I want to give birth at the Farm

iris427 · September 2009

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).

Dobie_Mama · September 2009

Me too. Right down to the six hours away. lol

IselaCid · September 2009

OMG, do it!! The place seriously sounds heavenly.

renee143 · September 2009

me three.

Hippinski · September 2009

If I remember right my bf's mom might have gone there. I'll have to ask her. But it sounds like a heavenly place.

Mrs.tlcS · September 2009

One of the ladies in my local ICAN group had her VBAC there. She loooooooved it.

JCM083009 · September 2009

I want to as well. My friend was supposed to, but ended up having to be transferred for a C section just 4 days after Lucas was born.

I felt so bad for her b/c I know she really wanted to be there. It's very close by to where we live and I've thought about it should I be able to get pregnant again, but I'm pretty sure they don't take insurance, which really sucks.

moroccojade · September 2009

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!

DAuger · September 2009

I read Spiritual Midwifery when I was pregnant and it changed my life. I would LOVE to give birth there. Frame of mind is key with childbirth, and I think their positive mind set is why they have such a great VBAC and cesarean statistic. You should email her and try to "get in" for next time!

iris427 · September 2009

moroccojade:
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! Wink

moroccojade · September 2009

iris427:
moroccojade:
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!

Yes I couldn't agree with you more! Was so glad my DH was on one side of me in the OR and my MW on the other. But yeah. No knives next time around TYVM.

anna7602 · September 2009

I felt this way too when I read Ina May's book. DH's family lives in the south and I seriously asked him how many hours drive he thought it was from his parents' house to the Farm. It was too many for it to be realistic, but a girl can dream!

SeaSoul · September 2009

please do, and then tell us alllll about it!

Summerly2 · September 2009

I do too. It's only a couple of hours from us, but I'm still pretty sure we'd have to camp out there at the end of my pg (kids and all) b/c my labors go pretty quickly, once I decide I'm definitely in labor. No way I'd have made it with DD.

mominatrix · September 2009

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!

pinksweetpea2 · September 2009

I felt the same way when I read her books.

momofolivia · September 2009

ah i read all the real life birth stories in her book and just was so excited to give birth! I would have a "farm baby" in a heartbeat!

Germanwife2b · September 2009

I just recently read that and I want to deliver on the Farm too!! They are just amazing there and it really brings to light that when left alone with no intervention (or very little intervention) that babies can be born safely and effectively as mother nature intended!

Mike_Hunt · September 2009

I looked into it. Ina May is NOT doing births there anymore. She pops in very rarely, but there are other MWs who do the births.

moroccojade · September 2009

fredalina:

BUT i've heard so many really bad things about the Farm in general that i don't know... It's not the haven it sounds like, that's for sure.

What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!

LittleEgypt · September 2009

iris427:
moroccojade:

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!

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.

Mjmksb04 · September 2009

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.

*blondiem* · September 2009

I do too, Iris. I do too.

iris427 · September 2009

fredalina:
moroccojade:
fredalina:

BUT i've heard so many really bad things about the Farm in general that i don't know... It's not the haven it sounds like, that's for sure.

What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!

Oh, when you live in Middle TN, you get to know people who lived there. i've known a few people who were raised there. They were told IF they could go to college and what they would study, not given a choice, just for one example. The leader (forget his name) is treated like a God, so it's becoming almost cultish. People are shunned (and asked to leave) if they don't perfectly toe the party line as far as the above. Nothing truly egregious, just not somewhere i'd want to live or raise my family, you know?

i've been there a few times to buy veggies, handmade items, books, etc, and accompanied my friend to the midwife appointments, but even she (the crunchiest veganest APest hippy i've ever known) wouldn't want to live there. Her son's father was raised there and was, frankly, loony tunes. He was her ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant and admitted to poking a hole in the condom so she'd stay with him (she didn't). In fact the reason i went was because she was afraid of him seeing her driving up to the midwife office (i was protection lol). Now, he's one guy, but from what i've known of a couple of other acquaintances who were raised there, he's pretty typical of certain odd behavior quirks.

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.

goodheartedmommy · September 2009

iris427:
fredalina:
moroccojade:
fredalina:

BUT i've heard so many really bad things about the Farm in general that i don't know... It's not the haven it sounds like, that's for sure.

What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!

Oh, when you live in Middle TN, you get to know people who lived there. i've known a few people who were raised there. They were told IF they could go to college and what they would study, not given a choice, just for one example. The leader (forget his name) is treated like a God, so it's becoming almost cultish. People are shunned (and asked to leave) if they don't perfectly toe the party line as far as the above. Nothing truly egregious, just not somewhere i'd want to live or raise my family, you know?

i've been there a few times to buy veggies, handmade items, books, etc, and accompanied my friend to the midwife appointments, but even she (the crunchiest veganest APest hippy i've ever known) wouldn't want to live there. Her son's father was raised there and was, frankly, loony tunes. He was her ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant and admitted to poking a hole in the condom so she'd stay with him (she didn't). In fact the reason i went was because she was afraid of him seeing her driving up to the midwife office (i was protection lol). Now, he's one guy, but from what i've known of a couple of other acquaintances who were raised there, he's pretty typical of certain odd behavior quirks.
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

iris427 · September 2009

goodheartedmommy:
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.

Smile

Geekchick921 · September 2009

iris427:
goodheartedmommy:

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. Wink

JCM083009 · September 2009

fredalina:
moroccojade:
fredalina:

BUT i've heard so many really bad things about the Farm in general that i don't know... It's not the haven it sounds like, that's for sure.

What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!

Oh, when you live in Middle TN, you get to know people who lived there. i've known a few people who were raised there. They were told IF they could go to college and what they would study, not given a choice, just for one example. The leader (forget his name) is treated like a God, so it's becoming almost cultish. People are shunned (and asked to leave) if they don't perfectly toe the party line as far as the above. Nothing truly egregious, just not somewhere i'd want to live or raise my family, you know?

i've been there a few times to buy veggies, handmade items, books, etc, and accompanied my friend to the midwife appointments, but even she (the crunchiest veganest APest hippy i've ever known) wouldn't want to live there. Her son's father was raised there and was, frankly, loony tunes. He was her ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant and admitted to poking a hole in the condom so she'd stay with him (she didn't). In fact the reason i went was because she was afraid of him seeing her driving up to the midwife office (i was protection lol). Now, he's one guy, but from what i've known of a couple of other acquaintances who were raised there, he's pretty typical of certain odd behavior quirks.

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.

moroccojade · September 2009

JCM083009:
fredalina:
moroccojade:
fredalina:

BUT i've heard so many really bad things about the Farm in general that i don't know... It's not the haven it sounds like, that's for sure.

What did you hear? Veeeeery curious!

Oh, when you live in Middle TN, you get to know people who lived there. i've known a few people who were raised there. They were told IF they could go to college and what they would study, not given a choice, just for one example. The leader (forget his name) is treated like a God, so it's becoming almost cultish. People are shunned (and asked to leave) if they don't perfectly toe the party line as far as the above. Nothing truly egregious, just not somewhere i'd want to live or raise my family, you know?

i've been there a few times to buy veggies, handmade items, books, etc, and accompanied my friend to the midwife appointments, but even she (the crunchiest veganest APest hippy i've ever known) wouldn't want to live there. Her son's father was raised there and was, frankly, loony tunes. He was her ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant and admitted to poking a hole in the condom so she'd stay with him (she didn't). In fact the reason i went was because she was afraid of him seeing her driving up to the midwife office (i was protection lol). Now, he's one guy, but from what i've known of a couple of other acquaintances who were raised there, he's pretty typical of certain odd behavior quirks.
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.

tmp-214118062502913 · September 2009

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. Smile

iris427 · September 2009

mdjunebride:
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.

Can you elaborate? I'm curious.

jebuell · September 2009

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.

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