Any one else planning a Home Birth?

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[Post New]07/02/2009 18:36
Anonymous
Just about 36 weeks behind us.
Just wondering if anyone else is sharing the experience of planning a birth at home.
Love my midwives, got a pool set up for some aquatic relaxation and we are in the final stages of decided where and what the logistics should be.
I'd be very interested to hear from others in the area who are planning to have their baby at home.
[Post New]07/02/2009 19:38
Anonymous
I am! I don't think it's that common on this board, though. Check out the discussion boards at mothering.com -- they have a whole forum devoted to homebirth. I'm 38 weeks so it is right around the corner for me as well. We decided not to rent a pool since we have a deep tub and I wasn't so into the water last time. After I did the research, I knew that planning a HB was the right decision for our family. Good luck with yours -- it's great to hear about other moms choosing this option.
[Post New]07/02/2009 19:49
Anonymous
Ladies,
I had a home birth quite a few years ago. It was the best thing I ever did. My daughter is so proud to tell her friends that she was born at home. I am so very happy for you.
[Post New]07/02/2009 20:55
Anonymous
Me too! I had my son at home seven years ago, and I would do it again if I had another.

Good luck, and congratulations!
[Post New]07/02/2009 21:39
Anonymous
Not having a home birth (DH is a doctor and insists on hospitals) but I'm SO proud of you all who are doing it and have done it.
[Post New]07/03/2009 09:32
Anonymous
I loved my homebirths! I want to share online ways to get connected:

Northern Virginia Homebirth yahoo group is a great group
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NoVahomebirth/

I live in Maryland but they still let me join. They are more orgazined than DC and MD because CNMs are licensed in VA.

Also, another local pro-homebirth group, Birth Matters Virginia, just announced the winners of their video contest
http://birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html

You can find pro-homebirth folks in DC at the new DC chapter of ICAN
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/icanofdc/

And I really enjoy Ursula Sukinik's facebook group, Birth You Desire. Ursula is a doula and Bradley teacher in Rockville. She posts interesting articles and research daily.

Best wishes to you for a peaceful, joyful birth!
[Post New]07/03/2009 09:46
Anonymous
I'm delivering w/ midwives & a doula in a hospital, but the closer I get (am 40+ weeks now, so am very close!) the more I wish I were having a home birth. All the reading/research/prep I've done for natural childbirth has assuaged the fears I once had of giving bith at home. Maybe for the next one! Best of luck to you.

ps - I am so pleased to see no one is flaming (yet) with the age-old bs about "better safe than sorry; do it in a hospital."
[Post New]07/03/2009 10:54
Anonymous
I'm 37 weeks and doing it in a hospital but I admire you. I think it's a very good, safe, and smart choice. I lucked into finding a VERY supportive OB and have secured and early dischrage, which was my compromise. Still, the hospital rules and procedures make me nervous and I hope I don't have to do battle on everything in the midst of birth. There are pros and cons to everything, but on balance, I think giving birth at home sounds wonderful. Good luck!
[Post New]07/03/2009 11:34
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I'm 37 weeks and doing it in a hospital but I admire you. I think it's a very good, safe, and smart choice. I lucked into finding a VERY supportive OB and have secured and early dischrage, which was my compromise. Still, the hospital rules and procedures make me nervous and I hope I don't have to do battle on everything in the midst of birth. There are pros and cons to everything, but on balance, I think giving birth at home sounds wonderful. Good luck!

Try to remember, YOU are still the BOSS of your own body. And baby is yours, not theirs. So whoever you have their with you, should be able to speak for/with you.
Good luck.
ps Are you breastfeeding?
[Post New]07/03/2009 17:39
Anonymous
OP, this
http://www.birthoptionsalliance.org/
is another helpful listserv to be on for questions, info, etc.

We are considering a homebirth, but are currently planning a birth center birth with BirthCare in Alexandria (had a birth center birth last time and loved it, having a hard time convincing DH to switch to homebirth, plus our insurance won't cover it, sigh.) Congratulations and have a wonderful birth!
[Post New]07/03/2009 20:35
Anonymous
I just had a homebirth on Sunday. My first child was born two years ago at Birthcare, and was an amazing experience. We also planned for #2 at Birthcare, but as the time drew near, many bouts of false labor took a toll on my emotions, so I decided to birth at home (that way if it was false labor AGAIN, at least I hadn't schlepped all my stuff to the birth center at rush hour!). I labored for about 18 hours in my own home, birthed my daughter in the bed she was conceived in, and would do it all the same way again in a heartbeat. In the words of my medical-minded sister who was with us, "I can't believe I just saw two barefoot women deliver a baby!" My midwives gave me the confidence to trust my body and make it through the "dark hours" of labor. I never set out to be a home birth advocate, but I can't imagine delivering her any other way. Best of luck!
[Post New]07/04/2009 01:35
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm 37 weeks and doing it in a hospital but I admire you. I think it's a very good, safe, and smart choice. I lucked into finding a VERY supportive OB and have secured and early dischrage, which was my compromise. Still, the hospital rules and procedures make me nervous and I hope I don't have to do battle on everything in the midst of birth. There are pros and cons to everything, but on balance, I think giving birth at home sounds wonderful. Good luck!

Try to remember, YOU are still the BOSS of your own body. And baby is yours, not theirs. So whoever you have their with you, should be able to speak for/with you.
Good luck.
ps Are you breastfeeding?


Oh, I'm not likely to run into any problems with being the boss of my own body or baby...LOL Let's just say I have a strong personality and my husband knows how to back me up. When I say I'm nervous about doing battle, I mean wary more than nervous. I plan to refuse certain standard procedures like the routine post delivery pitocin shot and any kind of saline / hep lock (I do not want any sort of IV until / unless I really need it) and although I've already gone over this all with my supportive OB, I've heard stories about aggressive nurses and, frankly, who wants a battle? But I'm not going into with a bad attitude -- I truly think that women who know what they want can get what they need from their support team during birth, even in a hospital.
[Post New]07/04/2009 11:22
Anonymous
I'm planning to deliver at the Birthcare birth center, but I *WISH* I was having a home birth instead! DH wouldn't agree to home birth, I think because he felt like he would be "hosting" the event and so wouldn't be able to relax. But at least I got him to promise that the next one will be born at home.
[Post New]07/04/2009 13:25
Anonymous
I'm glad we didn't because my daughter had a condition that needed to be treated quickly--first in the nursery and then in the NICU after the first 24 hours--and was only caught because of the blood work that is done immediately at the hospital.
[Post New]07/06/2009 09:12
Anonymous
Agree. While I would LOVE to have a home birth, I am just too nervous to do it. My SIL's baby had her lung collapse right after birth and immediate treatment was vital. I guess I'm only a few minutes from the hospital though, but I still can't imagine taking the risk. There is a reason women and babies don't die that often in childbirth anymore...hospitals!
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