The Farm, Summertown

[PaigeAnThem]

Has anyone had a baby there? Known anyone who has? I'm considering it, since I can't find any brith centers near me, I want a VBAC, and I'm nervous about going back to the same hospital that I ended up with a c-section in.

My main concern is that it's almost an hour and a half away. That seems like a long way to drive in labor, but I may be willing to do it if I can't find any other options.

I've got time to figure it all out, I'm only 5 weeks right now, but I'm trying to explore all my options.

[activistamamacita]

In "Ina May's guide to childbirth", there are several stories of women travelling many miles and many hours to get to the farm. There are also stories of women who go to stay on the farm before they begin labor, I am assuming partly to avoid travelling during labor. Then again, I have never been in labor, let alone while travelling!

I have often thought how honored I would be to have one of the farm midwives deliver my baby, and it may be something you would want to consider, given the potential risks associated with VBAC, although most qualified midwives would be able to guide you through this. BUT, I also think the important part of having a midwife attend your birth, is that, ideally, you have developed a very close, trusting and loving relationship with her. True, the farm midwives are reknowned for their gentle, caring ways but only you can decide how close you would allow yourself to be with them and how much time you would give to develop that relationship.

Good luck and happy birthing!

[yamilee21]

There was someone here who had a VBAC at The Farm, but she hasn't posted in a long time, and the link to her story no longer works. However, I found a few other Farm birth stories:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm

[PaigeAnThem]

Originally Posted by yamilee21

There was someone here who had a VBAC at The Farm, but she hasn't posted in a long time, and the link to her story no longer works. However, I found a few other Farm birth stories:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...highlight=farm

thanks so much! I tried to do a search for Farm, but as you can imagine I got pages and pages of threads about animals

[Kristimomof4]

I had my last baby there and it is 6 hours away from here. It was fantastic and empowering. What would you like to know?

[PaigeAnThem]

Oh wow, those stories gave me goosebumps!

[PaigeAnThem]

Originally Posted by Kristimomof4

I had my last baby there and it is 6 hours away from here. It was fantastic and empowering. What would you like to know?

How did it work for you with your prenatal care? Did you see a different midwife or OB up until the actual labor and delivery? Were you in contact with the midwives there throughout your pregnancy? Did your other care provider know you planned to deliver at the farm and were they supportive of it? Did your insurance cover it (I realize I'll have to find out about my own insurace, but I'm just curious)? How did the cost compare with a hospital birth (if you have any reference for that)?

Whoa! Sorry to flood you with questions, this is the first time I've actually found someone who gave birth there: (though, ironically, I know several people who were born there).

[ColoradoMama]

Okay, I have no experience giving birth there, but I have to say that it is the ONE place that I would even consider going instead of giving birth at home. How freaking awesome would it be to give birth there? It's the modern day hippie mama's dream!

[Kristimomof4]

I first saw an (alarmist) OBGYN for aprox. 16 weeks before I fired him. The only thing he supported were cesareans. I called The Farm and initially they told me they were booked up. About a week later they called with one more opening and it was me. Yahoo! I first went there for my prenatals once per month and then at around 34 or 36 weeks, I went every two weeks. I actually came to The Farm about a few days before my due date. I went "over" by three weeks. We rented the Birthing Cabin on Tower RD. It was $500/month. The fee for the midwives was $3000.00 up front and then they bill your insurance. A year and a half and many phone calls later we have only recouped about $800.00 from insurance and the billing company kept $150.00 of that. My midwife said they have been trying not to mess with insurance anymore because it is so difficult. So I would def. NOT count on Ins. and just plan to pay out of pocket. Any thing else??? :-) I am happy to answer!

[hapersmion]

I had my baby there too! The story is in my sig. He was breech - we first visited the Farm three days before he was born. We drove five hours in labor to get there. If we had had more time, though, we would have gone down to stay in one of the little houses before labor started. They were $200 a week, I think - this was two years ago. We paid $4000 (breech births are extra), and insurance eventually gave back $600, after a lot of pestering.

My previous midwives, at the birth center we'd been planning on, couldn't attend breech births because of insurance, but one of them mentioned the Farm when I made it clear that their backup c-section OB wasn't what I was looking for.

I'd be happy to answer questions too, though I am not online as often these days. I loved the Farm (planning on a homebirth next time though, it's just easier and hopefully cheaper).

[PaigeAnThem]

It sounds really wonderful. Were you attended by the same midwife throughout labor? Did you get to meet various ones and choose or were you just assigned? Did you pay extra for meals or were you able to bring your own food? Were you able to bring your other children (if you had them)?

I don't know if we'd be able to afford it, although I paid nearly that (~$3000) for the last month/labor/cesection. And that's after insurance paid there part. But I was in the hospital for nearly 3 days before the baby and five days after.

It's crazy to think about, esp since the baby never once showed any signs of distress. Never. Once. That's why I'm so hesitant about going back to the hospital. I just can't seem to find any middle ground, though.

[PaigeAnThem]

Hapersmion, your story is beautiful! It sounds like we had a very similar pregnancy experience up until the ecv. Mine was successful. They told me they couldn't tell why I never went into labor (believe me, I plan to ask a lot more questions about that before this baby is born), but my theory is that she never got correctly positioned after the ECV, so she wasn't putting enough pressure on my cervix to start the labor process (a problem I expect a different midwife might have been able to notice and help me make an attempt to correct). She went nearly 2 weeks overdue. I kept refusing the induction, refusing the induction (I knew in my heart if I got induced I'd end up with a section), and finally was told that my fluid was dangerously low and that it would put the baby in serious danger not to induce so I gave in.

After a horrendous night with a foley bulb and 15 hours of continuous pitocin, during which time no one told me I was allowed to get up off my back until the last 4-5 hours, a different midwife showed up and wanted internal uterine monitoring to measure my contractions, which of course "accidentaly" broke my water. It also showed really strong contractions (I wasn't feeling a thing), but still no further dilation so the new midwife said it was time for a section. I cried and said no, I was only just starting to feel the contractions since my water broke and I thought I was finally on my way to having a baby. She told me she'd give me one more hour to dilate, but if I hadn't progressed I was going to have to get the surgery.

I spent the hour crying and getting manhandled by a nurse who was trying to get the fetal monitor to work, so I didn't have any guidance in what I could do to try to encourage dilation. I still suspect that the midwife would have told me I hadn't dilated even if I had, but maybe I'm just being paranoid.

I ended with a csection, a healthy baby who I was able to keep with me the entire time I was being stitched up and who I was able to nurse within an hour of being born. So as csection experiences go I was pretty lucky in that, but I can't get over the feeling of failing myself by not standing up for what I knew was true- my baby was not ready to be born.

Whew! Sorry, I didn't actually mean to write out my entire birth story. I think that's the first time I've done it.

[Kristimomof4]

My midwives were assigned to me, I did not get to pick. I assume you could if you knew who you wanted. I saw the same two midwives, Pamela and Jeanne, at each prenatal appt. Of course being a small community I did get to meet a few of the other ones. My midwife came over when I was in early/active labor and stayed with me the entire time. The assisting midwife came over right before transition. All 3 of my other kids were there upstairs in the loft watching movies. When they heard the baby cry the first cry they all came running down like it was Christmas morning. It was so cute! I have short labors, that one was my longest 6 hours start to finish. I don't know about how kids would do in long labors. Just fine, I imagine. I know alot of other moms take their kids with them too. The cabin had a full kitchen so we made our own food. They have a small store there too. I would highly encourage you to go to The Farm if there is any way possible. They are wonderful midwives. I think they have some kind of payment arrangement that they can make but you do have to be paid in full by delivery, and that is a while for you right? That might help with the cost a little. Some midwives will barter, it would be worth asking to find out what all of your options are.

[cathicog]

Originally Posted by PaigeAnThem

I ended with a csection, a healthy baby who I was able to keep with me the entire time I was being stitched up and who I was able to nurse within an hour of being born. So as csection experiences go I was pretty lucky in that, but I can't get over the feeling of failing myself by not standing up for what I knew was true- my baby was not ready to be born.

Whew! Sorry, I didn't actually mean to write out my entire birth story. I think that's the first time I've done it.

Sounds like your baby just wasn't ready to be born, quite yet...Bless your heart. By All Means, Got to The Farm(if you google The Farm Summertown, you will probably find it. I took midwifery assistance workshops there, and they were fabulous...They are the best place to go to if you are expecting breeches, twins, VBACs, etc, and they are very experienced.I think most homebirth midwives do VBACs, all other things being normal, because it is the safer alternative to abdominal surgery....I would do whatever it takes to get myself in thier care, and have my baby there....

[yamilee21]

Just remembered something that has not come up in this thread...
With VBAC, there is one thing you must be aware of - you need to know whether you had a single layer or double layer suture after the section. Single layer is more common, but some people think it is riskier. Unfortunately, Ina May Gaskin is among those who are concerned about the single vs. double layer issue, and The Farm does not take VBACs with single layer sutures. (I actually requested a double layer suture after my son's extraction, specifically because I was considering The Farm for a future birth.)

[PaigeAnThem]

I have a double suture, the midwife requested it because she knew how upset I was about getting a section and assumed that I would go for a VBAC the next time. That redeemed her in my mind .

Thanks for all the replies. I'm definitely going to look into it and talk with DH about starting to save now.

[yamilee21]

I'm glad you have a double-layer suture; now you are all set to try to make arrangements with The Farm.

[hapersmion]

Ah, I'm sorry to hear that you went through all that and still had a section. Sadly, that's the way things end up for lots of people nowadays, everything the hospital does just seems to push you towards surgery. But it sounds like you're setting yourself up for success now! (And writing it out can be helpful too, I hear.)

Now that I've had a successful homebirth I think I'd never go back to the hospital without serious medical reason, even if I had to have the baby by myself in the woods (as my skeptical medical friend seemed to keep thinking I wanted to do the first time - actually that doesn't sound so bad, lol).

I didn't choose my midwives - I had Ina May and Caroline (or Carol, I was so embarrassed after labor about not knowing her name that I never really asked...), because they were the ones who were experience with breech births. I might have been able to meet other breech-experience midwives, if there had been time.

Ina May came to check on me when we got to the Farm, then I think she went away for a while because I was taking a nap. Then she came back and stayed the rest of labor (I think she knitted about a sock and half...) and Carol showed up at some point and stayed too. As Kristimomof4 said, there is a small store, and the little houses also have kitchens. We brought our own food. DS is still my only child, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem if there had been siblings. In our house (the Meditation House) there was an upstairs loft where a child could have napped or played, plus there are woods all around for walking and playing if the child gets bored.

As for payment, it is a lot of money, but completely worth it. (Unless you were comfortable with UC, that's mostly free.) I would start saving up now if that's what it takes.

[cathicog]

Originally Posted by hapersmion

I would start saving up now if that's what it takes.

:
And the midwife's name is Carol Nelson. I hope to be sorta like her when I grow up...

[StoriesInTheSoil]

I have not had a Farm birth but DP has promised me a HB for this, our first baby, and Farm births for all subsequent babies if I so desire. We are very young and poor right now and the cost is just too much of a financial burden but I think we'll be able to manage it next time!

We're actually planning on going for a visit sometime in the next year anyway, we are thinking of moving there or participating in another community or co-op in the future.