Strange Situation

[PookieMom]

Okay, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot. If I'm not, feel free to move me.

Well....here's my situation. Right now, I'm seeing a wonderful doctor at my local hospital that doesn't allow vbac. He thinks I'll be transfering to The Birthing Center two hours away and is totally okay with it. This will be my second vbac. I have a Doula who is working to become a midwife, when midwifery becomes legal in my state. Right now it's not. My options are:

*Go to a birthing center two hours away
*Go to a vbac hospital 45 minutes away with bad reputation
*Go to local hospital 10 minutes away when dilated to 8 or 9 and hope for the best
*Stay home
*Wait and see how I feel when the time comes.

I'm leaning toward staying home (or at least waiting to see how I feel). Does anyone have a link to a nice handy list of what I'll need on hand, just in case. I feel I need to be prepared for anything.

I would love to hear everyone's opinion on my situation. I'm very new to this but right now the thought of getting in a car and driving anywhere while in labor makes me cringe. I think that's a good sign that my body's saying, "stay home!!!" I think I'm going to go ahead and post this in "homebirth" and "UC" also.

Thanks in advance! Please, any comments welcome!

[semomama]

I don't know that I would be comfortable with at all with the first three options. If you really wanted to do the Birth Center, maybe you could drive and get a hotel as soon as early labor starts. It is always just so iffy though. With staying home, I lean towards wanting support. If your doula felt comfortable assisting you, that would be something. Or, have you checked to see if there are any lay-midwives in your area? I'm in SW MO and having a homebirth in Nov. PM if you're in my area and have questions. Otherwise, you can contact Friends of Missouri Midwives to see if there are any around you. I wish you the best as you make your plans.

[AugustineM]

I would stay away from any unsupportive hospital. Really any hospital, but that's just me!!

I personally am fairly comfortable with the idea of UC -- I guess it all depends on how you feel about that. I think that each woman knows how she feels for herself, and what she is comfortable with. So, you could always plan that and be prepared and then see how it goes while you're in labor and have a backup plan. There is a sticky at the top of the UC forum for supplies you neeed, I think. There's also a sitcky at the top of the homebirth forum, I believe.

I second the idea from stephanie about looking around for lay midwives. I have a friend in Kansas City who used a lay midwife for her homebirth vbac and loved her. If you look around you can usuallly find someone who works under the radar.... you could try posting in FYT.

[nurnur]

I think whats important is to follow your gut, sounds like staying home is where it is leading you right now and I understand having lots of things come up to work thru when this becomes the path. My last birth was my first vbac...after 2csecs. In the beginning homebirth was not even on the radar, I didn't really have a clue about MW in my state and just figured that they could all deliver at the hospital, but as I turned over all the stones and learned everything I did, not just about birth and the logistics but also about myself I found that homebirth was my path. It was such a journey, by the end, after thinking and working everything thru there was no way I would birth anywhere else. It sounds like maybe your doula would be the perfect support (hopefully Im not reading too much into your post) as she has experience/knowledge in MW as well. Follow your intuition. I have seen lots of supply lists on the UC board, I will try to dig one of mine up too.

[Katielady]

I agree with what some of the OPs have said- sounds like your gut is telling you to stay home, and that might be the best option for you. You could always transfer to the local hospital if at any point you feel you need to.

Good luck!

[Bella Catalina]

I would lean towards asking your doula to assist you if she's comfortable, or finding a mw in your area. You have an OB for now, and as long as you are comfortable with knowing things are going as planned, I say trust your instincts, mama!