birthcenter -- back at home only hours after delivery??

[kmaz]

I'm pregnant with my first and really like the idea of using a midwife. I have strongly considered the Alexandria Birth Center and visited there. I am comfortable with everything about a birth center birth, except don't really like the idea that I will be sent back home only about 6-12 hours after giving birth.

Any thoughts from those who've given birth? Were you thankful to have a couple days to "rest" in the hospital, or would it have been niced to be in hour own home. I'll have family around to help out.

thanks

[bigmaman]

I delivered at 4 pm, stayed overnight and was soooooo ready to come home -- to my own bed, own stuff, decent food, etc. We were out of there at 7 the next evening, would have been sooner but for the fact that DH (love him) forgot the car seat and had to drive all the way home again to get it. Sigh.

The only benefit to staying in the hospital was the ability to send baby to the nursery if you so chose -- to get more sleep. But because I was breast feeding, they would have brought her to me to feel whenever she awakened, anyway.

[Anonymous]

You could just birth at home with the Birthcare midwives. Then you can stay as long as you want! LOL Seriously, I've had 2 homebirths with Birthcare. I love that I am instantly snug in my bed with my baby after giving birth. It's such pampering to have the midwives caring for me, the birth assistant doing all the dirty work and my husband bringing me home cooked food. The midwives and birth assistant have stayed at my house for 5-6 hours after the births to get everything situated. Then one of them comes to visit the next day and the next. Plus, there's the visit to the pediatrician. (If you hire Dr. Razi in DC she will come to your house for the first pediatrician visit if you have a home birth. Oh, and you could hire Pat Shelly from the Breastfeeding Center to do a home visit. So really, you never have to leave your house!) I like that I see some sort of health care provider each of the first three days postpartum. With phone calls in between as needed.

I do know people who have felt rushed to leave the Maternity Center (less than 5 hours) when it was a busy night and all of the birth rooms were full. I know two women who have stayed 12 hours after their births at Birthcare because they felt faint and it was the middle of the night. I think most of the time women are longing for their own bed and their own home after 6 hours. It's more quiet and peaceful at home.

[Anonymous]

I went home from the Maternity center about 3.5 hours PP. I was soooooo glad to be home, no roomates, my own bathroom, etc. To me that is one the main upsides to a midwife-attended birth! Oh and fyi my baby was born in late Jan. and it was freaking freezing and we were still fine.

[Anonymous]

I had two births at the Maternity Center and I was sooooo happy to be home within 6 hours. I had family to help at home, and I loved being back in my own space, eating good food, and in a peaceful environment. I had our first in a hospital and I have never been so uncomfortable. Forget about resting, those nurses were in and out of the room constantly, it was noisy, and the food was awful. Recovery was much easier at home. No question. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

We had an awesome birth with BirthCare (at the birthing center in Alexandria). Daughter was born at 4 and we were home by 8 p.m. They fed us after the birth and made suer everything was OK before we left. ALl three of us were exhausted and it was so nice to just conk out in our own bed. They come and check on you the next day, and you also have a birth assistant who comes the second next day, so you don't feel abandoned at all.

I honestly cannot think of one negative re: the birthcare midwives and experience. It was fantastic.

[Anonymous]

I birthed in a hospital and was home the standard 2 or 3 days later (I forget). Honestly, I wasn't ready to go home. Not that I loved the hospital, but it took me a while to recover from the vaginal birth (lots of tearing). And I had plenty of help at home, but I was struggling with my own recovery, mobility, and breastfeeding. It just seemed easier in the hospital. And I really thought I was going to be asking for an early release. I guess you just don't know how you'll feel until you're there. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The thing you have to remember about a birth center birth is that you will not have had any drugs in your system. Usually, the delivery is easy and low-key. The midwives are skilled at making sure you do not tear. They encourage you to stay well hydrated and eat as you need to. Therefore, after you deliver, you are generally feeling pretty good. It is not like a hospital birth where you have been confined to bed, given drugs, not allowed to even drink properly, etc. etc. After a hospital birth you might feel much more exhausted and not even feel like walking out of your room, let alone getting up and going home.

I've had one baby at Birthcare, and one at a hospital. At Birthcare, it was absolutely fantastic to be able to go right home after the delivery. Even after an extremely long labor, I was just ready to get home and get into my own bed. At the hospital, I was begging to go home after 12 hours but was forced to stay two days. It was awful. Bad food, and people coming into my room literally every hour, not to mention all the harrassing I got about taking care of MY baby the way I wanted to. (like being able to walk around my room holding my baby -- got in trouble for that!!).

If you have more concerns about it, you should talk to the midwives at Birthcare and ask them how other people have handled it.