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Natural Birth
venussapphire
member
for those who have done both...
venussapphire
member
Hospital and Home Births
which did you prefer and why?
thanks
This discussion has been closed.
Re: for those who have done both...
Definitely home!
My hospital birth wasn't bad, but the 40 minute car ride to the hospital (that I picked because it was NB friendly) was terrible, and we did it twice as I went in too early at first. The nurses were pretty good and I loved my midwife, but after the birth DD was admitted to special care for "breathing issues" which weren't issues at all and that never would have happened at home. She ended up being in the hospital for 5 days for no reason and it was pretty bad.
DD's birth was also relatively easy and pretty much "textbook" for a first timer.
DS's home birth was more complicated (he was OP) and my cervix was also posterior so after more than 12 hours of labor, I was only at 2cm. Had I been in the hospital I probably would have been pushed into getting Pitocin which likely would have lead to an epi since his labor overall was much more difficult and pushing lasted more than 2 hours (vs. 30 minutes with DD). Being home helped me avoid unnecessary interventions. My midwife has been doing home births for 30 years so she knew exactly what I needed in order to progress. It was an awesome experience and when we have #3 we will do another homebirth providing I have another uncomplicated pregnancy.
Well I haven't done home yet but I've done hospital and birth center (that was only a 5-minute drive from my home, and they bill themselves as a "maxi-home, not a mini-hospital".)
Hands down, birth center wins. I felt that my wishes were respected every step of the way. Whereas at the hospital, yes, in the end I got an unmedicated birth, but I had to fight for every little thing I wanted, and that was NOT something I wanted to do in labor again. I hated being forced into their routines for no reason at all - my baby and I were doing just fine.
I haven't done both, yet, but the next will definitely be at home if possible.
We had a lovely hospital birth. Our wishes were completely respected, and I loved all of the staff we worked with. However...the car ride = the worst pain and fear of the whole experience. Of course, it helped that I was in the heat of transition in the car due to a much more precipitous labor than we were expecting.
The next time, I want my healthcare provider to come to me instead. There is no way in hades that I will be spending any amount of time laboring in a car again, if I can help it.
Home. I had a fabulous hospital birth experience, but home was... home. It is hard to put into words. Have you ever read On the Day You Were Born? The part that goes "You slipped out of the dark quiet, where suddenly you could hear a circle of people singing with voices familiar and clear." In the hospital, the voices in that circle weren't so familiar -- I went through seven different nurses and OBs over the course of my labor (it was long!), only one of whom I had met in advance. At home, I knew everyone, and it felt like the way labor was supposed to be, surrounded by knowledgeable women who understood what I was going through. I loved that my midwife had to slip away to pump for her own infant at home while I nursed DS for the first time. Just little things like that.
And it was wonderful having my midwife a quick phone call away, but NOT being bothered by nurses and doctors and other moms and babies in those early days. It was wonderful not having to pack up and go home a day or two after the birth.
Like I said, my hospital birth was fabulous, but the only reason I would have a future baby in the hospital is for medical or serious financial reasons.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
from a pure comfort perspective, i doubt you'll get much response from moms who had both hospital and home births and preferred the hospital birth.
i have two children: two home-labors, one hospital birth and one homebirth. the first birth ended in hospital transfer for c/s. not one thing about my hospital birth would i like to repeat. i found the hospital staff to be rude, condescending and mocking. the hospital stay was invasive, yet inattentive. my OB's instructions were not relayed to me through the nursing staff, and they frequently "forgot" simple things, like to turn on the anti-histamine drip, to take out the catheter, that my baby was rooming in and should not be removed from my room without me or my husband accompanying him. they also sent my placenta for routine testing after i'd requested to take it home.
we didn't have any of these problems at home.
my baby never left my sight and everyone respected our wishes. and i happily ate my placenta for several weeks, instead of mourning the loss of the opportunity.
unless it is medically required, i'll never have a baby in a hospital (if we have more children, that is!)