Poll: What kind of birth are you planning?

[mother_sunshine]

What kind of birth are you planning to have? What have you done to plan so far? Are you going through an Ob/gyn, Midwife or ?

[mother_sunshine]

To the surprise of my dh, I am planning a homebirth. This is so new to me because I had a hospital birth w/dd (before I knew of my options). Really looking forward to learning more about what I need to do next, etc. I have so much to learn. I almost booked an appointment with my ob/gyn but, after asking in the "I'm Pregnant" forum, I guess I should bypass her altogether? I hear of good midwives here, and I think our insurance covers it (need to check!), so looking forward to meeting them!

[Saramomofmany]

I'm planning my second unassisted homebirth. First 2 born in the hospital, third at home(unassisted), hoping to do the same with this wee one. I'm also "due" Dec. 8th(though I don't put much stock into due dates).

Sara

[Kristeremy]

If I had my druthers, I would be in a birthing center. But my dd was a c/s due to breech. :rolleyes I'm not brave enough yet for a homebirth, so there we are. I have a bicornate, septated uterus, so I've been told I have a higher probability of more breech babies. Reckon we have wait and see about that!

Best situation would be a vertex baby VBAC, so that after this baby, I can have as many breech vaginals and feel more comfortable with it.

[CarrieK]

I'll probably birth in a birthing center or hospital, although DH is very pro hospital, being that he's a scientist and I had a c/s with DS#1. Getting him to agree to using a midwife will be a challenge but I think we could both be happy with a midwife with doctor support. Will definitely be going for an unmedicated VBAC! And I'm so psyched to try!!!:thumb

Any suggestions on how to get DH to swing a little more on the natural end would be much appreciated! He's hard to convince!

[earthgirl]

Hopefully, I will be using a doula, but the downside is that I will be in a hospital. I wanted to use the Birth Center, but we are getting rid of our car and this means I would have to take 2 trains and 1 bus just to get there. As it stands, I have a 10 minute walk to the clinic where I see some wonderful midwives!

[sbm1001]

I'm planning my second homebirth, provided it's another healthy pg. I'll be using the same midwife as before, whom I love.

Shannon

[bc1995]

I am planning another hospital birth, but this time I have the opportunity to use a midwife. I am so excited! I just got a weak postive today, and I am praying the line keeps getting darker. I would love to have a home birth, but my dh just won't go for it.

[LizaBear]

Planning a 2nd homebirth here.

[boscopup]

Planning an out-of-hospital birth. I voted "birth center", although it's really just a 2-bedroom house my midwife uses for births because she has alot of AL clients that have to travel to TN to use a midwife legally. I'm one of those AL clients, obviously, and I'm only 15 minutes from the birth house. :)

Last birth was in the hospital due to PROM at 29 weeks, but it was vaginal and pain-med free... thankfully, I only labored for 2.5 hours, and the nurses were NOT expecting that from a first time mom! So they were out of my hair until it was time to push. Awesome. :thumb

To the mama that needs to convince her scientific hubby about using a midwife... My DH is a computer scientist, and he's skeptical about everything natural. :lol Herbs, homeopathy, etc.... he doesn't believe in it. But I had him meet my midwife and talk to her. He was able to ask safety questions and such, and she gave him good answers, including SCIENTIFIC reasoning for things. I also gave him all the research studies out there that show homebirth to be safe. Really, the best way to do it is to present the scientific evidence that it's a good thing. :) When we were in the hospital for PROM, my DH was on the phone with the midwife. The nurses wanted to check my dilation. I hadn't started contracting until right before I got to the hospital (11 hours after my water broke), so I knew I wasn't dilated yet. And it would be an infection risk to check my dilation, according to my midwife. DH listened to what the midwife said and listened to what the nurses/doctors said, and he sided with the midwife because she made more scientific sense!!!! So he didn't let them check my dilation, much to the nurse's dismay. :p The OB actually was ok with it after hearing our reasoning. I was so glad DH was able to stand up for me!

Anyway, that's how I approached it with DH... His initial response to "I'd like to use a midwife" was "Absolutely not!" But after looking at the research and talking with the midwife, he was convinced that it wasn't an unsafe option, basically.

[muttmom92]

I'll be having a hospital birth (hopefully water) with midwives. I'm having a VBAC and none of the birth centers around here will do them. With this being a VBAC, I'm not sure I'm brave enough for a homebirth.

[Lisadeanne]

I will have a hospital birth most likely, but would really like to go natural this time with no meds. I have been inuced every time and I want to know what real labor feels like. I think I can do it on my own without the help of meds.

[whoMe]

I think our choices here are hospital or home, and so homebirth it is... I've been researching for quite a while now :o

We have yet to start looking for a midwife. Any tips? Oh yeah, dh is a computer scientist and fil is a doctor. What helped to convince him was telling him about how they like to do tons of tests/pricks/injections in the hospital and how at least some of them are clearly not necessary. And so others probably aren't either... And we went from there.

[logan&jordansmommy]

I would like to give birth at the birth center but I can't because I will be a VBAC. So it will be a hospital birth, probably with a midwife and hopefully a VBAC!

[Unconventional1]

Definitely a UP and UC for me. I have done many hours of research on this and it is the only thing I am comfortable with. This is my first, and I am very excited!:thumb

[sophiamama]

I'll probably be having a hospital birth again.....I did last time with midwives and it was a "fairly" good experience. I had an epidural last time, after 28 hours of labor, had dd after 38 hours of labor. I would really like to have a natural birth this time and a friend of mine (a midwife student) might act as doula for me.

[wrzos]

I would prefer a birthing center, but that isn't available in this area - so looks like a hospital birth for me. I've been thinking about a homebirth, but since I have different health care providers this time (insurance changed) - AND - they use midwives and a different hospital - I think I'll try this one in the hospital again.

[milk_maker]

I will be birthing at home again. This time I am hiring two doulas during the birth (one for me and one for DS) and a PP doula since DH will be deployed to Iraq. We were going to start TTC at the end of June/beginning of July but it looks like it was meant to happen earlier.

I just found out today so I'm still in shock. I haven't been able to get in touch with DH and it's starting to tick me off.

[MeredithMommy]

I voted homebirth.

We are planning a home waterbirth with a midwife. Right now we are just trying to figure out how to keep all the grandparents from freaking out about it!

[miranda]

We're planning a homebirth. I just hope that the midwives aren't all going out of town for the holidays.

[Sharlla]

I'm seriously considering UC birth. My first was at a birthing center and it was pleasant enough, my second was in a hospital which was horrible (they made me lay down the entire time and they wouldn't let me take off the blood pressure cuff and I was forced to stay there 3 days, which won't fly for my cosleeping baby (he'll be 18 months at the time) So I really want a home birth this time.

[emdeecee_sierra]

Another home birth for me. Might turn out to be UC; last time was a very short labor and the MW barely made it. This time we live much further away.... so, we'll see :love

[diane1969]

I voted Hospital Birth, but I'm not sure.

We are moving to Philadelphia area in June (currently in north NJ), I've done a brief search and can't really find a birthing center close by (my preference). I know I want to go au natural this time. I just have a lot to research in my new town... midwives etc. But just in my preliminary search it looks like I might have to do hospital -- but I'd plan to show up ready to deliver in 15 minutes if I can!

[Sharlla]

Another home birth for me. Might turn out to be UC; last time was a very short labor and the MW barely made it. This time we live much further away.... so, we'll see :love

haha, that's like me,. both mine were out in 4 hours after active labor started

[autumn_faune]

UP/UC -possibly solo- here.

We had a pretty hands-off midwife for the homebirth of our first, and will probably have her do a newborn check (because if I don't have someone do it, all of the grand and greatgrand parents will be pestering us every minute to take her to a ped.)

I may have a sister who is also a student-midwife learn how to palpate on me- I don't count that as prenatal care though.... gee, wonder why not?

[NocturnalDaze]

We're having a homebirth. Ideally I'd like a UC but DH is not thrilled with the idea. Actually we're meeting with the midwife tomorrow. Her website says she will be as involved or uninvolved as you want. She'll even stay in another room so that sounds like a perfect compromise to me;)

[Twilight]

I floated the idea of a homebirth to DH and he is not into the idea AT ALL. Which is too bad... I was kind of liking the thought. I hate being in the hospital, especially when I'm not sick. I don't like being treated like a sick person and I felt that I was at the hospital. DH thinks a homebirth is a crazy risk to take. I was tempted, for a minute, to tell him to get over it since it's my birth / my body... but I don't think it'll be a good experience for anyone if he's tense and unsupportive of it.

We had an OK hospital birth last time. The OB and nurse were really respectful of my wishes for no meds, and they did let me walk around freely and use the jacuzzi. They kept DD with me the entire time after she was born. I'm hopeful for a good birth experience in the same hospital this time around. Since it wasn't an awful experience I don't feel right fighting DH for a home birth - so, there we go. Hospital again, hopefully just as not-awful as last time.

[basset]

We are planning a homebirth. First 3 were unmedicated hospital births so I figured why leave home this time! I found a great LM in my area thanx to another member!:) :) :)

[mamabearsoblessed]

Planning another unmed. hospital birth w/ my amazing midwife:D I cannot wait. I love birthin':love

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Planning to homebirth after 2 good hospital births. I desperately want to do this, and DH is coming around this time! Just need to hook up with a mw, but I'll wait a bit yet (just tested positive three days ago).

[mother_sunshine]

It's comforting to know others are experiencing a homebirth after hospital birth. I'm a little nervous but so excited! And Dh is surprisingly very supportive (he's grown so much over the last 13 years :happyt:), which makes it much easier this time around. :thumb

[ATruck]

I will probably use a birthing center. There is a good one in the city I am moving to. This is partly because I'm not sure where we will be living when I give birth. Hopefully, we will buy a house by then, but it likely won't have much furniture or feel like a home at that point.

I haven't met the midwives at the birthing center yet, and I'd like to poke around and try to explore my options as far as other midwives go, so there is a fair chance that I will end up having a homebirth after all.

Hmm, I guess the only thing I am definite about is no hospital!

[pjs]

We're planning on a homebirth with #3, I hope to birth in the glow of our Christmas tree! Had one hospital birth and one birth center birth, and DH is now ready to welcome our newest addition at home.

[Pooka~Hugs]

I didn't vote, as I'm not sure yet. I'd LOVE to experience a homebirth, but DH says no way :( . All my others have been uncomplicated, mostly-unmedicated vaginal births at a hospital, so I'm pretty ssure this one would go smoothly too. But the problem here is there's no midwives AT ALL here, which is why I think D is nervous about a homebirth (and he's a trained EMT!!).

We'll see.

[mary3mama]

1st birth was a footling-breech c/s.

2nd birth was a successful, uncomplicated, hospital VBAC.

This time around, I'm hoping for a waterbirth in my kitchen. We have quite a few well-respected midwives in this area and I'm just starting on the process of interviewing them.

[natural_momma]

I voted homebirth.

We are planning a home waterbirth with a midwife. Right now we are just trying to figure out how to keep all the grandparents from freaking out about it!

ha ha!! that is my dilemma! Oh well, if they freak I am going to tell them that I don't want to stress them out so we'll wait to call until after the baby is born. That oughta quiet 'em down.