smilie request -- hospital birth? - Page 3

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by OnTheBrink

Funny - I assume most here at MDC had home births, unless told otherwise.

I used to think that too, but as Kathryn said MDC is becoming more and more mainstream everyday.

[charmander]

*

[charmander]

Originally Posted by Viola

What if they don't have anything about their births (or breastfeeding, circ, vaxing, co-sleeping, cloth diapering etc) in their sigs?

Then I think they are actually not mothers, but a 300lb man named Harry.

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by cmd

Then I think they are actually not mothers, but a 300lb man named Harry.

Actually my real name is Fred, not Harry.

[amydidit]

I agree with the majority that a hospital birth smilie is unnecessary. Like it's been said, this is supposed to NOT be a mainstream site. Hospital births = mainstream. I do agree though that VBAC and HBAC (maybe UBAC too?) smilies would be a good idea. And personally I'd like a birth center smilie... my first was at a birth center, but not a water birth. But that's a subject for another thread.

[HerthElde]

Originally Posted by cmd

Then I think they are actually not mothers, but a 300lb man named Harry.

OMG, I actually get that!!!! Yay, me! I'm in on the inside joke

Anothr "no" vote on the hospital birth smiley

[ChristaN]

Originally Posted by viola

What if they don't have anything about their births (or breastfeeding, circ, vaxing, co-sleeping, cloth diapering etc) in their sigs?

Lest I get thought to be a fat pedophile lurking on an AP mothering site, I have to say that some of us don't have those things in our sigs b/c 1) our kids are older and no longer bf, in diapers, etc. or 2) we want to avoid posting too much personal info online for safety reasons.

On topic, though, although my two were both hospital births, I don't feel the need for such a smilie either for the reasons stated. Were we having any more, I would love to experience a home birth. I settle for the fact that the midwife who delivered my second child was actually a midwife and not an interventionist OB masquerading as a midwife (like the first time around). As has been said some of us had hospital births due to choice or necessity, but I fully support MDC's stance on more natural births as the ideal. In my instance, my insurance would not have covered any of the cost of a home birth midwife and I was a poor grad student (and single mom) when both dds were born. My fiance (now dh and the father of our kids) was in the process of moving into our house when I went into labor w/ dd#2. I stayed home and labored overnight and then went to the hospital and can't say that a homebirth would have been viable given that I had my house overrun by movers and friends of dh when dd was born at the hospital that afternoon.

[emma_goldman]

Back to OT:

Originally Posted by ChristaN

Lest I get thought to be a fat pedophile lurking on an AP mothering site, I have to say that some of us don't have those things in our sigs b/c 1) our kids are older and no longer bf, in diapers, etc. or 2) we want to avoid posting too much personal info online for safety reasons.

or 3) our SOs make fun of us for cheerleading our crunchiness when they look over our shoulders.

[CrazyCatLady]

I had a "natural" hospital birth. Even though I am darn proud of myself for surviving the whole ordeal. I also have to vote "no" on a hospital birth smiley. There are many reasons why I think it's unecessary and a bad idea. But they've all been posted already.

[thismama]

I haven't read the whole thread (just page one so far) but I've heard this argument used a lot about how if we allow smilies that don't represent what is considered the "most natural" option, we will be like Babycentre lite.

I see that argument, but I tend to think more that it is good to represent the diversity of experience among parents who ID as AP/NFL. I'd love to see in ppl's siggies what aspects of the lifestyle do and don't work for them, how they negotiate these choices. That would be more educational than the siggies that just list the AP or NFL things people do choose to do.

ETA - I had a planned homebirth turned hospital transfer, and I must say it was pretty darn natural, and a really positive and empowering experience for me, because my midwives were able to continue to attend my birth despite the transfer and I didn't have to deal with doctors.

[MamaTaraX]

I never expected so much response.
It was just a suggestion. I'm sorry to have caused so much strife.

Namaste, Tara

[mamamoo]

mama.

[indie]

Originally Posted by MamaTaraX

I never expected so much response.
It was just a suggestion. I'm sorry to have caused so much strife.

Namaste, Tara

Don't worry about it. We love to get riled up. Besides, you have quite the siggy without any smilies at all.

My two cents: I had a no epidural, no IV, no fetal monitor, get up when I want, no AROM, no pit, no episiotomy, etc., etc. hospital birth with a doctor and yet I have no desire for a hospital birth smilie. A non-place specific natural birth smilie would be nice though.


Mama to dd#1 born naturally in the hospital and dd#2 born with an abx IV at home.

[Viola]

I currently don't have anything in my sig about my parenting choices. I don't the need. When I was on mainstream parenting boards, I tried to come up with humorous sigs that talked about breastfeeding, because breastfeeding was such a huge part of my life at that point. I remember when my first dd was an infant, around Christmas time, I had one about stating that I was mom to Mauly, my little Santa Claws. That was at the point where she was clawing my breasts and leaving little scabs on them. The funny thing is my 2nd dd went through the same phase and I had completely forgotten about it until I came upon something I had printed out with that other sig.

I also had one referencing the Simpsons (a well-enboobed baby embiggens us all. Why, yes, enboobed is a perfectly cromulant word). When I was reading Lonesome Dove I had something in a western type of theme. And at one point I referred to my daughter as an authorized milk disposal technician. So it's not like I've never had breastfeeding sigs, but in general I don't put all my parenting practices into a sig--I'd rather have a nice quote, although my sigs lately have been quite boring on that front. I noticed on my mainstream boards that other moms felt the need to come up with things like "formula guzzling, disposable diapered, crib sleeping" sigs, and it felt very divisive.

I had one hospital birth with an epidural and one homebirth. I also breastfeed and practice natural weaning, co-sleep and try to practice loving guidance, although sometimes I'm not so good at it. I'm anti-circ, and I've selectively or delayed immunizations. I think if people want a natural birth/unmedicated birth emoticon that doesn't reference water or home, that's fine. But I don't think we should have a hospital birth smilie.

[HoosierDiaperinMama]

Originally Posted by ChristaN

Lest I get thought to be a fat pedophile lurking on an AP mothering site, I have to say that some of us don't have those things in our sigs b/c 1) our kids are older and no longer bf, in diapers, etc. or 2) we want to avoid posting too much personal info online for safety reasons.

My DS is 4 and is past all of that stuff, so I hope you (general "you") really don't judge someone by their signature.

[Gabbi]

Originally Posted by zavierchick

I see you Bren!

s to ya MamaTaraX.

[Gabbi]

Originally Posted by Snowy Owl

Good points, Pynki.
I don't think it is about bashing hospital births at all. I understand that people want smilies that represent them, but some things are kind of assumed, unless stated otherwise. I don't need a smilie that says "car driving, tap-water using, meat-eating, white lady"... like, who gives a crap?

[Gabbi]

I will post my opinion wich often means I should have kept my trap shut.
I would like to point out that I had no clue that I even HAD a choice when it came to birthing my children. I will say, when I had my older two children I was uneducated, young, terrified of doing it "all wrong", even more terrified of something happening to my children. I had Toxemia with my oldest son which required hospitalization and heavy iv meds, he ended up being over 9 pounds and many issues were faced when they could not deliver him as they should, he lacked oxygen and now has motor skill issues..he is 14.

My daughter was born 3 1/2 years later in a different hospital due to my gripping fear of the same issues happening again.

When my 3rd son was born 10 years later..I also had him in a hospital but took things under my control.

My point is this...if there were a hospital smilie I would use it....(put your stones down before you toss)....not for the reason some might think.....to me it would stand for the fact my children were born in a hospital and it was one of the happiest days of my life..that is what that smilie would represent for me.....my child's birth. It doesn't matter if it was in a hospital, my home, or the back of a flatbed produce truck....the "where" represents the birth of my precious child.

Now that I am older (and wiser) thanks to the wonderful support I have found through MDC -many of my views have changed.........i became pregnant and wanted the support of having a large family and I wanted to do things differently, naturally...I wanted the support with my next baby that I didn't receive or seek with my other 3. I researched, I talked, I heard stories from many wonderful mothers like yourselves...I knew I had a choice....However, I didn't get to act upon my new education as I miscarried.

We all have our opinions and our wonderful advice. I will say when I read things such as "There is no place for a hospital smilie on MDC" we need to realize what that could mean to someone else. If I had it all to do over again..I would love to have a sig full of only "Organic, CD, NO Circ, No Vax, Water B, Home B" smilies.

Now..back to your regularly scheduled chit chat.

[WickidaWitch]

Well said gabbi.
The most important thing is that our babies are born safe and healthy. Where shouldnt really matter.
Knowing all I know now I would still go to a hospital and it wouldnt bother me a bit!

[pookel]

The thing I don't get in this thread is that everyone seems to assume that smilies=advocacy. To me they are just descriptive. If you want to have a sig that says "DD1 5/02/99 hospital c-section, DD2 5/03/01 hospital VBAC, DD3 5/04/04 home waterbirth," why should you get a graphic for the third kid and not for the first two? Isn't the whole thing just a description of your journey in cartoon form? I don't get how that would be a bad thing.