I have had my first and second baby, at home in water. The choice wasn’t anything to do with hippy-out-there-stuff. I knew it was the best choice all round for my babies. (afterall the hospitals are still there for a home birthing family)

I knew that having my babies at home wasn’t just about me being able to walk about freely, eat and drink what I liked (I had some wine I have to admit!), play my own music, use my own bathroom, and get snuddled up into my own bed afterwards; it WAS part of the bonus of it, but more so, all about incresing the saftly for my self and my babies.

My local hospital has a culture of c-sections (29%) – which, to there credit, they are actively trying to tackle. They also have timelines for Prims and multis (2 hours established labour for first time mothers and 1 hour for second/subsequent births – as per NICE guidelines) which, with there culture of emergent interventulist outlook, does not bode well, when the largest reason for c-sections is “failure to progress” which I really think should be “failure to wait!”

I had the Rolls Royce, gold standard of care from the highly trained professional widwives who attended my birth. (1 to 1 care is what any hospital is striving to acheive) There were at least 2 of them which each birth and they NEVER left me, not for a second. And in doing so they knew me, my baby and my labour – they had no need to do vaginal exams because they had to attend another women or answer the phone, and then have to come back “to see how we are doing” They listened. They observed. They offered encourgement and support – medically and personally.

Birth is something that you will remember vividly for the rest of your life..so I only hope that all women (literally) get off there arses and reclaim their birth.

Bravo – for your poinent words
xxx

As for the pain meds, c-section decision, forceps, etc – Can you not ask your midwife (or even doctor from a hospital) to NOT use these based on your decision? In which case being at a hospital may be better in case of an ‘emergent-situation’?

I am trying not to sound defensive, mean, critical etc but am trying to get the full understanding.

I get that being at home may be more comfortable, but what about the question of ‘what if’? What if something critical were to happen at home that could be easier to fix at a hospital?

“”"Emily
April 7, 2010 at 12:55 am
I struggle with the polarization of the two “sides”-those for home birth and those for hospital birth. For me, they both seemed too radical. I wanted to be able to have a natural, home birth like atmosphere with the best medical interventions available next door if needed. If it exists in my area, I couldn’t find it. In the end I had a natural birth at the hospital. It was the most excruciatingly brutal experience and I had horrible complications afterwards. I felt cheated by those (Ricki Lake, anyone) who championed natural birth and also questioned whether my natural birth was horrible because I was in a hospital. I long for the day that there are more than the two choices–radically natural and radically medical–but I fear it will not be in time for my next birth experience.”"”

Assuming that a mother who chooses a hospital birth has not done her research is just as wrong as someone assuming that your choice to homebirth was brave.