anyone choose hospital birth after previous homebirths? - Page 2

[gen24]

I had a great experience in the hospital with my first. For my second, I had a homebirth because I thought it would be safer for me and my baby. Everything went really well. Since then, I have done a lot of reading and thinking and no longer feel like homebirth is as safe as I thought it was. Definitely not as safe as a hospital birth in my opinion. I am planning a hospital birth for my third and actually really excited about it!

[mamabearing]

I had a hospital birth, a homebirth and then a hospital birth because my belief about homebirth safety is now that it is not safe enough for me to feel safe. I was low risk with all and all were unmedicated. All were wonderful!

[augustashley]

I had a unplanned, unassisted homebirth when my 2nd son decided to start crowning barely an hour and 45 minutes after my very first contraction-we simply didn't think we were anywhere near to needing to leave for the hospital.

He was born with bruising on his face, and the color was scary, I questioned (in the moment) if he might have gone without oxygen, and never wanted to have an unassisted birth or could imagine the desire for that; having had that experience.   (he was perfectly fine, the color was simply bruising from his incredibly quick passage through the birth canal)

So my 3rd and 4th were born in hospitals (as was my first, all unmedicated natural deliveries)  even though I woudl have liked to have used a birth center option with a midwife, we couldn't afford it.

Now with my 5th, I have a great backup OB, a very experienced and fabulous midwife, and I'm hoping for an ASSISTED homebirth this go round. :)  If all the stars weren't so aligned I wouldn't be going that route, but I feel very at peace and confidant that this is the best choice for us.  If not, the hospital will take us about 7-8 minutes to get to in a pinch. :)

[augustashley]

I wish I had the progressive, spa like options in a hospital that so many are mentioning!

To be honest, my laboring experiences weren't traumatic, but very frustrating, aggravating, and uncomfortable, and everything (in 3 different hospitals) felt like an argument from start to finish.

It is the after-birth stage with all the baby interventions/not releasing the baby for minimum of 48 hrs that is my biggest problem.  I've had a horrible experience 3/4 times post-birth. If it was just the birth part I could deal with hospitals, but the baby part makes my claws come out.  I had a huge post typed up, and it disappeared, but suffice to say 3 out of 4 times we felt trapped in a filthy prison and had issues leaving with our healthy baby-48 hrs or more after birth.  The anxiety of going through that again with another baby was my biggest motivating factor in wanting a home birth (which is the much more expensive option with our insurance)

[Voondrop]

W/ labors & births like the first poster I would probably go to the hospital. There might be a more progressive hospital a little further away worth the drive. My first baby was a terrible air force hospital experience, second a fabulous home birth, 3rd the home birth fell through as the midwife couldn't be present so we went to the hospital. NOT the local hospital w/ a 30% cesarean rate but a magnet hospital 30 min. away & SO much better than the first. My faith has been restored in hospitals but it still wasn't as good as our home birth so we're angling that way again for our 4th. My labors are all easy & uncomplicated though, I have heard a lot of positive stories about how an epidural can really help some women rest to avoid a section. I hope your experience is good whatever you choose!