At Home Births?
- Rating:
5 after 1 vote
Why, Why, Why.....
Why have an at home birth? How sterile is your bed? and do you want all that gunk going on your bed? What do you get out of having an at home birth?
Does not seem too safe to me..
Why have an at home birth? How sterile is your bed? and do you want all that gunk going on your bed? What do you get out of having an at home birth?
Does not seem too safe to me..
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Working-mom-of-2 on -
In Holland homebirths are very common. In fact I was born at home as well.
For me however it would never be anything to think about for the same reasons you state above but I have friends who did it and would do it again.
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Permalink Reply by Kristi on -
I have 6 kids...and never even thought about having a home birth--NO WAY! Too much could go wrong...then what? Mid wifes are only trained so much.
I have a friend who did it for her last 2 babies.....she just preferred the comfortable home....no stress...no drs pushing medicine, no nurses coming in every 5 minutes....and her whole family was their to witness birth.
Just not for me
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Permalink Reply by geekmom on -
I'm not sure if you really are curious to know why people would have a home birth. It seems like from the way you phrased your question, that you've already made up your mind that home birth is disgusting. That's fine; I know it's not for everyone! However, I'll answer in case someone else reading this wants to know the answer or in case you really do want to know :-)
I had my first in a hospital and my second at home, and if I could do it again I would have home births (barring any major risk factors). Home births are statistically just as safe as births in a hospital (do some google searches if you're curious, as there've been many medical journal articles published that back this up). You and your newborn are not exposed to the germs and illnesses that are present in the hospital building and the midwives have a very sophisticated assortment of tools they bring to your home to ensure that your baby and you stay healthy. In areas where midwifery is legal they also have a medical backup lined up so that if there's any sign of the birth becoming complicated, they can transfer you to a hospital and into that doctor's care. Also, home birth supplies include sterile pads which the midwives put down when you're about ready to push the baby out, and you put those on top of old sheets that you plan to throw out after the birth. So it's not like you are really getting "gunk on your bed". (For that matter, when you're at home you can push in any position you want, which means you can take advantage of the force of gravity to help get the baby out - so you might not even be on the bed when you give birth).
For me having my son at home was a beautiful, empowering experience. I was in a comfortable environment, surrounded by family and friends and no beeping machines, no harsh fluorescent lights, everyone working with me believed I was a capable person who could push this baby out, and I could trust that they weren't going to offer me medical procedures and drugs that I didn't want. I was able to hold and nurse him immediately after he was born and make the most of the period of quiet alertness that is normal for newborns; he was never whisked off to a nursery. I completely understand that not everyone wants a drug-free birth, and that in some cases those drugs are very important to save the mother's and baby's life, but having done a lot of research on medical interventions used during childbirth I was not prepared to expose my baby or myself to the risks involved because for us (fortunately) it was not medically necessary.
So, there is one person's answer to your questions. Hopefully others who've experienced birth at home will speak up here too!
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Permalink Reply by Luvmykiddos on -
See,,,for me...I would be paranoid w/out the beeping machines...For starters...my 1st birth did not fare so well.....Ended up having a emergency csection....for my sons heart kept dipping and would even miss a beat,,,the cord was wrapped around his neck and shoulder several times....he was just all kinds of tangled up.....So,,,when I got preggo for the 2nd time....Surprise....it was twins....and my doc suggested the hospital that I needed to go to....It was the one I had my 1st in..they have a stage 3 neo natal intensive care unit.....just in case...
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Permalink Reply by geekmom on
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In your case, luvmykiddos, a home birth would not be medically appropriate and I doubt that any licensed midwife would take you on as a patient. Any kind of high-risk birth situation, the midwives know the limits of their abilities and are able to transfer care to a physician. I'm very grateful to live in a country and a time where that type of care is available to anyone who needs it.
Like I said, I know some people aren't interested in having a home birth, and I do understand. I just want people to think beyond the knee'jerk reaction and maybe see why some people might actually prefer that to a hospital birth... which is what I think you were asking with your initial question. If any of you really are keen to know more, I recommend doing some research, looking at the actual statistics on what could go wrong, and why, and how often it actually happens. Many birth complications are actually caused by the medical interventions used in a hospital, so it's not like you're 100% guaranteed a safe and uncomplicated birth if you go there. In my opinion, the fear of what could go wrong during a home birth is based on our societal norms, and not necessarily on the reality of home birth. It's just not a concept we are used to, so therefore people feel surprised and uncomfortable because in North America we've all been raised to believe that birth needs to be medically supervised in a hospital setting. It took me a while to get my head around the idea too, that's why my first was born in a hospital.
Anyway, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, and I don't want to come across as some kind of crazy granola mom so I'll stop here :-) (I live in the suburbs, drive a minivan and eat junk food just like most people... LOL)
(Kind of surprised that so far there hasn't been anyone chiming in here to say they had a home birth too - it's not all that uncommon nowadays in Canada, where it's legal, and covered by medical insurance in most provinces.)
Luvmykiddos said:See,,,for me...I would be paranoid w/out the beeping machines...For starters...my 1st birth did not fare so well.....Ended up having a emergency csection....for my sons heart kept dipping and would even miss a beat,,,the cord was wrapped around his neck and shoulder several times....he was just all kinds of tangled up.....So,,,when I got preggo for the 2nd time....Surprise....it was twins....and my doc suggested the hospital that I needed to go to....It was the one I had my 1st in..they have a stage 3 neo natal intensive care unit.....just in case...
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