Homebirth vs Hospital (feet, home birth, emergency, baby)
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I was just curious on the opinion of others on this subject. I've had five daughters, three at home, two in the hospital. Four with no pain meds. My homebirths were planed and a midwife attended.
If my mother had chosen to give birth to me at home instead of in a hospital, I wouldn't be alive today. Both my birth and my brother's birth were complicated; I had shoulder dystocia and my brother was a vacuum-assisted birth. My mother had to be given blood transfusions after my birth, so regardless of what would have happened to me if she'd given birth at home, she might not have survived either.
I know this doesn't mean that nobody can have a safe, successful home birth...but given my mother's experiences, I would never even consider it. If I ever have a baby, it will be in a hospital with lots of trained medical personnel available should something happen.
I've done this 3 times, last over 20 years ago. All three were in a hospital in an ABC room. Yes they had them back then tooo...LOL. My first experience I was glad I was at the hospital, my son was born blue and need immediate attention and I was torn stem to stern due to them having to take him quickly since he was in distress (lost his heart beat). My second was easy and had no issues. My third the ABC room had a jacuzzi tub, and that is where I stayed all through labor till just before he was born. I never had any drugs or any IV's with any of my sons. Personally I prefer the ABC room at the hospital, as long as they are compliant with your wishes, since they can give you the best of both worlds. Just my opinion ... even though it has been years.
I think women are brainwashed into thinking they need men to help them deliver babies. They think they need drugs and painkillers and IVs going into their veins. Every other animal on this planet survives childbirth, but not people. No, not people. We've got to do all our birthing and dying in hospitals under spot lights and all hooked up to tubes and surrounded by "professionals" who know more about what we're going through than we do.
No thanks. Squat and push for me.
fabulous post! i had no choice and was born in a hospital but i sure as heck would rather die at home.
I would like the personal attacks on GreenMachine stopped. You don't have to have a baby to know what you are talking about. A person can not only be well read as GreenMachine is, but they can also know of others that have given natural birth.
I've had two of my kids in a hospital and one born at home. All three experiences were completely different! I think as long as the baby and mother come through safe and healthy, then it was the right way to do it. Just from personal experience though, my son, born at home, was the most relaxed and less-stressful of all three borths. I would do it again! But I do think if you or your partner are even the least bit uncomfortable with giving birth at home, DONT!
i think it's fabulous! i am very happy for you! it seems to be the most family oriented and healthy way to bring a baby into the world and there's no one or no things to get in the way of the all important bonding. if you have any more you might want to look into a water birth!
I also had the first two at the hospital and my third at home. There just is no comparison - at home was so much better. Coincidentally, because of the patience and experience of my midwife (doing things like waiting for the cord to stop pulsating before clamping/cutting), allowing me to eat and drink as I wanted during labor, I felt much better afterward and had much less blood loss than with the hospital births.
I hear all about "special situations" where there would have been catastrophic consequences had the baby not been born in the hospital, but in reality true birth catastrophes are few and far between. Many of the things that go wrong in hospital are a result of the "treatment" being given - especially epidurals. Babies cannot descend optimally in many cases when mom is flat on her back and completely numb from the waist down. Then the proverbial cascade of interventions starts, many times ending in C-section.
My homebirth midwife has been around for a long time (well over a thousand births) and luckily never had a shoulder dystocia she couldn't handle in the field with proper positioning to free the baby. However, most of the time that can't be done in hospital because an anesthetized mom can't move into the positions required for the Gaskin maneuver. She also carries Pitocin and oxygen, so that covers many other emergencies as well.
If we ever have another, it will be at home again
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