Surprised by the acceptance......

[Mrsboyko]

I work in a hospital in Wisconsin. It is not exactly crunch city. I have mentioned to a few people who have asked where I am delivering that baby will be born at home. EVERY one of them has said how great that is, how they wish they would have done that, asked me for HB MW references or the like. I am beyond amazed. Even my family is on board with very little prodding. Given, my MIL is being a bit of a PIA, but she can deal with it herself.

It just makes me sad to see so many women here struggling with acceptance of what they know is right for their family and their birth. I was really ready to start tossing stats at people when they started with the fear, but it just hasn't happened. I am nearly 16 weeks, so maybe since i am not really showing people are just not as concerned yet. It may still come later, but for now, I am loving this!!:

[jenmidwife2b]

That is wonderful! I currently have a client who is an L& D nurse and she too was concerned that her co workers would not be supportive of her decision to birth at home, but they have been wonderful!

[Shelsi]

I was surprised by the acceptance as well after reading all the stories on this board. Almost everyone thought it was really cool. At the time I worked at a Curves and had about 400 women there who I really knew and knew me and all but one was really enthusiastic and excited about the home birth (and they thought it was even more cool when it turned into a UC). The one who wasn't supportive worked in a NICU as a volunteer and I think she had just seen too much, kwim? We talked though and she was very nice and did conceed that for 99% of the problems those babies had I would have already been in the hospital and not still attempting a home birth. So even though she wasn't totally supportive she was really nice...she was just worried about my and the baby's safety.

[kalirush]

Yeah, that's me too. I have yet to have a really negative comment about the impending homebirth from anyone! The worst was, my advisor made some sort of "that's brave" comment, and I pointed out that I live 3 minutes from the hospital if anything went wrong, and that was kind of that. My TA coordinator (I'm a grad student) and most of her siblings were born at home, though, so *she* was very supportive.

[srneda78]

It's funny because my co-workers were actually very supportive also. I work in an eye care place associated with a hospital...so they're not L&D nurses or anything. But when I told people I am planning a homebirth, they thought it was anything from "great" to "brave." Of course, there were a few "What if something happens?" comments, but that's mostly out of their homebirth ignorance (not trying to use that term in a mean way). They were concerned about things like, "What if you need a c-section?" or "What if the cord is wrapped around the baby's neck?" They don't realize that many of the common "emergencies" are usually easily handled and I live less than 15 minutes from a hospital.

[shanahan]

that's wonderful!!

(and on another note - I didn't even know you were pregnant!!!! I'm Shannon, from the G'lake homebirth meetup....or if I did - I'm an idiot and forgot! regardless, CONGRATS!!!)

[Mrsboyko]

Originally Posted by shanahan

that's wonderful!!

(and on another note - I didn't even know you were pregnant!!!! I'm Shannon, from the G'lake homebirth meetup....or if I did - I'm an idiot and forgot! regardless, CONGRATS!!!)

Hey, congrats to you too I see! I did tell everyone at the last meet up, sort of, but since there wasn't one this month when i am starting to show it probably didn't sink in. I really hope they get it figured out where they are going to hold them from now on. I work F/T so that one night a month is my little bit of "me time". i miss it already.

[shanahan]

Originally Posted by Mrsboyko

Hey, congrats to you too I see! I did tell everyone at the last meet up, sort of, but since there wasn't one this month when i am starting to show it probably didn't sink in. I really hope they get it figured out where they are going to hold them from now on. I work F/T so that one night a month is my little bit of "me time". i miss it already.

ah - that's why - I missed the last meeting... Yes, I'm really looking forward to the next meeting, so I hope they can get it all figured it out!! best of luck!!

[rockportmidwife]

When I tell people they have pretty much assumed that I am having a homebirth, because of being a midwife. What has surprised me is that I have had a lot of people ask me if I was going to deliver my own baby. Most people have enough trouble accepting a homebirth let alone U/C.