*sigh* I am 38 weeks pregnant and have been planning on having a VBAC with a CNM at a hospital, but I am almost 100% I am going to switch to a homebirth! I really like my CNM. She is very pro-VBAC and natural birth (well as natural you can get while working in a hospital. Most of her patients have epidurals, pitocin, etc.) and believes that I will be successful in my VBAC. I have a birth plan stating that I want an all natural birth with no medical augmentation, drugs, episiotomy, etc. and she happily agreed to it. Well today I had an appointment with one of her back-up OBs (she wanted me to make an appointment with at least one of her back-up OBs so that I would know who they were in case I would need them) and while he seems like a nice guy and is very supportive of VBACs, he is still very medically minded and both him and the hospital have restrictions on VBAC patients. He told me that they wont let me go past 41 weeks and I will be an automatic c-section if I don't go into labor by then since they don't induce with pitocin or prost. gel (which I wouldn't want anyway). My midwife told me that if I'm not in labor by 41 weeks, they'd have me come in to do a non-stress test to see how the baby is doing and then they will decide what to do from there. That sounds reasonable to me, but I wonder how much authority she has over this. The OB also suggested that they do a strong pelvic exam to get labor going and he gave me the choice of doing it either today or at my appointment next week. I told him that I didn't want to do it today, so he told me to tell my midwife, at my next appointment, that I wanted it done. I didn't consent to this, but I just bit my lip because I didn't feel like arguing. I just wont tell my midwife and if she brings it up, I will decline it. The OB also had me sign a VBAC consent form, which I didn't mind because it was very pro-VBAC. It stated the pro's of VBAC and the risks as well as the risks of c-section. So, it wasn't biased, which was good! One thing he said about pitocin really peeved me. He said that while they wont induce with it, they will use it to augment labor because most women have trouble progressing without it! Geez, louise! Shows how much faith he has in the female body to do what it's designed to do!
So anyway, the whole point of this thread is that after seeing an OB for the first time, I am even more disgusted at the way hospitals manage birth!! I know that my midwife supports my decision to go all-natural and she believes in the woman's body to birth the baby will little to no intervention, but I really worry about how it's going to be once I do go into labor! Heck, it's even stressful already because I have to worry about declining a pelvic exam to get things going and about going into labor by 41 weeks!! I have been strongly considering switching to a homebirth for about 6 weeks now and after my appointment today, I am almost 100% positive that giving birth at home is the best thing for both my baby and I! I've been wanting a homebirth since before I got pregnant with baby#2 (my first was a planned homebirth which ended up in the hospital after 6 hours of pushing [my midwife had me pushing before my body was ready, so the baby never descended down far enough] and ended in a c-section), but I decided to do a hospital birth with a CNM because 1.) I was afraid of uterine rupture, 2.) I was disallusioned with homebirth midwives because of what happened with my first birth. 3.) some members of my family weren't very supportive when I mentioned attempting another homebirth. 4.) We didn't think we'd be able to afford it. My opinions on all of these things have completely changed now. 1.) I'm no longer afraid of uterine rupture. I realize that the chances of other things happening are far greater than rupture, especially in a hospital setting. 2.) I realize that not all homebirth midwives are bad. I just happened to choose one that didn't know about the "rest and be thankful stage". 3.) I could now care less as to what my family thinks. I'm not even telling them about my plans of possibly switching to a homebirth because it's really none of their business! I will tell them after my son is born! 4.) Due to my husband making more money lately, we can definately afford it, especially since the homebirth midwives willing to deliver me would give us a good price.
My doula (who is a midwife in training, with 3 years experience attending births. She has been to 60 births ranging from a doula to an assistant midwife to a primary midwife) said that she would catch my baby at home if that is what I wish. She is charging $500 for her doula services and only $500 more if she catches my baby. She would have an assistant "direct entry midwife" who would only charge $150. So, a homebirth would only cost me $1150, as opposed to the average homebirth midwife rate of $2800. I love my doula! I totally trust her and feel very close to her. She is into natural childbirth and she is totally on my side and will make sure I have the birth I desire (barring any complications beyond our control, of course)! I would feel so comfortable laboring and birthing at home with no pressure to birth by a certain number of hours, no pressure to go into labor by 41 weeks. no restrictions on what I can eat, etc. My husband totally supports me no matter what. He is willing to pay for a homebirth if that is what I feel is best for me and our baby. My only concerns are that my doula is still a "midwife in training" and not licensed. It's weird because I totally trust her with everything I've got, but at the same time, I worry that she may not be able to recognize a complication and/or wont know what to do if a complication arises. She told me that she would know if something were wrong and whether we should transport to the hospital or not, but I still worry. I know I have this fear because during my last attempted homebirth with a licensed midwife who had been practicing for 20 years, seemed very confused when my baby wouldn't come down, which wasn't very reassuring. So, it's not so much that she is still a "midwife in training"; I am just tramatized from my last labor/birth. Maybe I will feel better after I find out how qualified and experienced her back-up midwife is. I am way more confident now about my body's ability to birth than I was last time because I am even more educated than I was before and I have learned a lot from what went wrong at my last birth. So, I feel more in control this time and will rely more on what my body is telling me, rather than my caregivers. Also, I believe that childbirth is completely natural and that my body knows what to do and will do it. So, I really don't think birthing in a hospital or having a doctor deliver me is necessary. My doula feels the same way, which is why I feel so comfortable with her. We also click really well too, which helps. We are around the same age and I feel so comfortable around her, it's like we've been friends for years! So, having her attend my birth would be very special and natural to me. So, after having said all of that, I'm thinking that it probably doesn't matter that she's still a "midwife in training" and not yet licensed.
Anyway, I just felt the need to express myself and get any support, opinions, etc. from anyone who can relate or wants to comment.
So anyway, the whole point of this thread is that after seeing an OB for the first time, I am even more disgusted at the way hospitals manage birth!! I know that my midwife supports my decision to go all-natural and she believes in the woman's body to birth the baby will little to no intervention, but I really worry about how it's going to be once I do go into labor! Heck, it's even stressful already because I have to worry about declining a pelvic exam to get things going and about going into labor by 41 weeks!! I have been strongly considering switching to a homebirth for about 6 weeks now and after my appointment today, I am almost 100% positive that giving birth at home is the best thing for both my baby and I! I've been wanting a homebirth since before I got pregnant with baby#2 (my first was a planned homebirth which ended up in the hospital after 6 hours of pushing [my midwife had me pushing before my body was ready, so the baby never descended down far enough] and ended in a c-section), but I decided to do a hospital birth with a CNM because 1.) I was afraid of uterine rupture, 2.) I was disallusioned with homebirth midwives because of what happened with my first birth. 3.) some members of my family weren't very supportive when I mentioned attempting another homebirth. 4.) We didn't think we'd be able to afford it. My opinions on all of these things have completely changed now. 1.) I'm no longer afraid of uterine rupture. I realize that the chances of other things happening are far greater than rupture, especially in a hospital setting. 2.) I realize that not all homebirth midwives are bad. I just happened to choose one that didn't know about the "rest and be thankful stage". 3.) I could now care less as to what my family thinks. I'm not even telling them about my plans of possibly switching to a homebirth because it's really none of their business! I will tell them after my son is born! 4.) Due to my husband making more money lately, we can definately afford it, especially since the homebirth midwives willing to deliver me would give us a good price.
My doula (who is a midwife in training, with 3 years experience attending births. She has been to 60 births ranging from a doula to an assistant midwife to a primary midwife) said that she would catch my baby at home if that is what I wish. She is charging $500 for her doula services and only $500 more if she catches my baby. She would have an assistant "direct entry midwife" who would only charge $150. So, a homebirth would only cost me $1150, as opposed to the average homebirth midwife rate of $2800. I love my doula! I totally trust her and feel very close to her. She is into natural childbirth and she is totally on my side and will make sure I have the birth I desire (barring any complications beyond our control, of course)! I would feel so comfortable laboring and birthing at home with no pressure to birth by a certain number of hours, no pressure to go into labor by 41 weeks. no restrictions on what I can eat, etc. My husband totally supports me no matter what. He is willing to pay for a homebirth if that is what I feel is best for me and our baby. My only concerns are that my doula is still a "midwife in training" and not licensed. It's weird because I totally trust her with everything I've got, but at the same time, I worry that she may not be able to recognize a complication and/or wont know what to do if a complication arises. She told me that she would know if something were wrong and whether we should transport to the hospital or not, but I still worry. I know I have this fear because during my last attempted homebirth with a licensed midwife who had been practicing for 20 years, seemed very confused when my baby wouldn't come down, which wasn't very reassuring. So, it's not so much that she is still a "midwife in training"; I am just tramatized from my last labor/birth. Maybe I will feel better after I find out how qualified and experienced her back-up midwife is. I am way more confident now about my body's ability to birth than I was last time because I am even more educated than I was before and I have learned a lot from what went wrong at my last birth. So, I feel more in control this time and will rely more on what my body is telling me, rather than my caregivers. Also, I believe that childbirth is completely natural and that my body knows what to do and will do it. So, I really don't think birthing in a hospital or having a doctor deliver me is necessary. My doula feels the same way, which is why I feel so comfortable with her. We also click really well too, which helps. We are around the same age and I feel so comfortable around her, it's like we've been friends for years! So, having her attend my birth would be very special and natural to me. So, after having said all of that, I'm thinking that it probably doesn't matter that she's still a "midwife in training" and not yet licensed.
Anyway, I just felt the need to express myself and get any support, opinions, etc. from anyone who can relate or wants to comment.
I think that your heart will tell you what is right.
