Why Homebirth? - Page 2

[theelfqueen]

After the precip labor and birth of my second son (first two were hospital births -- 1st medium-high intervention, 2nd lower-intervention, mostly because there just wasn't time LOL) I found myself pondering birth. I fell in with an online community that included some homebirthers who were comfortable sharing their experiences and I appreciated them. Among that community I found myself led to read a LOT LOT LOT about birth and found myself feeling more and more disconnect from the medical model. I knew I wanted a low intervention birth, felt really drawn to waterbirth and most of all -- didn't want to have to fight battles in a hospital room, whether over birthing or postpartum care.

(For example - When my oldest was born they just kept bringing and bringing the Circ forms -- they buried them in other forms, they bothered us about it -- it was clear from the beginning we had no intention of circing and in the end I had to get my OB involved to put a stop to the harassment. And then the hospital charged us for the circ anyway -- Best part of this story: Billing Clerk who said to me "Are you sure he isn't circumcised, it's pretty much a standard procedure" Me: "Do you want me to bring him down and show you?" We had such sub-par nursing care that I filed a complaint with the hospital. )

All of this led me further and further into the homebirth camp, so when #3 came around, I felt like it was the only really plausible option. I had to drag my husband into it but it was worth it all.

[miriam]

Why not?

[Nicole B]

What an awsome thread
Just had to to what everyone has said above!
Yes hospitals are for SICK people and no matter how "nice" the hospital is...they still treat you as if you have a problem waiting to happen...like, "everything looks fine....NOW...but you never know....":

One of my BIGGEST problems were being hooked up to all the "necessary monitors"
I had two natural "nice" hospital births and what I learned from them was that I really need nothing they can provide me...really....
Both births I left with the feeling that, "geesh...I wish I could have just stayed home and avoided this headache
but both times I went cause of our state's "legal m/w issues": I thought there no other option for me

*the strap-on monitors made me feel constantly PUKEY!
*the b/p cuff always tightened like majic durring each and EVERY contraction...AKKKK!
*The nurses made me so mad constantly asking me "are you sure you don't need anything for pain?".....yeah and they always ask you in such a vulnerable stage too
My last birth the darn nurse actually brought in a syringe of demerol and left it on my bedside stand!!!

What else...
* I wanted so bad to have the lights dim the entire time but come pushing time they "HAD" to switch them back to "BLINDING" for the birth:

Oh and after the birth...
*They take the baby away for all the IMPORTANT stuff that absolutely CAN'T WAIT:
*Each delivery I felt like I had to "ask" the nurses permission to keep my own baby:
*My second baby had some breathing issues and when I FINALLY got to nurse her the "OH SO HELPFUL" nurse told me to not be surprised if my baby did not latch

And to top it off I will say a great big DITTO about the GROSS GERMY accomodations!:Puke
***I witnessed the cleaning lady in my room with her one rag and buckett...she started in the bathroom mopping up my bloody mess THEN preceded to use the SAME rag and SAME buckett of suds to clean off all my countertops...INCLUDING my bed-table that the food goes on ***AGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!***
Oh yeah...hospitals are such a more sterile invironment and far superrior to our "germy" houses to deliver a baby (note sarcasm)

I sure hope and pray that I can fulfill my deepest desire to birth at home for our 3rd and final baby!: : : : :

[deuxceleste]

Good luck to ALL you mamas who are planning a homebirth! And congratulations to those of you who have done it!

We're halfway in between now, since the birth center I was going to deliver at decided that they were no longer attending births IN the center, but only in the local hospital.

That is to say, *i* am halfway between now. DP (though we only found out today and haven't extensively talked) seems to be pushing toward a birth center which is farther away from home (two hours) instead of homebirth.

I have many, many, MANY of the same reasons as you all, but my reasons now include the fact that I do NOT want "routine" procedures performed on me- in my mind's eye, and though this will be my first, I do believe that childbirth in and of itself is a) enough to be thinking about during the actual process without people harassing me about other things, b) not something i want to share with a zillion people, and c) a very natural process, and to me, personally, a challenge of strength and a symbol of femininity. I don't need ANY of that tampered with by 12 year old doctors and annoying nurses who are transferred from one hall to another, carrying goddess-knows-what on their hands and scrubs and breathing disgusting hospital germs into my face and DP's face and DC's face.

[bamamom]

I should tell you that we traveled 90 minutes one way for my dd's prenatal care and birth.

Many couples who lived far from the birth center just rented a motel room down the road, and spent the last few days hiking the beautiful mountains nearby waiting for real labor to kick in.

we drove it, and made it in 70 minutes in the middle of the night.

riding in labor is no fun at all, but it isnt the end of the world if you have to do it.

[Mama Poot]

I chose homebirth because I had a horrible first experience in a hospital and I wanted to have total control over my body and my birth, and the only place I could do that was at home. I KNEW my body could do it, that my body was NOT broken, and I proved that to myself and to the world. Oh yes and there is nothing more wonderful than climbing into your own bed after giving birth and snuggling with your perfect newborn baby, his hair sticky with goop and blood because no one is whisking him away to a nursery to have a bath, and the next day when you feel a little better, you take a long hot shower with your DH

[AllisonR]

Thank you, thank you ladies for this thread. All of the above. Plus, because in a hospital you get a new midwife every 8 hours, who will not actually be there with you to support you. Instead she gives you a VE to judge your progress, and a little machine that supposedly measures your contractions, so she can then bugger off and watch TV or take a nap. No one really knows how you and your body are coping.

At a homebirth you get a midwife you have hired, who's personality you agree with, who will be with you while you are laboring, and support you in positive ways. Instead of a VE, she can look at your contractions, listen to you, talk with you, help you find better positions, offer accupuncture or massage.... in short, treat you like a real human being, not a useless, innefficient incubator.

[theelfqueen]

Oh and after... I would definitely add -- 1)Continuity of care was so hugely different 2) my connection with DH, in our own space, with privacy was so amazing and 3) Afterglow

[Irma Lisette]

Why a homebirth?
-because it's safer / less chance of (unnecessary) medical intervention
-because it's the 'normal' thing to do where I'm from (Holland)
-because I will be SO much more comfortable at home than I could ever be in a hospital
-because I want to do what my body tells me to do, not what doctors tell me to do
-because I want to spend quality time with my baby and husband right after the baby is born

[deuxceleste]

Hmmmm!

Thanks again for this!

After I posted on this board, I wrote this 1500 page novel and sent it out to everyone, stating exactly WHY i want what i want, and that i hope everyone supports our decision. Not everyone in my family is exactly open to the idea.

[zoebird]

my original birth dream was to birth outside, in the nude--alone with my DP--with a bon fire going and a meteor shower overhead.

i'm fairly certain a hospital can't offer that.

[deuxceleste]

Originally Posted by zoebird

my original birth dream was to birth outside, in the nude--alone with my DP--with a bon fire going and a meteor shower overhead.

i'm fairly certain a hospital can't offer that.

Absolutely not but that sounds HEAVENLY!

[Emilie]

So no one there thinks they have more rights to my newborn baby than I do.

[miriam]

"Why HOmebirth?"

As any athlete will tell you:

I like the homecourt advantage...a woman is the queen in her own home.

Anyone ever feel as if they were royalty in a hospital?

[boobjuice]

Originally Posted by kathan12904

All those reasons too. Also, political stance against the terrible treatment of pregnant moms and newborn babies in this country. A lot of anger and sadness about an unneccesary, manipulated c/s with #1 as well as knowing that in my city staying at home is about the only way to avoid the same with #2. Hatred of being treated like just because I have a child in me means that I should be treated like a child as well. Frustration over nosy nurses putting in their two cents whenever the baby is born and I'm caring for it. Strange, unexplained requirement that your baby be taken away from you to the nursery at least once a day regardless of how healthy they are. The vast amount of dangerous, drug-resistant diseases swimming around every inch of a hospital and those who work there. The fact that signing the paper to check yourself into the hospital automatically releases hospital staff to do whatever they "deem necessary" including painful, useless, episiotomy without permission or explaination. The god complex that many doctors exhibit. The lithotomy position.

I agree, it's very important we share our experiences to let women know they have a choice, a safer one at that. I had such an easy great birth, I feel so bad when I hear some of the stories women tell me happen to them in hospitals, it's disgusting really.

[Meg_s]

I wanted to do it MY way for all of the reasons listed.... I thought it would be better, easier, faster, safer, less painful etc. if I could just do what I felt like I should do and feel comfortable with my privacy and surroundings it would all work out. It did, yeah it hurt more than I expected but nothing unbearable and was only 2.5 hours labour start to finish, first baby. I couldn't imagine having nurses around, or a doctor.. or anyone telling me what to do ugh that would have made it so hard.