Thoughts from a first time home-birther
3:23 PM
I knew that I wanted an "intervention-free" birth because they are healthier for baby, for mom and have less chances of complications. So the only question was to try to brave it in the hospital or do it at home.
The main reason I decided to have a home birth...
- I had to be in the hospital the entire labor with Peja and I hated it. Everything turned out fine with his birth, but I have never been happy with that birth experience. I hated having to have the IV thing in my arm, hated being strapped down to the chair every so often so they could monitor the baby (it was excruciating). I craved a tub, but didn't have one. Hated the cold, sterile environment and having to sneak food and drink because it was against hospital policy. I hated how the doctor didn't come until the last 15 minutes and then got all pissed off when I didn't want an episiotomy and just sat back and let me tear a ton. I hated the recovery from the epidural, and having to have a catheter because I couldn't pee. I hated having to fight so hard to get back home quickly, they took SOOOO long to get all the paperwork and other stuff done. I just wanted to be home snuggling with my husband and son. I realize that all hospitals aren't like this and there is probably one in my area that is significantly better, but I knew the best way to make it the way I wanted was to just birth at home.
- Birth belongs at home!
- My sister has had all 4 of hers at home and has shown me the beauty of that. I have also read about tons of women's homebirths.
- I am really grateful for hospitals for extreme illness or injury, but I try to stay away from them beyond that. I am a firm believer that childbirth is neither illness nor injury and so for normal, low-risk pregnancy and childbirth there is really no reason to be there.
- I am not comfortable in hospitals and I really wanted to be as comfortable during labor.
- I think because of malpractice and having to use extreme caution several common practices in hospital just get in the way of labor and make it way harder. For instance, fetal monitoring and IV's. I know you can opt out of lots of things, but labor is hard enough without having to fight for what you want.
- Women have been birthing and laboring forever without hospitals and they have done fine. If there was a complication I live only 15 minutes from the hospital. That is not a big deal.
- Studies show that maternal and fetal outcomes are at least as good at home as in the hospital.
- There are all kinds of studies about this that are very interesting and facts that I don't feel like searching for references right now about how bad the US maternal and fetal outcomes compared to the rest of the world - including some developing nations - and how the countries at the top of the list with the best outcomes have normal, low risk births at home with midwives and only high-risk deliveries in hospitals with doctors. If you are interested you should do some research.
- Being able to be HOME (duh)
- The midwifery model of care that includes knowing you very well, being with you during labor, helping you to be healthy and strong throughout pregnancy and using more nutrition and natural things.
- Not having to go anywhere during labor.
- Not having to try to get home afterward.
- Not having to fight for an intervention-free birth
So if you have any questions let me know! I know that was not very scientific, but I am not about to go look up anything right now. I don't necessarily think that all people should birth at home, some people would be too nervous there. You need to be able to relax during labor. I do, however, think that anyone remotely interested should look into in more because it is definitely worth it! Ilija was REALLY against it with Peja. He was so worried about not being close to medical care. But he felt totally fine about it this time because he saw how uncomfortable I was in the hospital and how actually prepared midwives are.
Some thoughts about home birth from Ilija: (who hates having to watch me in labor)
- I would say, it is not as non-medical or unprepared as most people think. I definitely want to do it again.
- It went fast
- It was beautiful.
- I wasn't so worried about Katie being in pain because I felt like she was free to do whatever she needed - positions, the ball, counter, tennis balls, everything ready to help her.
- She knew what she wanted and was able to get it so it made me feel better as opposed to the hospital where she just wanted to get in the tub and was just frustrated.
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