Apparently only poor hicks have their babies born at home.....grrrrrrrr

[Tofu the Geek]

A co-worker today was joking about how he was born into a family from the wrong side of town. He commented how they were so "north side" (the "bad" side of town in our city) that he was even born at home. I asked what being born at home had to do with living on the "wrong" side of town and he said, "well you know, poor and stupid, no money and no way to get to the hospital". So I explained that there are people who actually choose to have their babies at home and not for reasons of stupidity or lack of funds and that to imply that only the only reason you'd be born at home is because your parents were stupid and poor was inappropriate. I was most annoyed because I am having a homebirth! (this guy doesn't know I am even pregnant)

Then I find out that he wasn't even born at home....he just figured it made his story funnier...arghhhh

[djinneyah]

[Snowdrift]

Poor and stupid? Well, I'm poor, and maybe kinda stupid to think I can afford $2400 for a homebirth midwife, but then again, I figure if this is poor and stupid it beats the heck out of being rich and smart!

[rad]

How ignorant.

I'm really glad I'm "poor and stupid".

[sapphire_chan]

There are governmental programs to help pay entirely for hospital births and none for homebirths, ergo, the man is an idiot.

I bet there are some people out there who've done UC instead of having a midwife primarily because of the cost issue, but I seriously doubt it's a significant percentage of the whole. (At least ways, the UC mamas here at MDC aren't primarily motivated by cost.)

[Red Sonja]

Sounds like he should get together with my dad, whose comment was "that's the reason people came down from the trees, to have their babies in hospitals." I'm so glad he thinks that a medicalized hospital birth is the pinnacle of evolution. :

He has only said this to my mom and stepmom, apparently he doesn't have the guts to say it to my face.

[MotheringHeart]

Oh I just looove these comments. I don't know how you kept from accosting the idiot!

[orkid]

If it's anyone who is a hick it's him for making such a uneducated comment. What an idiot.:

[AngelaB]

Medicaid (medical card for poor people!) pays for c-sections and the works which I have had. It paid for the intervention free vbac at a hospital I have had although I had to fight tooth and nail for. It doesnt pay for the homebirth I would love to have. It does however pay for the birth center and midwives there. So what does that make me? Poor and kinda stupid?
It cracks me up when people say things that make themselves look like such fools!!
~Angela~

[Peppamint]

That's a moronic statement to make.

You know though, I think a lot of people really do think that homebirth is something you do because you're uninsured or whatever... but I'll tell you I've had a hospital birth that was 100% covered and a homebirth was that all out of pocket and I'll never go that route again.

My last birth and this birth could (have been) be paid for by medicaid if I went to the hospital, but that's not even an option in my mind. Yuck. BTDT.

[aisraeltax]

thats crazy! our insurance would have paid 100% of the c/s they were planning for me and my babe!!! not one dime would have come out of our pocket.

they paid for my visits with the MW but wouldnt pay for the cost of delivering at the Birth Center! we had to foot that $300 bill.

what a moron!!

oh, and im well educated...poor by choice right now b/c im a SAHM!!

[Tofu the Geek]

I was very annoyed with him. He didn't even seem to get it after I attempted to explain it to him. In the end I just told him "change your example for your joke because the one you've used not only isn't accurate, it's not even funny".

My first birth I had a hospital birth, and you know why? Because I was too poor to afford a homebirth!! And the reason I was too poor? I was only half way through my university degree thus couldn't get a job in my field yet, so was working at secretarial and restaurant positions! So I was poor and less educated (but hey, I wasn't stupid) and had a hospital birth. Now, that I have my degree and am working in my field, I have enough for a homebirth this time. Okay, I am far from rich but I am NOT poor and NOT stupid compared to last time....and getting my homebirth this time.

[KBinSATX]

Yes, very common. We live in the country where we keep goats and horses, etc. but both DH and I have professional jobs in the city. When I told a coworker that we were planning a homebirth she said: "Oh I would be much to 'modern' for that. I'll have mine in the hospital where I can have an epidural. But I will have a waterbirth because it's better for the baby."

Like that is going to happen... a drugged up waterbirth in the hospital...

[MamaTaraX]

Proudly joining the "poor and stupid" club (I at least have the poor part down! )

Namaste, Tara

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Perfect: I'm a poor hick So I'm all set to have #3 (wheneverit decides to land!) at home!

[JesseMomme]

When I was poor and stupid I went to the hospital to have a baby. I'm still poor and hopefully not quite so stupid and would never have another hosp birth again.

(It still boggles me that medicaid will cover all the bells and whistles and the sky high hosp birth prices but not 1500-3000 for a hb mw. es )

[mamaroni]

wow, yes so ignorant. : it is really amazing what come's out of people's mouth, isn't it?

signed, one highly educated wealthy homebirthin' mama

[carliec76]

I must be a poor rich hick

Well I am far from that. I live in an upper class area and am a SAHM. I chose a homebirth not because it was cheaper in fact it is more expensive as if I were to use my insurance and have a hospital birth it would be free. People for the most part are ignorant when it comes to having a free thought. I just laugh at them and tell them to look at my son and see that my choices were right.

[boston]

Oh, who cares what some person said. Really. If there's anyone out there who honestly believes that only "poor hicks" have homebirths, then they are not only ignorant, but also classist.

What's wrong with poor "hicks?" Nothing. What people find upsetting is their own proximity to the bottom rung on the socio-economic ladder.

And the belief that hospital birth = advanced, well, that's a pretty wide-held belief. I understand people want their "alternative" ways appreciated by the rest of society. And I agree, labor is not an acute illness which unsually requires hospitalization.

But I wouldn't focus on this person's ignorance and rudeness as an affront to you, personally. I'd just count him as another idiot out there putting others down to distance himself from his own perception of himself.

This wasn't an attack on homebirthing. It was an attack on intelligence.

[mamaroni]

Originally Posted by boston

But I wouldn't focus on this person's ignorance and rudeness as an affront to you, personally. I'd just count him as another idiot out there putting others down to distance himself from his own perception of himself.

This wasn't an attack on homebirthing. It was an attack on intelligence.

great point, ITA!