3yo insists Dr be present!

[mommyminer]

I have no idea where my 3 yo got the idea that a Dr has to be present for a birth. I have always used midwives ~ and she was a home waterbirth. I've also assisted at homebirth for years.

She started talking about a Dr and the birth a couple days ago (she's making references to pushing too? - don't know where she's getting that from either). I told her I didn't need a Dr, but I would have a midwife. Today she started throwing a fit that a Dr be at the birth "Mommy, a Dr has to be there!".

Hmmm... I have no idea where she's getting these ideas!

[littlemizflava]

what i said to my dd
a midwife is a baby dr. they know all about how to take care of mommys when the baby is in their bellys, how to help the baby come out and how to take care of the baby after they are born.

[sapphire_chan]

TV or a friend.

Or a relative who needs to be firmly squelched.

Meanwhile a big : to Littlemizflava.

[hubris]

Ugh, gotta love the pervasiveness of the mainstream view of birth! Sorry it has affected your DD. I'm sure you'll provide some gentle education to her.

Do you have any children's books about homebirth? If not, Runa's Birth or Welcome With Love might be good choices. No physicians in either one!

[ColwynsMommy]

My four year old has been saying similar things. He's okay with me having the baby at home, but he told me the other day that he would call the ambulance and they'd bring the stretcher in the house so I could lie down on that. Too funny.

We do have Welcome with Love, and I'm sure he'll be okay with it, I think he just remembers his brother being born in the hospital, and has probably picked things up here and there about doctors delivering babies.

[Peony]

My 5y old just popped up yesterday "saying docs help babies be born". : I have NO idea where that came from, after all she saw her little sister be born at home, with no docs present! That idea really is everywhere though.

[kathywiehl]

My kids don't insist on me having a doctor, but when they pretend to give birth, one is always a doctor and they are always at a hospital and the doctor is always the one to get the baby out, even though I see my midwife regularly. In fact, my midwife has been doing prenatals here at my house for the past few months, so my kids have been around midwives plenty!

They also only feed their babies from bottles. They tell me they have no milk in their boobies, lol!

I don't worry about it, but I do think it's kinda funny that when they play they do the total opposite of what I do, lol!

[lovemy4boys]

Yikes. I'm glad that wasn't mine. I'd freak out and be unreasonable. I don't think I'd be able to sleep. My pre-teen likes to joke, though, and tell me the only safe place to have a baby is in a hospital. He wants to see if he can get my ire up.

[Datura]

Must be catching. My homebirthed four year old, the day after a line of questioning that lead to the realization that the baby was going to come out my *gasp* "gina" and that it would be a bit "sore" informed me that I needed a doctor to give me "stuck medicine." This from the child who tried to attack the woman who drew my bloods for an HCG level. He was very adamant that I not be in any pain and that somehow getting needle drugs would fix that right up. I told him that sometimes pain is for a reason and that I was ok with it. He grudgingly accepted that and walked off muttering something.

I have no idea where he got that one from. He's never had a shot in his life, hates seeing me get blood drawn and all the relatives (to my knowledge) are on board. I wonder if someone at preschool told him that a doctor would give me medicine to keep it from hurting (he's notorious for discussing whatever is on his mind with whomever might be anywhere nearby) to placate him, not knowing about the homebirth? Hrmmm.

[jessica217]

They get it from our culture and unfortunately it won't stop. My two homebirthed kids are 14 and 12 and the concept of having babies at home is just alien to them and it drives me nuts. It's never been a secret in our house that I wildly support home birth and so it really bothers me that they think it is something that only weird hippies (my son's words) do. I've actually talked about this recently with my husband and said the indoctrination needs to start now! With my daughter (and this is several years away) I've been thinking about being sure she sees a local midwife who does well woman care instead or in addition to an ob/gyn when the time comes. Maybe that will change her views a little. Any ideas from other moms would be greatly welcomed.