March Homebirthers Roll Call! - Page 5

[jmhammond]

Yeah, thanks for the angle with DH, he's out of town for the week, but we're going to discuss options when he gets back. I told him to think and pray about doing a HB while he's gone.

I still have SO much research to do also, I haven't even started thinking about what my insurance will or won't cover. I know in some states insurances cover midwives and HB, but not everywhere. I gues the MW will know when we talk to her what the costs will be. thank you ladies for giving me so many things to think about and consider...

[tika]

Yay for all of the Florida HBAC's! Too bad we all have to be in that "AC" club to begin with.

[quiddit]

Expecting #6

I'm 27. My youngest is 1 (14 months to be exact). All were homebirthed (including the breech one), but the first three were with a mw and the last two were UCs (one planned and one unplanned). We're moving from NC to Hawai'i in Jan/Feb, so lots of work ahead of me!

(I have been stalked online so I can't use my name.)

--Quiddit

[Arwyn]

Good point, Be - a difference of three grand is hardly silly!

Quiddit! about the stalking - it's ok about your name. That's a crazy time to be moving! You'll be 7/8 months by then! I don't envy you. Will you be doing another UC with this one, or looking for a midwife in Hawai'i?

[JennyClaire]

MotheringHeart and quiddit!

That's good point about the money. If our house sells (and 3 people have come to look in the last 4 days) and we move closer to town and the hospital, I will seriously consider UC because my insurance won't pay for a HB either. However, it's cheaper than $3,000 around here. Tough decision.

Have you all see the new smile?

[quiddit]

We are planning another UC wherever we are However Hawai'i is awesome for homebirthers. My best friend's mom is a midwife, so I may use her. Midwifery isn't regulated by the state at all! Cool huh?

Q

[warrior mama]

I'm hoping/praying for a HBAC. I truely wish to avoid a RCS and I feel like this is the way to do it! Keep away from the hospital unless absolutely necessary.

[risen_joy]

Hi all!

We are hoping for a home/water birth - but someone told me it's illegal in GA! I've got the name/number of a few midwifes that said they've done them anyways - so we'll see. I doubt insurance will cover it though so I really hope it is affordable for us right now! I'm just so excited to even be pregnant!!

Elizabeth

[lotusdebi]

I interviewed the homebirth midwives in my area today. I absolutely fell in love with the CPM! She and I have very similar (possibly identical) views of birth. She's very hands-off and believes that birth is a normal, natural process that a woman's body is capable of handling with little to no intervention in the majority of cases. She doesn't do a lot of the testing, unless it's requested. She doesn't weigh people at all. She's perfect for me! I love that she has her appointments in her home! And that she has no problem with my animals or my son being present at the birth. She very much has an attitude of being there as an assistant to the birthing woman if she's needed, rather than being at all in-charge of the experience. I'm absolutely thrilled with her! I felt that we had a great rapport and good communication. We're on the same page. We have the same thoughts about birth and interventions. And her presence is so calm and quiet that she wouldn't bother me at all, even if she was in the same room as I was. She has good energy.
My insurance may not cover her, but we're going to find a way to pay for her in any case. And she has her own Aqua Doulas which she rents for an affordable price!

The other midwives were a team. They attend births together. They were more like the birth center midwives I used for my son's birth. They follow ACOG guidelines for some things, they prefer to do testing and such, they check weights and do nutritional counseling, I'd have to do a 3 day food diary there, and they just seem much more hands-on. I didn't feel a good relationship buidling with either of them. It was much more business-like and less homey than the other midwife. Less comfortable for me. And I felt that they take a position more of being in-charge of the birthing experience. While I think they'd be a good fit for a lot of women, I don't feel that they're right for me. I want to do this myself, not with people in my space and in my business all the time.

So, now I have to find out if my insurance will cover the midwife I want, and how to handle paying if they won't. I'll probably call by next week to set up my first appointment.
I'm just so excited!

[Astromom]

That's great lotusdebi!!!!! She sounds PERFECT!!

risen_joy, I hope you are able to get the birth you want. I've never understood how midwives can be illegal anyway. :

[risen_joy]

risen_joy, I hope you are able to get the birth you want. I've never understood how midwives can be illegal anyway.

Thanks! And I know!! Hello - how did the whole world come into existence before hospitals came along?? I mean SERIOUSLY!!

[Arwyn]

Hey all! I have my an interview with who is probably my first pick midwife and her apprentice next week! She's an hour away, and so offered to come here in the evening, so I invited her over for dinner. So DP and I get to sit down, eat, and chat with two really cool women next Thurs! How cool is that?

I still want to call and set up interviews with another couple midwives, just to get a feel for who's available in the area and what our options are. Haven't called any yet, have to go find the paper with the list on it.

How's everyone else doing?

[tika]

doing good here, had my mw consult last week. It went great, there are a few things that I didn't like but I am pretty picky and just hoping that they won't affect me. She is truly my only option for HBAC in the area, other than UC, and I really do like her a lot.

My mw is also an hour away, I have to go to her for most appointments except for the ones that traditionally take place in the home (36-ish week, birth, 24hr post partum).

I have my first real appointment on the 25th, two weeks from today.

It's still surreal that I am actually planning my HBAC!!

[lotusdebi]

My midwife and I are playing phone tag, trying to set up an appt. She doesn't need to see me for two weeks (when I'm 12 weeks pregnant), so I'm not stressed about it or anything.
I can't figure out where I'm going to put the Aqua Doula. I think my bedroom would be the perfect spot - close to the bed and to the bedroom bathroom, plenty of privacy (I'll have a family member or two at the house to take care of DS and the dogs while I'm in labor), and just perfect overall. Except that I think we'll have to move the dressers out of the room to make space for the birth pool!
I know I have plenty of time to figure this out, but its on my mind now...

[tika]

Originally Posted by lotusdebi

...I can't figure out where I'm going to put the Aqua Doula...

...I know I have plenty of time to figure this out, but its on my mind now...

LOL Me too!!!

I know I want it somewhere in my bedroom...

Hoping I'll get dibs on the one my mw has so that I don't have to rent one.

[DayDreamer]

Originally Posted by FSUBecca

Hi all. Just found out we are expecting #3, and planning our second homebirth. Leaning towards a UC this time. Looking forward to chatting with you all over the coming months!

We're in the EXACT situation as you, baby #3 and planning second homebirth, first UC.

[Arwyn]

See, I'm thinking the birth pool belongs in the living room. Also not sure which kind to get - I'm kind of leaning toward buying an inflatable (maybe La Bassine?).

I still haven't set up any more interviews yet. I know the one I'm seeing Thursday is ALMOST DEFINITELY who I want, but I'm a huge believer in Murphy's Law, and jinxing, and so I feel like if I don't set up other interviews, we totally won't get along in person. Am I crazy?

[DayDreamer]

I used this http://www.qualityinflatables.com/56493.html inflatable pool for the homebirth of my son. It was nice b/c it was easy to set up (we used our vaccum to inflate it) and it was comfy having the inflated bottom. Also the sides were sturdy enough for me to sit or hang on.

Here are some pics if you'd like to see it in use. They aren't the greatest pics, but you will get the idea.

Me hanging over the edge holding my midwife:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...e/IM001827.jpg

Me laboring in the pool:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...e/IM001830.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...e/IM001831.jpg



FWIW, I only labored in the pool, I didn't birth there. When it came time to give birth I wanted OUT of the water, lol.

[cinnamonamon]

i used a pool like that. it was way comfy -- i'm going to buy another one in the stores before the season is over. keeping it warm was easy -- my midwife & dh would scoop a few buckets out & put more hot in.

[chemE_momE]

I am also very much a believer in Murphy's Law and don't want to jinx myself. Case in point: I thought I had done my research early on and been super organized. I started researching homebirths in January, and interviewed two midwifery groups in March. The one I decided on was closer geographically, though I had only met one of the two midwives (who I had strange vibes about). But the other midwife was the one who came highly recommended, and I figured since they both attend births, I would be fine. Not so (of course). I met the other one last week, and it was the appointment from hell (she is very hands-on and was downright rude when I told her I wanted to decline testing). So, now I have to find someone new. : Not exactly something I feel like doing during my first trimester when I am feeling crappy and tired and unmotivated. :

Anyway, I'm glad I'm not the only one still searching for a HB mw. There are only three who do HB's in my area (that I know of). I guess I should just be thankful that I have other options and that I found out early enough to find someone new!