home birth?

gusabbey

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this post, but I'll give it a shot!  I'm considering a home birth for LO#3 and am looking for some input.  

Background: DS1 was born at a brand new hospital in Baltimore.  He was born preterm and wad in the NICU for quite some time before coming home.  Directly following his birth, he was whisked away by nurses and taken directly to the NICU.  

DS2 was born full term at a different local hospital.  My experience at this hospital was less than desirable.  I hated the staff.  I had to be quite forceful to let them know that I didnt want baby leaving my side, I was constantly interrupted by staff coming in and out of my room, and it just didnt seem as intimate as I was hoping for.  With DS2, my water broke at home, and he was born less than 5 hours later.

I'm considering a home birth for this next little one, as I would like it to be a more relaxing and personal experience.  I was hoping to get personal input from some mamas that have experienced both a hospital experience and a home birth.  I'd love to go to a birthing center, but the closest one to my house is an hour away, and I'd be nervous that it would be too far...

HRM2L0

I had a home birth with my first and loved it. We lived 5 minutes from the hospital and felt that birthing at home with a competent midwife was safe. My water broke first, had first contraction 12 hours later and baby was born 8 hours after that.

With my second we lived 2 hours and a ferry ride from the hospital, so we had to plan a hospital birth as I didn't want to be rushed to the hospital by helicopter in case of an emergency during a home birth. Once my contractions got regular we drove 10 minutes to the local midwife's office for a check and that drive was PAINFUL:) There is no way I could've made it 2 hours+ in that car. So if you live within reasonable distance from a hospital I would vote for a home birth for you. I ended up being airlifted anyway because I was already at 7cm when I got checked and baby was born super fast and easy. I did enjoy our stay at the hospital, though, it was a nice break before going home as a bigger family.

painttheair14

My first was hospital, second home. We considered birth center too but it wasn't available nearby and I'm actually so happy we were at home instead.

I LOVED our home birth and plan on future births being at home. I recommend doing more online research. For me, the more I learned the more passionate and confident I was about our decision.

imavera

My first was in the hospital, and my 2nd was at home. We're planning another home birth.

I had similar feelings with my hospital birth, although it was still a relatively good experience. Nothing in comparison to my home birth, though. It was exactly what you're looking for. I've been looking forward to doing it again since my second son was born!