, talk about a high-stress pregnancy.  I just wish people would accept other people's choices.  Honestly, pregnancy in general seems to draw out the worst in the onlookers; there's always someone telling you that you look too big, or not big enough, or that 'Awww, look at you, you're waddling!'  Lots of unsolicited comments and advice.  

Chrisa - Let me know if you need any MW recommendations in Seattle!  It's a great place for HB, as I am learning. Is your husband finding work in Seattle proper, or on the Eastside?  There are MW practices on both sides, but I know the ones in Seattle better.  Best wishes on a late-in-pregnancy move.  At least you'll be coming here during the best time of year!  Summer has just started in on its glory (in the 70s every day, cooling into the 50s every night).  I may finally have to start watering my plants!  

Gozal - Judgement on either side is crappy.  It is all about birth *choice*, right?  Best wishes with your twins!  I cannot imagine what it's like to be carrying multiples.  My pubic symphysis is already separating from the added belly weight and hormones, and I only have one in here!

Pregnova - You make the most insightful comments: "But, I also understand how those of us who are proponents of natural birth and these 'radical' lifestyle choices end up sounding judgemental and nazi-like in what we believe is right for our families! Which gets us a bad rap! Because we're often backed into a much larger corner than those who do things the mainstream way! After all, child services or police might show up after a homebirth or because you cosleep, but never if you go along with a C-section and have a nursery for your little one!"  How true.  It is easy to come off as being judgmental when you are trying to defend your choices in the face of mainstream opposition to those choices.  

[gozal]

Truly, almost almost every conversation I've had over here has been completely awesome and respectful and open-minded and this one is no exception! I try hard to just be the change (easier said than done, I know). Many people don't realize I do nonmainstream things, and end up saying "Ew, breastfeeding a 3yo!" or whatever it may be, which then becomes an opening for a conversation. I'll just say simply, "Well, I bf DS until he was three" and because I don't seem like the insane person they picture, I guess, it just becomes a fact. As far as "conventional" vs. "radical" parenting (not sure I like either of those terms, but for lack of better ones), I do think it's a continuum rather than a binary. For example, I am all about natural birth, I just prefer for it to take place in a hospital, but I completely understand and actively support the choice to birth at home. (I basically read Pushed out loud to DH!)

May we all have the births we dream of and aspire to!

[zubeldia]

It is very sad. But honestly I'm not surprised AT ALL that there is so much hostility out there, especially amongst those in the medical system. I work at a medical school (I'm a professor) and I see so many aspiring doctors horrified by the idea of a home birth and ultimately see it as an irresponsible choice. Biomedicine is so hegemonic that it's difficult for most people to get their heads around the idea that hospital doesn't equate to 'safer', and, moreover, they don't see how biomedical approaches are themselves risky. I am lucky to have a family practitioner who is also an academic anthropologist who is very, very supportive of home-births.

It's very depressing, though.

[BlessedJess]

Originally Posted by hansigurumi 

BlessedJesse - Are you planning to UC, or will you be finding an undercover MW?  Sending my best wishes to you and the three babes you are carrying.  And I thought I was measuring large for my dates (measured 28 cm at 25 weeks)!  What do I know?

Only if you consider my husband an undercover midwife. :) Adam was the first midwife, assuming Eve didn't run off and do it all by herself.  I tend to think he was by her side, like so many men have been. It's perfect that way because not only does he have an experienced medical background to lay claim to, he also is my man, and when my bonding hormones flow, it's to him and my babes I want to send that energy.  The first time we UCed 9 years ago I fell in love with him in a deeper way than I'd ever felt before, and since then each birth has been a honeymoon time as well as a babymoon time (minus the sex, obviously! It was easy enough to make up for later. ;-)

I really wonder how big I'll get... I had a growth spurt recently that was 4.5cm in a day and a half! I'm rubbing creams on but I still haven't outgrown the stretching of the last pregnancies, although I'm getting there! I feel much bigger and more crowded than I look, frankly. I don't recall it feeling so stuffed under the ribs in late pregnancy. Probably because it shot up there so fast, my abs are still trying to relax and adjust. (and I'm only halfway! I joked with my friend yesterday who's seen me full term 5 times before, "look, I'm starting to show!" We both laughed!)

[gratefulmum]

Originally Posted by hansigurumi 

My personal fear is that I will be pressured into a high-intervention hospital birth due to a breech presentation; baby seems to enjoy having her head up.  I'm only 28 weeks, so hopefully this will change in the next few weeks!  

Hanisgurumi- My first was breech and while I was never able to turn her around there are some things I've done in subsequent pregnancies to try and prevent another breech presentation. I'm not sure if it's what I've done or not but ds was head down and this one is now, too. First off I sit a lot at my desk during the day and sitting in a traditional chair really cramps the baby's space. The day I get the BFP I switch from a desk chair to a 65 cm exercise ball. This does wonders to open up my pelvis to provide more room for baby- primarily because my knees are dropped below my pelvis. I can also then do pelvic tilts, rocks, and rolls while sitting. I also visit a chiropractor preventatively from the get go to make sure that my spine is aligned well and there is optimal room for uterine growth. Third, I make sure to go for at least a 30 minute power walk every day. This pg I started that part a bit late but better late than never. If you have a pool available to you that is a great opportunity to help baby go weightless and let the baby dislodge from your pelvis some to give them more room to turn around.

Like I said- I'm not sure if this is what has prevented my second two from being breechlings but it makes me feel proactive about the situation and all these things are good for a healthy pregnancy anyway:)

Hope this helps you and anyone else needing their LO to turn south. 

[dogretro]

Hansigurumi, certified nurse midwives are perfectly legal in PA. Lay midwives, not so much. One of my old CNMs told me that her practice "would love" to do homebirths, but they cannot due to staffing (they must staff a birth center and a hospital). A birth professional has malpractice insurance to cover them, lay midwives do not. If something were to go wrong, a lay midwife's profession and family could be ruined. Theoretically, even a doula attending a UC here could be held accountable as the "birth professional" should something bad happen. This is the limited amount of info that I have, all of it straight from various birth workers that I know in the area :)

My first daughter was a breech c-section. I would not recommend using a birth ball until your baby flips. It will open the pelvis, which can discourage your baby from flipping b/c they get nice & settled down into the pelvis. Once she flips, THEN get your booty on a ball & lock her in there! Sit up straight as much as possible, spend some time on all fours and do inversions. My current one keeps flipping around. When I get to 30 weeks, if it's breech, I will pull out my flipping arsenal. If it's head-down, I'll be practicing good posture and ball sitting to keep it that way.

[hansigurumi]

Gozal - I agree that it's a continuum, not a binary.  We do some things that are pretty mainstream (like vaccinations, though delaying some), other things in the middle (like no circumcision; I do think the tide may be flipping on this one towards us), and other things that are unconventional (like co-sleeping and getting ourselves and the kiddo around by bicycle rather than by car).  It's nice to have choices!  And yes, may we all have the birth experiences we aspire to. :)

Zubeldia - Neat that you are in the medical field.  I started in that direction after undergrad, but left medical school after one year because I utterly hated it.  I was at UTSW, and the atmosphere there was soooo hegemonic and hierarchical (just as you say the environment that you are in is).  Yuck.  I did work with some students during my year there to start a little 'Alternatives to Allopathy' track, that included little segments in Nutrition, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), etc., but the support for this was pretty shallow among the faculty.  Most docs just think their allopathic western approach is correct.  The problem is that there is little research money directed towards substantiating various CAM modalities (like acupuncture, or various herbs) because there is no money to be made off of proving that any of them work.  Much better to design your own patented drug and test it; even if it only works some of the time, the FDA will OK it and you can make billions off of your patent!  This is not always true, of course, but it's definitely a factor how studies are designed.  Do you think *anything* is changing within the Western allopathic framework?  One thing I've noticed around here is that allopaths love to prescribe the Neti Pot (!!) for anything cold or sinus infection related.  Sounds like CAM to me...  But I wonder if anything else is changing?

BlessedJesse - Wishing you and your undercover DH midwife the best!  My DH and I definitely bonded over the birthing experience.  I can imagine it's very intense when you are alone.  Take good care of yourself and that growing belly!

GratefulMum & Dogreto - Now I'm confused about the breech stuff.  Ball or no ball?  I bicycle a little over an hour about 5 days per week, so I'm definitely getting exercise.  I also  have SPD (my pubic symphysis is separating), so I have to wear a lumbar pregnancy belt.  I have the Mother To Be Belt, which is great (it was prescribed by my physical therapist) as it helps me sit and walk throughout the day with substantially less pain (for a little while, before I had the belt, walking was so painful by the end of the day that I was weeping; I was pretty much ready to accept elbow crutches or a wheelchair).  Anyhow, I do core exercises daily that involve hands-and-knees, inversions, etc.  I will ask my midwives about this tomorrow, and what I can do to prevent a breech presentation.  I am mainly worried because I ice my pubic symphysis every night, and I can tell that out of all things that I do, baby *does not* like this.  As in hates this.  She starts kicking and squirming a lot, like she wants me to stop.  And this is even though I put a towel over my uterus so that no cold sensations penetrate directly into there.  It's amazing how sensitive she is.  As I said, I will enquire at my MW appt tomorrow.  

Dogreto - I see, PA doesn't certify CPMs, so all midwives that aren't CNMs are lay midwives.  From reading Pushed, I know that about 20 states allow CPMs to be officially recognized as medical providers, but this still leaves 30 where they are not.  Still surprising to me that PA isn't one of those states that allows them, though.  

Hope your little one goes head down as well!  

[gratefulmum]

Dogreto- Thanks for the info on birth ball. I hadn't heard that before about "locking" the baby in the wrong way. It was recommended to me that I sit on one when dd was still breech. I figured it was too late to make a difference by the time I started since she never turned so I've just always done it from day 1 as preventative to be sure. As ds was head down from pretty early on I just figured I'd done the right thing.

Hansigurumi- Let me know what your MW says about this- I'd love to know!