Would you do it again?

[MCKH]

Everyone asks me this regarding the homebirth. Everyone. Around here it's pretty radical... Honestly, I don't know what to say. I feel like I remember it too well at this point and I am too emotional to honestly say I'd do it again. I have to admit that I feel there are pros and cons to delivering at home vs. the hospital. I am so glad I had both experiences, but it's hard to say that I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Do people ask you this?

[zjande]

People are so blown away by the fact we had a UC that they don't think to even ask about the next baby.

I imagine we'll have another baby or maybe 2 or who knows.... but I'm not sure if I'd have a UC again strictly because of my PP hemorrhage. But it seems so silly to hire a midwife just to have her stand around (I wouldn't want her involved in my birth) just for her Pitocin. I mean, that's the only reason I'd even hire her. lol I did manage to stop my hemorrhage but it sucked & I was waay weak afterwards.

Anyway, to sum up- yes I'd love to have another baby, no I'll never deliver in a hospital again unless medically necessary, & I'm unsure whether I'd have a UC or a midwife.

[ivymae]

Nak

People are pretty shocked that we had a homebirth (and a natural birth in a birth center last time) and I'm expecting all kinds of weirdness at Christmas (50+ people from DH's family will be there). No one ever asks if we would do it again (and I am 100% sure, should we have more children, that we will have them at home) but they do ask "What if you had almost died?!" to which I usually ask "How? Because how we would have reacted would depend a lot on what complication came up. What did you have in mind?" which usually stops people cold. How women and babies actually die in childbirth is a mystery to most people, and once they realize that, and that we probably know more about it than they do, they stop being so sensationalist (if only because they don't know what to say).

(Hey, can I use another set of parenthesis?) (Yes I can!)

[mrsrayray]

that's always been the big question "what if SOMETHING happens!?? and you're not in a hospital!??!!" I just tell them that the hospital is 3 blocks away and if there was some sort of emergency it'd take them just as long to prepare to receive me at the hosp if we call ahead, as it would take them to prepare if i were already there. I read that about csections i think.
If they "have" to perform an emergency c-section it takes about 20 min to get everyone/everything together, so if you were to call ahead from home you could just use that 20 min to get to the hosp while they prepared.....

or so i've read.

[lisarussell]

after 5 UC's no one asks me anymore. And technically, we're done making babies but if anything were to happen....... I'd totally do it alone again. I just can't imagine GOING somewhere while in labor.

I do think, though, that if I DID for some reason, I wouldn't ever end up as one of those "downward spiral of interventions" stories because I wouldn't let them do anything to me (EFM, IV, pit...) and I can't imagine pushing in a bed, lying down. The staff would just hate me.

[wife&mommy]

if i had another child, def homebirth

[Quindin]

FOR ME, there are absolutely NO pros about delivering in a hospital. This was my first homebirth and if I had another baby, there is no way I would do it different!!

[miss_nikki]

I would definetly do a homebirth again if we have anymore children.

[Beppie]

I would also definitely do a homebirth again, in a heartbeat. There's no doubt about it in my mind.

Nothing beats being so comfortable in your own bed, and not constantly wondering "is it time to leave for the hospital now?" and it's great to not have tons of strange people in and out of the room. Plus, afterwards, you're home! And you and baby snuggle up right where you belong. I also think it's a huge plus for DH. The hospital was so uncomfortable for him after dd#1. He had to sleep in a chair, and nurses were in and out constantly and he's a light sleeper.

Also, having this baby in December in Minnesota...there's no way I would have wanted to leave the house in labor when it's 0 degrees and get into a freezing cold car, let alone bring baby home in sub-zero temperatures. As it is, the baby has never been out of the house yet. which is good because it's SO COLD OUTSIDE!

I could list many other reasons, but these are the first to come to mind.

[dubfam]

I have had 2 Home Water Births and I would DEFINITELY do it again!!

I LOVE Homebirth!!!

There would be NO pros about the hospital for me...unless it was medically necessary.

[cravenab00]

i had people asking me this after our last UC. except, they werent as nice to say "would you do it again" they would say "so do you regret it?" :

i'm just going to carry one of those spike balls on a chain, and hopefully no one will ask me this time.

to me, there is absolutely no positives to a hospital. i shouldnt have to be yelling and fighting at people in order to have my body and my baby respected.

[crsta33]

I don't want to have any more kiddos (and, yes, that is mostly the afterpains talking), but if I did, I'd have them at home...even if I had to go to great lengths to do it.

Looking back on this labor, I never would have made it to the hospital...I didn't realize how far into labor I was until I was pushing.

Christa

[AGlimmeringHope]

In a heartbeat. DH and I both agreed after dd1's birth that unless it was absolutely the only option feasible, we'd never birth in a hospital again.

[transformed]

When I *first* found out I was pregnant, I was seriously considering going to the hospital with this one. Just for the epidural.

Which is insane because my last birth, natural in a birth center, was so awesome and just the best EVER experience of my life!

I am pumped up for homebirth at this point though. So excited.

I havent had one at home yet.

(I call my birthcenter births "homebirths" because its pretty much the same thing....except at home you get to have all your stuff around you and you never say "Oh shit! I forgot to bring ____________ "

[transformed]

Originally Posted by cravenab00

i had people asking me this after our last UC. except, they werent as nice to say "would you do it again" they would say "so do you regret it?" :

.

They are probably thinking "Why go through the pain when you can just get drugs?"

I should start asking people if they regret their hospital births.

:

[lisarussell]

mine are fast, too. I can't say, though that "nothing about the hospital experience is attractive to me" Because I really like the idea of having someone bring me food in bed. That's about it though. I guess my husband and kids can't possibly cook as bad as the hospital. At least in the hospital I wouldn't have to wash the dishes.

STILL- not enough to trade away my UC's.

No one asks me if I regret it or if I'd do it again, people say "Oh you're so brave." Then I turn it around and say "OH NO- you're brave, my house has a 0% intervention rate." I used to say Csection, but then I"d have to hear all these stupid stories about how THEIR Csection wasn't unnecessary because bla bla bla.

Plus, my nurses were cuter.

[zjande]

Originally Posted by lisarussell

mine are fast, too. I can't say, though that "nothing about the hospital experience is attractive to me" Because I really like the idea of having someone bring me food in bed. That's about it though. I guess my husband and kids can't possibly cook as bad as the hospital. At least in the hospital I wouldn't have to wash the dishes.

STILL- not enough to trade away my UC's.

No one asks me if I regret it or if I'd do it again, people say "Oh you're so brave." Then I turn it around and say "OH NO- you're brave, my house has a 0% intervention rate." I used to say Csection, but then I"d have to hear all these stupid stories about how THEIR Csection wasn't unnecessary because bla bla bla.

Plus, my nurses were cuter.

Haha, that's the most appealing part of a hospital birth to me, too! Thankfully my mom has been feeding me pretty well at home though. I also like the idea of being in the hospital AWAY from my laundry pile & not having to think about it. lol

I've gotten some very interesting comments so far about our UC. The other day my brother was talking to someone about it & when the woman heard we'd birthed at home alone her jaw fell on the floor & she said "OMG, is your sister OKAY?? Did her baby DIE??" lol- She actually said that!!

People are goofy. As if we women didn't deliver our babies at home the past zillion millenia.

Oooo, it's time for 2nd lunch. :

[crsta33]

Originally Posted by zjande

Oooo, it's time for 2nd lunch. :

Did you have elevensies too? I sure did.

Christa

[zjande]

Originally Posted by crsta33

Did you have elevensies too? I sure did.

Christa

Of course! I'm now on 3rd pre-first dinner appetizer. :

[transformed]

Originally Posted by lisarussell

mine are fast, too. I can't say, though that "nothing about the hospital experience is attractive to me" Because I really like the idea of having someone bring me food in bed. That's about it though. I guess my husband and kids can't possibly cook as bad as the hospital. At least in the hospital I wouldn't have to wash the dishes.

STILL- not enough to trade away my UC's.

No one asks me if I regret it or if I'd do it again, people say "Oh you're so brave." Then I turn it around and say "OH NO- you're brave, my house has a 0% intervention rate." I used to say Csection, but then I"d have to hear all these stupid stories about how THEIR Csection wasn't unnecessary because bla bla bla.

Plus, my nurses were cuter.

OMG. OMG. I love this! :

I struggle with tactful ways to come back at people about my homebirth plans. I usually just get really defensive and make myself look like an idiot.