I'm rereading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and it just sounds wonderful. Plus, I can't get over the stats in the back--for example, a cesarean rate of less than 2%, and almost all of their VBAC attempts have been vaginal deliveries.
It's about 6 hours from where I live...
(PS No I'm not pregnant--just thinking ahead LOL).
Re: I want to give birth at the Farm
Joaquin's hospital and Isela's birth center med & intervention free "hypnobabies" birth stories
A friend of a friend had her kids there. Said it was great.
But another very pro-HB MW-in-training friend says that Ina May is way too bossy so she wouldn't want to birth there. ::shrugs:: I wouldn't mind that sort of opportunity, myself, though!
I'd rather have a bossy midwife than someone cut me open again!
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
When I first got pregnant, I actually thought about it...
but, like PP, I didn't think I'd be able to camp out there!
I am the 99%.
What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!
No kidding - The OB that did mine was a self-important pr!ck!!!
Don't they do breech vaginal deliveries at The Farm? Given the experience level of the midwives I would trust them to do it, too.
Reading that book, I really had no desire to give birth there. And I planned for and had a med free birth. It just seemed way too hippy-ish for my tastes.
DD #1 passed away in January 2011 at 14 days old due to congenital heart disease
DD#2 lost in January 2012 at 23 weeks due to anhydramnios caused by a placental abruption
Interesting. I don't want to live there or raise a family there, though. I just want to give birth with someone who will let the natural processes of birth happen and only intervene if necessary, and who will treat me like a human being.
There are lots of midwives who can do this
True. I hope I can find one.
I probably won't really shlep out the Farm to have my next baby but it's a nice little daydream.
I think you will, Iris! The next kid will come out the way it gets in.
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
Yup, I've heard very similar things. I want to go visit just to say I've been, but I think it's a pretty odd place. I met someone who was born and raised there a couple months ago and she was very odd. The "leader" is Steven, Ina May's husband btw
I'm really bummed, Ina May was at the API celebration here last month that we went to, but she hardly got to speak. She looked annoyed the entire time she was up there (and wow, she's looking old and frail!) It was very hard to actually get a feel for her personality.
Not too surprising. You get people in an isolated little community like that with very certain ideals and things can get a little culty.
The books still make it sound like a neat place to give birth. Although whenever they talked about the food I always got cravings for something other than whole grains.
If you do research about The Farm you will find it's not the same sort of place that it was back when Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth were written.
I wanted to give birth at The Farm until I did my homework, and realized I could have equal of an experience here surrounded by people I knew in my community and wouldn't need to drive several hours afterwards to return home. There are amazing midwives and doulas out there that would be happy to give you a similar experience in the luxury of your own home or a birthing center.
Can you elaborate? I'm curious.
It's a commune, plain and simple. I lived in a communal situation (though not in an actual commune) so I'm familiar with it a little bit. There is a hierarchy in any commune situation. But I had a friend who actually lived there for 6 months (4 before giving birth, 2 after) and she flat out LOVED it. Said it was the most supportive environment she'd ever been in and she hated to leave it. But she had to return to her "real" life. But she was widow, her husband died when she was 2 months pregnant, she sold their house and sort of fled there. They took her in with open arms. But she didn't want to stay since it was far from her family.
Anywho, I'd LOVE to deliver there! I think if DH is overseas when I am about to give birth I just may pack up and go there for a bit. Or someplace like it since I'm sure there are other places like that out there.