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Hospital vs. Home for 1st time moms

6K views 104 replies 61 participants last post by  Mama Metis 
#1 ·
After touring the hospital affiliated with my midwife group, I had a very negative reaction. I felt like it was so public and authoritative. It really filled me with fear as we were touring the birth suites.

When I consider a home birth, I get worried because I heard that 25% of first time moms end up in the hospital any way. Another non-hospital-affiliated midwife told me about that statistic. The thought of a last-minute transfer really bothers me, especially when the only hospital that is in my network does not have a pre-existing positive relationship with any midwifes.

So-what are your feelings of making this decision for a first birth? I would definitely do a home birth for #2, but I just feel very unsure about labor not progressing and a transfer.

Thanks!
 
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#77 ·
I chose to have a homebirth with my first after doing a lot of research. I was determined that my first birthing experience be a positive one, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As a healthy woman with a low risk pregnancy, I recognized I was just as physically safe at home, and my other needs were more likely to be met. I chose a midwife I trusted and never looked back.

A lot of people asked me why I didn't have my first baby in the hospital, "just in case I couldn't have a vaginal birth", but I preferred to assume that I could rather than assume that I couldn't.

Our second homebirth is planned for the spring.
 
#78 ·
I had my first at home. It wasn't a decision I took lightly as I live over an hour away from a hospital that handles births. Finding this site was very helpful to me:

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/firstbaby.htm

Don't let your birth attendant (if you choose one) decide for you. If you choose one, search until you find the right fit. I cannot stress this enough. If your attendant is uncomfortable with homebirth, your chances of transfer are higher. Do some soul searching on the reasons why you are uncomfortable with homebirth. If after research and reflection, you discover you still have reservations, then explore your other options.

Do the research, but follow your heart. Don't let a statistic decide for you. And fear based decisions--live without them! Most of all, remember that YOU know what's best for you and for your baby!

Best of luck!
 
#79 ·
I had double footling breech twins and serious pre-eclampsia - not a midwife nor Ob on the planet would knowingly allow that natural birth to happen. It was a "planned" c-section. When I say planned, I mean when I went to my OB the Monday before they were born, he told me point plank that I was starting to go into the early stages of kidney failure and if I wanted we could drive over to the hospital and have them right then and there. I said no way, I'm not ready, so we negotiated. He told me Thursday was the latest this pregnancy was going and I was to be monitored daily to make sure nothing changed. He tired to get me to go in Tuesday, but I just wasn't quite there and everything was stable plus I was supposed to teach a self defense class that Wednesday night and they don't let you do that after surgery in the morning. I'm glad we waited because I really needed that time to mourn the loss of the natural birth we had planned, as I had a textbook pregnancy until two weeks before that. He was really cool and even did a quick ultrasound before the C-section to triple check that the lower twin hadn't turned - he hadn't. c section took 27 minutes from rolling me in to rolling into recovery. I was blessed to have him and would go back for other pregnancies. the hospital staff were also amazing. It's a really small rural hospital and they treat their patients really well. All the rooms are private and the babies automatically room in unless you ask for them to be out. And each room has it's own jacuzzi - which i didn't get to use.
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#80 ·
Well, I just had to add my two cents as I did briefly consider a homebirth with my first...almost in a wistful "wouldn't that be great?" way - and when my DH seemed freaked out by the mention I thought that being educated and strong in a hospital setting would be my best bet. I did EVERYTHING I could think of to prepare for the birth - Hypnobirthing, a great one page birth plan that the staff asked us if they could use as a "how to" example in their classes, signs for the door, informed cooperative OB re: our plan and goals. That said - with all my research - you CAN'T prepare for exactly how your birth will go - because there is simply NO way of knowing...I NEVER dreamed that I would do exactly as I'd planned - have a completely unmedicated labor and stay strong in all my wishes...to have the "residents on call" at our teaching hospital - MISS that my son was frank breech until I was pushing. I ended up with an emergency cesarean and a "T" incision - and was unconscious when my son entered the world. I say this NOT to put negativity out there - only to say that TRULY the reason for my cesarean was staff that LITERALLY did NOT know how to deliver a breech baby vaginally - and were in a setting where it was protocol not to. It changed my story - it changed my future - I'm 28+ weeks pregnant now and TOTALLY planning a homebirth. There was NO other option for me this time as I simply don't trust hospital care unless there's a need - unless something's wrong - and if you know your research - a frank breech baby and Mom who've made it to fully dilated and pushing - are NOT a reason for an emergency cesarean. To put it in perspective as well - I'm VERY strong minded and what they told us in the moment was "We know this is the opposite of what you wanted - but none of that matters now - THE BABY'S IN DANGER AND WE HAVE TO GET HIM OUT - NOW." They had no signed consent form - and truly - there never was informed consent - b/c I would have chosen 200% to continue to push my baby out. My point is that the truth is you CAN'T control you labor or birth - truly - there's no way of knowing how the story will play out. I will always have to wonder how easily my son might have been born beautifully were a midwife waiting to watch him enter the world instead of the terrified residents I had. What you CAN DO )here's the positive part) is give yourself the BEST ODDS of having a peaceful, natural, beautiful birth if that's what your shooting for!! In a perfect world I'd deliver in a home-like peaceful supportive environment with immediate access to medical care if necessary - but with no medical involvement unless necessary. The truth is I'm MORE scared about possibilities in a hospital environment than I am risks of being at home and having to transfer. Another consideration is that my DS, now 5 years old had a shocking, glaring, opposite-of-what-I tried desperately for type of birth. This time around he has the chance to be part of a beautiful birth. That's the best I can do for him now - for his story. It doesn't heal my heart - but it would help - a little. ♥ Again - my point is really to say that ANY BIRTH CHOICE has risks and different possible hurdles - you REALLY have to search your heart for your OWN BEST CHOICE - and realize that no matter what - you will probably be nervous - and the truth is that things may not go perfectly - but if you prepare well - and choose well - odds are GOOD that you overall you will have a GREAT BIRTH! ♥ Here's wishing us all the right informed choices and a BEAUTIFUL BIRTH
 
#81 ·
My one and only was born at home, with a midwife. I felt very confident my decision, despite the fact that my nearest transfer hospital was 30 min away. The book that cemented my gut feeling about it was Ina May Gaskin's - Guide to Childbirth. Best health care decision I have made to date.

Transfer rates very A LOT by midwife; yes, many have about a 25% transfer rate, but some have a much lower (and a few higher) transfer rate. That is a crucial question to ask any midwife during an interview. If you have ANY concerns about your ability to complete a natural homebirth, I would also highly recommend getting a doula. Most transfers are due to "lack of progress" (I really hate that phrase), or "maternal exhaustion", both can be mitigated by having a doula by your side to coach you (and your spouse, if present) through the roughest spots and keep things progressing.

What ever your decision, be sure it is one you feel VERY comfortable with; only a comfortable, confident, relaxed mother can birth successfully. Any fears or trepidation will stall the labor process. This is not touchy-feely, goddess, mother earth speak, this is based in science and the body's hormonal/chemical reactions that take place when in fear vs in a relaxed state. Adrenaline shuts off the body's functions (fight or flight) and inhibits Oxytocin production (the naturally produced chemical needed to keep labor progressing). Birth where ever and with whom ever you fell most secure and comfortable.

Do your research, interview practitioners, READ Ina May's book, and search the MDC forums and then make the best decision for you. YOU have to birth this baby, no one else.
 
#82 ·
My oldest was born at home too. I had no complications and everything went smooth, but labor was long and drawn out until the last few hours. I feel strongly that he would have been a c-section for failure to progress if we had been in the hospital.

My next two births were in the hospital - one a non-emergency transport because I was exhausted and swollen after trying to push out a baby whose head was cocked funny. She was born vaginally in the hospital an hour or so after we arrived. Next baby we chose to transfer care to the on-call OB for an AROM induction and NICU care for our baby whom they suspected had birth defects. (She is okay and thriving at 6yo.)

As far as hospital births go, I think they were great but I still prefer and believe home birth is safe and often safer for both mom and baby. My next two were born at home as well with no complications.
 
#83 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sudonk View Post

I've since heard the arguement that choosing a homebirth for a first baby is arguably even more important than making that choice for subsequent children, and can see the logic. Why? Because the first birth does tend to be a bit longer and being in a hospital for a longer time increases the odds of unnecessary interventions which can lead to an unnecessary c-section. Avoiding that first c-section can make an enormous difference in the course of someone's reproductive life. I still shudder to realize how close I came to a c-section with my first baby, and how much smoother things would have gone had I avoided going to the hospital in the first place. If any other OB in the practice had been on-call that day, I have no doubt I would have had a c-section - a couple of them told me that themselves.
That is such an important thing, and I wish that more women truly understood and considered it as heavily as they should. There are so many places where VBAC is not an option right now. Some things can't be undone.
 
#84 ·
Thanks, mamas, for sharing your unique perspectives. You all are gems and contribute so much to my own story when my friends and family don't have experience with home birth.
 
#85 ·
It seems to me that you are nervous about a hospital birth whether it is intentional or emergent, so maybe the answer is more simple than you think. Being comfortable in your surroundings is very important for the progression of labor. Fear leads to tension and pain, which can in turn, slow labor. I suggest that wherever you choose to give birth, accept this decision and don't think about the "what ifs." Both are equally acceptable decisions, so the important factor is yout comfort level with giving birth in your home or the hospital. To help prepare for birth, wherever you decide to do it, you could try hypnobirthing classes. During sessions you could work through any fears you have so that they don't surface during your labor.

For what it's worth, I chose to give birth in my local hospital for my first child and don't regret it. The only reason I did this was because I felt completely comfortable there (I work there and knew the midwives, and one of my coworkers was my labor nurse). However, I will choose homebirth for my next child because of an insurance change which would require me to go to a different hospital. Just remember to have peace with your decision, whatever it may be.
 
#87 ·
I just had my first baby at home 5 weeks ago. Everyone I knew IRL thought we were nuts! But it went so smoothly (ok it hurt much worse than I thought it would!!), but I'm so glad I did it. We didn't even tour the hospital or pack a just in case transfer bag. I had 27 hours of back labor and then my body pushed for 20 minutes and baby came out. No issues and our midwife was really hands off. It could have been a UC, as smooth as it was. Baby and I were laying in my clean bed within a few minutes and no one bothered us. I was mostly worried about the hospital because of what they'd try to do to the baby, rather than me. Our baby wasn't weighed or measured for a few hours and her cord and placenta stayed attached for a couple of hours. It was just great to be able to relax and not worry about fighting off nurses or hospital "protocol". I just trusted birth and my body and knew that if we had to transfer that it would be for a true medical reason and I trusted my birth team with that determination. Good luck, OP, and trust your gut to do what's best for you and your family.
 
#88 ·
After so many great responses, I'm hesitant to add my own $.02... but I'm going to anyway. :)

We planned a home birth for #1, but ended up among the small percentage of first-time birthers who transfer in labor. I hated the idea of going to the hospital (it was a NOT natural-birth-friendly place, just like all the others that our HMO would cover) but by the time I got there, it was OK because I really did need their intervention. It was a non-emergent transfer for exhaustion (after 3 days in labor).

We're actually planning a hospital birth with a midwife this time around, in part because our transfer experience made DH so anxious, and in part because I have a 'gut feeling' that this baby might need more help at birth and I'd rather be somewhere just in case that hunch turns out to be correct (I hope it's not, of course).

Here's my perspective: If I had to do it all over again, knowing I would transfer and knowing I would plan a hospital birth for #2, I would still have done it exactly the same way. Here's my reasons:

  • As an anxious first-time-mom, I had tons of questions, and needed loads of advice about "what to do" with my pregnancy. (Which chiropractor do I see? What supplements should I take? Is raspberry leaf tea a good idea? Can I take hot baths? Is my diet ok? Should I be doing yoga every day? Etc.) My home-birth midwives spent a huge amount of time answering all those questions, asking me all sorts of questions about my lifestyle and diet and emotional health, and just piling on love and attention to me AND the baby. It was wonderful. I went to several HCP's before choosing them, and always left feeling sort of cold -- I was just an object to be poked, prodded and measured. My midwives treated me like a person. And they treated my baby as a person, too, long before she was born. It was the perfect kind of environment to be in to prepare for motherhood.
  • I felt that I got a lot of advice about ways to prepare for a natural birth -- even though I ended up medicated, it wasn't for lack of trying or for lack of resolve or for lack of education. It was because I really needed medication. If I hadn't done all that preparation with the midwives, I would not have been able to be OK with the decision to get an epidural in the end.
  • Having a home birth plan made me feel very empowered and prepared. *I* had to do the work to prepare -- nobody else was gonna do it for me. Nobody was going to "save" me if I chickened out. It meant that I felt spectacularly well-prepared for labor and birth, and very powerful in labor.
  • My transfer, though I didn't want one (obviously), actually went really smoothly because I had prepared an extensive backup birth plan "just in case." It meant that I received the kind of care I wanted (as much as was possible in that place), and knowing what I wanted/didn't want meant that I felt very empowered to refuse unnecessary interventions.
  • My MW strongly suggested that DH and I take a natural-birthing class -- we drove over an hour each way to get there, once a week for 8 weeks, and it was worth every minute, because it was totally the opposite message of the 2-hour hospital "birthing class" we went to (which was basically, 'here's how to behave so we will treat you nicely here'). It really prepared us both for birth. I don't think we would have bothered if we hadn't been planning a home birth.
  • Now, in my second pregnancy, I feel much more laid-back about most things, and I feel much more comfortable trusting myself and my body to birth the way that it is supposed to. Ironically, that means I am much less afraid to birth in a hospital, because I feel confident that I can manage my care the way that I need to for my own health and the baby's.
  • Our experience with the HMO meant that this time around, we switched health insurance providers BEFORE we got pregnant! Choosing an insurer who would cover a good CNM with a stellar reputation is making all the difference in the world to my peace of mind and overall health in this pregnancy. Trying to get a home birth, or a midwife, or even a natural birth that didn't involve stirrups, covered (or even considered) by an HMO was a 'learning experience,' to say the least.

So, with all of that said, I say -- go for it, plan a home birth, have a good backup plan in case you transfer, get well-educated and make sure you have lots of strong women around you to help you feel empowered and able, and see what happens! Nobody can 'plan' what will happen in birth, but we can certainly set up the circumstances so that they are most favorable!!!
 
#89 ·
Quote:
I have had a few women say that a birth center is the same as home and those conversations really didn't end up that well. They didn't "get it".
It's not the same, but - as someone who planned a HB for her first baby (but ended up with a hospital induction for pre-e) and is planning a birth centre birth this time... not everyone feels the same way about birthing at home.

For some reason, I just don't feel that attached to a HB this time around. Partly it's disappointment from having invested SO much energy (and some money) planning my first HB. We hired the pool, I had pads and tarpaulins and all that jazz set up, and I focused so much on the experience of birthing at home that when that was taken away from me, it really threw me for a loop. I had put all my expectations into the birth pool and the atmosphere and having chicken soup simmering on the stove... and not enough thought into how I'd cope with the PAIN!

But also...I dunno. I like this house, but it's a rental and doesn't feel like "mine" exactly. It's not usually pristine. :p And I'd have to have the curtains shut for privacy from the neighbors - so for me, labouring at home might actually be somewhat dingy and depressing. The birth centre, on the other hand, has huge awesome jacuzzi-type tubs for waterbirthing, pretty good food, and a nice clean bright atmosphere. Also, we have a flatmate, so kicking him out of the house while I laboured would be somewhat awkward! And in a way I'd rather have the first wave of visitors at the birthing centre than at home, because at home I'd feel guilty if I didn't have homemade cookies to offer them, or if the house was dirty. (I know, I'm odd.)

Don't take this to mean I'm anti-homebirth now. If I'd succeeded in HBing the first time round it's probable I'd be doing it again. But for me, a birth centre birth just seemed like less of a hassle. And because it doesn't have quite the same emotional grip as a HB, if I have to go to the hospital again I won't be so upset (and I won't have spent all that money on the birth pool!). Maybe if I have a successful birth this time, and buy a house in the nearish future, I'll have any subsequent babies at home. I dunno. But I'm definitely not as dogmatic about it as I was. There are definite advantages to homebirth - the whole "your own germs" theory, for one - but for me, there are advantages to being out of my home as well, which have nothing to do with snazzy emergency care (which the birth centre doesn't have - it's like birthing in a hotel).
 
#91 ·
I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
 
#92 ·
Birth centres must be different in Canada? In the UK you have to be on the obstetric ward for augmentation, at a BC you get literally what you could have had at home (i.e. gas and air, stitches in a 1st or 2nd degree tear, not a whole lot more in terms of intervention). My MW's with DD1 (my NHS homebirth) were very clear that if i had to transfer it would be to the hospital labour ward because there was nothing happening in the BC that would be of any use. Are they more of a "halfway" option in Canada? The differences are very interesting to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
 
#93 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
Were you pushing for 8 hrs after your water broke? Just wondering, I forgot how the whole thing works.
 
#94 ·
I just wanted to say that I've had two hospital births, one traumatic in the worst-case scenario of the word (my daughter died as a result of her birth injuries) and one excellent. So excellent that I am cheerfully returning to the second for my third delivery. I felt welcomed and supported every step of the way.

I realize that a lot depends on your specific hospital, practitioner, and so on but not all hospitals are intervention-crazy or disrespectful. I'd say probably most hospitals are less personal, but I personally prefer that by personality. I don't want to be arguing or feel disrespected, and I would like some rapport - but I also really don't personally need some extra-special relationship with the team; I tend to get really focused within and as long as my husband's there, I'm good. I also have short labours (10 hrs start-finish with my first and that includes 4 hrs of pushing against the cord; 5 hrs start-finish with my second. Watch this one be 30 hrs.
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)

I also, understandably due to my history, would not be able to relax at home. I wouldn't want to have to make a transfer decision either - having that "should we go or stay" question over my head would really bother me. For me, I want to be in an all-stop shop so I can just focus on getting baby out. Also, the laundry etc. would bother me, as well as having to have my home "homebirth-ready" for weeks. Again, it's just very personal.

It's policy at my hospital that the baby stays with you (there isn't a nursery that's not a NICU), lots of skin-to-skin and all those good things. The only minor discussion I had in my second birth was that I opted to sit in the visitor's chair at one point and my husband got in the hospital bed with our son on his chest and the nurse was slightly miffed that I wasn't "getting the bed." I also got vaguely conflicting breastfeeding advice (very pro-BF) but looking back, the different approaches were probably good to be exposed to as my son and I worked it out -- I just sort of wanted there to be One True Way that would work.

So a lot of it is knowing yourself. I hope you find a solution that works for you. But I wanted to bring one perspective on lovely hospital births.
 
#95 ·
I don't think that we have any (or many) true birth centres anywhere here yet (definitely not in Alberta). I went to a "health centre" which is kind of a very small hospital that has limited services, in a small town outside of my city. It's the only place that midwives are allowed to work as midwives and where we run the smallest chance of intervention, but they do have limited things available and the midwife can consult with a doctor to get things like the the augmentation or if needed I think they could do an epidural. For a Csection or if they thought there'd be any problems with the baby they would have had to send me to a big hospital in the city.

They have private rooms with big beds for family to stay in, and jacuzzis, and are about as close as you come to a home birth without being at home (but you still have to have nurses present as well as follow the regulations for hospital births, but they are a bit more lenient in believing what the midwife says if she can justify it!). It is actually really hard to get a midwife anywhere in Canada and in my metropolitan area (over 1 million people) there are I think 8 midwives and only a few of those will do home births.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoBecGo View Post

Birth centres must be different in Canada? In the UK you have to be on the obstetric ward for augmentation, at a BC you get literally what you could have had at home (i.e. gas and air, stitches in a 1st or 2nd degree tear, not a whole lot more in terms of intervention). My MW's with DD1 (my NHS homebirth) were very clear that if i had to transfer it would be to the hospital labour ward because there was nothing happening in the BC that would be of any use. Are they more of a "halfway" option in Canada? The differences are very interesting to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
 
#96 ·
Something like that! My MW broke my water at 8 AM as I was fully dilated and the sac was bulging but not breaking. I stayed home trying different things till about 1pm. I pushed off and on and went for the augmentation where I had to "rest" for a few hours as well within that time. My daughter wasn't born until 6pm. I was threatened with a C Section before I managed to get her out and I have no idea how I did it! Oh, and in hospital, for some reason, they only "let" you push for 2 hoursin most cases before they cut the baby out, even if everything is fine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pregnant@40 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
Were you pushing for 8 hrs after your water broke? Just wondering, I forgot how the whole thing works.
 
#97 ·
Ah yes, that's similar to what they used to call (in the UK) "GP units" - more medical than a Birth Centre, less so than a hospital. In those you could generally have more pain relief than in a BC, though not an epidural, and SOME help (like a manual breech extraction, not that you'd want one!) but nothing like a csection. They're all gone now i think. Though some remote areas have smaller obstetric wards - my friend had a planned HB but had to transfer for mec in the waters (turns out baby was 10lbs11oz and needed forceps to come out) but she knew if she needed a cs they could do it, but only under a general as they didn't have the staff for an epidural and planned cs, only a crash cs.
 
#98 ·
That's amazing is it puppies, what incredible stamina! Did you have the urge to push all that time? Or was the baby still high? Did you ever figure out what was going on? Malposition or wrapped cord or something? Or did she just take her sweet time?

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

Something like that! My MW broke my water at 8 AM as I was fully dilated and the sac was bulging but not breaking. I stayed home trying different things till about 1pm. I pushed off and on and went for the augmentation where I had to "rest" for a few hours as well within that time. My daughter wasn't born until 6pm. I was threatened with a C Section before I managed to get her out and I have no idea how I did it! Oh, and in hospital, for some reason, they only "let" you push for 2 hoursin most cases before they cut the baby out, even if everything is fine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pregnant@40 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
Were you pushing for 8 hrs after your water broke? Just wondering, I forgot how the whole thing works.
 
#99 ·
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thanks, unfortunately the problem was the lack of contractions for pushing, I think, as well as malposition. I was maybe getting 4-6 decent ones per hour. by then I was probably too worn out, but whatever it was they weren't working very well or I wasn't working very well and was really too tired and sore to do much for moving around etc. DDs head was kinked the wrong way and her hand was by her face, I think, and she was stuck behind something because of her angle (was it my pubic bone? I'm not really sure) but they could see her hair so they knew her head was there I just couldn't get her out. It probably didn't help that she was 9lb3oz! but when she finally started getting accelerations in her HR I got her out! The midwife had to keep telling the nurses that there's no reason to transfer me to a real hospital as the baby is right there and fine, but with the accels that would have been it
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so thankfully somehow I managed (I am very stubborn when I want to be). By then I had been on the full dose of pit for two hours (that's on top of the 2-3 hours maybe where they told me not to push while they brought it up) and it hadn't increased my contractions much at all as far as I know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoBecGo View Post

That's amazing is it puppies, what incredible stamina! Did you have the urge to push all that time? Or was the baby still high? Did you ever figure out what was going on? Malposition or wrapped cord or something? Or did she just take her sweet time?
 
#100 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoBecGo View Post

Birth centres must be different in Canada? In the UK you have to be on the obstetric ward for augmentation, at a BC you get literally what you could have had at home (i.e. gas and air, stitches in a 1st or 2nd degree tear, not a whole lot more in terms of intervention). My MW's with DD1 (my NHS homebirth) were very clear that if i had to transfer it would be to the hospital labour ward because there was nothing happening in the BC that would be of any use. Are they more of a "halfway" option in Canada? The differences are very interesting to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by is it puppies? View Post

I was a first time homebirther who ended up with a transfer to what was essentially a birth centre (and then threatened with the hospital transfer for a section from there after my pit augmentation didn't help). I am SO THANKFUL I didn't start out in a hospital ( or even the birth centre) or I would have had a section. I was pushing for a total of about 8 hours! My MW kind of got in trouble for letting me push so long, but there was nothing wrong with me or baby. She said that in retrospect my augmentation didn't help anyways and we shouldn't have bothered!
I live in Vancouver, Canada, and unlike in Edmonton, we have many, many midwives offering services, and they almost all do home births. There is also a birth centre, but in order to go there for any part of labour (full labour, transfer, anything) you have to be registered with them and have them do your prenatal care. They have midwives on staff, but your prenatal care at the BC is done by a multidisciplinary team. I prefer to have my prenatal care supervised by just a midwife, with the knowledge of the risk that if I have to be transferred, it will be to a hospital.
 
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This is all very true, of course! But for me, the more relevant/interesting question has been - if you can get the same compassionate, high-quality care regardless of setting, (i.e. the same midwife) why choose home over hospital? I know of many possible reasons, but this was the question I felt I needed to answer fully (for myself) before I could move forward in planning for a birth.

FWIW, I think I've made my decision, after lots of discussion with my mw and my dh. We are going to plan a homebirth. My primary fear was/is having a baby who needs extra assistance at birth, and not having a full range of life-saving treatments available at home. While this fear hasn't disappeared entirely, I have a lot of confidence in my midwife, and feel she could spot a potential problem early and make the right call. My mw has been awesome, and even though she strongly favors homebirth, has not pushed me at all, and says we have many more months before we have to make a final decision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turquesa View Post

Beautifully stated!!

Women aren't leaving hospitals for the shallow motive of some "perfect birth experience" (an oxymoron in my mind, but I don't like birth!
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) We're doing it for the evidence-based, compassionate, and professional maternity care.

Honestly, with so many "failure to progress" cesareans being done on first-time moms, I think it's actually a good idea to do home birth for the first baby. Once you have that cesarean with your first baby, it can really limit your options down the road if you ever have another baby and want a VBAC. A competent HB MW will be skilled at monitoring fetal heart tones while patiently letting labor run its natural course.
 
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