HomeBirth -- Do I need an UltraSound?

[Kontessa]

I know this is silly coming from me, but I am starting to think an ultra sound is pointless and might complicate my homebirth plans. Yes baby has made me throw up all the time and I have lost weight and there was spotting in the early weeks. But, those things are "normal" right?

Just not sure I need it.....

[Monkeybutt]

I have been wondering the same thing. I just had one done but it was one of those just for fun things. It was not a complete diagnostic ultrasound. I just wanted to find out the sex. But I've been letting the "what if's" scare me and I have been thinking about getting a diagnostic ultrasound. Tho, I am sure that everything is fine and dandy.

I had some spotting in early weeks also and the baby was moving around and happy as can be. So Im sure that we are fine!

[MotheringHeart]

ETA: I'm not in your DDC, but wanted to write anyway.

I did not have an ultrasound w/my last pregnancy and baby. I felt like the things an ultrasound would discover would complicate my pregnancy and delivery for no reason. If the ultrasound discovered some fatal anomaly, I wouldn't want to deliver at the hospital where I would be uncomfortable during delivery only to have to experience my baby passing away. I also didn't want to have to make a decision about terminating the pregnancy. I just wanted to enjoy (such as I was able to enjoy puking and the like ) my pregnancy w/out having to worry. It was also our fourth child and none of them have had heart defects or things that they would need immediate medical attention for. I just felt like it was unnecessary and so we didn't do it. I'm totally happy w/our decision and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[2busy2clean]

I've had two homebirths and zero ultrasounds.
Both my boys were happy and healthy and I don't regret my decision at all.

and yes, everything you have experienced so far is in the normal range.

[alegna]

Also not in your DDC- but I don't do u/s without medical reason.... didn't have one with dd. Don't plan to with the next.

-Angela

[GinaRae]

I have always had Ultrasounds, but with this homebirth I've been reluctant. Hubby was the one who wants one, so I am compromising. However, I am going to speak with him about it tonight again as I have become even more worried. As one of the PPs pointed out, it might take away my homebirth and leave me to grieve in a hospital. I don't know as I want to worry about this for the next 5 weeks until the u/s and take the chance that something's wrong. And I am also a fourth time mom with no previous problems, the midwives have heard my placenta high up, etc..

Anywhoo, it's a personal decision! Your DDC totally supports you either way! We seem to be good like that

[LittleLlama]

I I I, me me me.... would have an ultrasound, but only like PP said, because there are medical reasons- 25% chance of a cleft palate. Not the most serious of things (thank goodness!) but something I either need to be prepared for or find out I don't need to stress.

[scheelimama]

My birth center requires an u/s if you are to deliver there. They don't have a dr (though there is a back-up dr.) so if there is anything out of the ordinary (even just twins), you have to deliver at the hospital since they aren't equipped to deal with anything aside from a "normal" delivery. I think personally, I would opt for the u/s just to be prepared for anything, even like Sarah said, cleft palate.

[FillingMyQuiver]

This will be our 2nd homebirth. With DD, our first HB, we had the 20wk u/s and no others b/c we were still under the care of an OB. With this pregnancy, we've decided to have 0 u/s unless there is a medical reason. There's a possibility of twins and we don't even really feel that's a medical reason to have an u/s FOR US.

[Undercover Hippie]

I had a u/s with my last HB and plan to have one this time. I remember our MW really talked to us about why we wanted an u/s... I think she kind of discourages them or at least wants parents to think twice and consider both sides of the issue. But for us, I guess we need that one quick peek. Partly it is shallow, partly it is peace of mind. DH's brother has club feet so he likes to check on that, although there's not really a higher chance of it happening to us AFAIK. If there were any problems spotted that would need immediate treatment after birth, we would know to deliver in a hospital--probably one of the few reasons we would change our HB plans. Twins we would still deliver at home but it would be nice to be prepared! And if there were any lethal problems that were definitely incompatible with life, we would still birth at home and have a peaceful time with our child, however long or short that might be.

[Isaac'sMa]

To answer your question--NO! You don't *need* an US for a HB unless there's a medical reason. Your bleeding may or may not be an indication since placenta previa can be a cause of bleeding and that's something you'd want to know. Talk to your HCP and the two of you can make the best decision.

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by GinaRae

I have always had Ultrasounds, but with this homebirth I've been reluctant. Hubby was the one who wants one, so I am compromising. However, I am going to speak with him about it tonight again as I have become even more worried. As one of the PPs pointed out, it might take away my homebirth and leave me to grieve in a hospital. I don't know as I want to worry about this for the next 5 weeks until the u/s and take the chance that something's wrong. And I am also a fourth time mom with no previous problems, the midwives have heard my placenta high up, etc..

So I talked to the hubster and how easily he forgets! He doesn't remember being the one to push the u/s.

He says he's following my lead and urges me to keep researching and talk to the midwives about what they think. But he'll support me if I don't want an u/s.

I told him I didn't want to shoulder the blame (as women do) should something be wrong that could have been detected with u/s, and he's okay with that. We have such a low chance of anything being so seriously wrong that it would result in death that I am not as worried and just trying to trust my body and the process. We probably have a greater chance of a prolapsed cord, PPH, or shoulder dystocia than anything wrong with the baby.

He asked me if I would rather know devastating news now so I could abort and I told him no. I would rather carry to term and hold my child after the birth. He doesn't really know what an abortion entails (and for me as a married, settled mom, it's not an issue to discuss), so he wasn't being insensitive at all. He was trying to be supportive. I would just like to not have to deal with the question as to whether abort or not.

I guess at the end of the road with this being my last child (biologically) I am just as desperate to "produce" a healthy child, but I am also trying to be peaceful with the circle of life. I am trying to be blissful in the whole pregnancy (as hard as it is to be blissful during pregnancy because it's hard on mamas!). Ignorance is bliss! I would rather hold my child and grieve at home than be in a hospital should anything fatal happen.

As far as Downs, cleft palate, etc.. those types of things we can transfer after the birth if needed.

WOW, is this a depressing post or what?! I need to shift gears. I am (so far) choosing no ultrasound and it's going to be FINE! The baby is doing well, there's no reason to worry for me, and there will be no problems in Nov/Dec. So there!

[wwisdomskr]

Personally, I don't think U/s are necessary as a routine thing. I think they can be a good tool when needed.

We had many us's with dd1 and 2 very brief ones with dd2. This time, we're using a homebirth cpm, so I'm not even sure how we would go about having an ultrasound. Our neighbor is an ultrasound tech at the local hospital...so, maybe I'll ask him. I don't know.

We're discussing it. We have a high possibility of twins. We would still birth at home, but would like to be prepared for that. I'm feeling like I want to know the baby's sex. I'm totally opposed to the whole pink and blue thing, BUT....and please don't hate me....I feel like I'll need some time to prepare myself emotionally if we're having a boy.

On our own, in our own nuclear family, I don't care what the sex of my baby is...I'll be thrilled either way. But, extended family and even friends really complicate things. I'm so tired of the flak and negativity about having only girls. I'm so tired of how much better the masses of boys in our family get treated than my girls...how much more attention, praise, gifts, etc. It makes me sick. It would make me so sick to have my son receive this right in front of my daughters...

Is this a good reason to have an ultrasound? I'm not sure yet. Maybe I just need to work through it on my own... I'm still deciding.