Homebirthers
This is my third baby. My two other births were in the hospital, attended by midwives and without pain meds. I worked as a labor and delivery nurse for years and before that, as a doula. I have always dreamed of a homebirth. My husband is supportive, I am woking with a skilled CNM and am so thrilled that this (God willing) will become a reality. So, with that said, I am struggling because there is a small (microscopic, in fact!) part of me that says, "What if..."?? And I KNOW the answers- my midwife will be able forsee most problems and transer. I know from personal experience that is true. There are very few TRUE OB emergencies and being in the hospital doesn't necessarily make the outcomes any different.
So, my question is this. Am I alone? Did/does anyone have a tiny bit of apprehension- even if it's buried deep inside- about planning a homebirth? Or am I crazy??
Re: Homebirthers
We're planning a home birth and this is our first so I'm a little antsy because I don't really know what to expect.
I did have more fear that something would go terribly wrong and that I'd just be at home, unable to deal with a horrific scenario, and put my baby's and my life at risk. Talking with my midwives helped. And also listening to friends' and family members' birth stories in hospitals made me feel like the hospital didn't seem to have all the right answers either. In fact a lot of their solutions, to me, seemed way off. So now I actually feel WAY safer at home.
Im going to be birthing at home, this time around. My mom is my midwife and i trust her to the fullest but i still have those 'what if..' thoughts as well. I talk to her a lot about it. Ive also seen quite a few home births and heard even more stories. Things can go wrong either at the hospital or at home.
I am RIGHT there with you- I am not 100% sure we're homebirthing (interviewing a midwife next Wednesday) and starting the researching decision making process. DH is still quite a bit weary and his main concern is the "safety issue"
One of my arguments (and the one I tell myself as well) is that if I WERE to deliver in a hospital I would want to stay home as long as possible. So if Im going to labor at home it's actually SAFER to do so with a midwife trained to recognize potential issues (problem with me or the baby) than I am home on my own. kwim?
Anyway just wanted to say I don't have the magic answer but I am right there with you
I was in your exact shoes. Two hospital births and had a HB with #3. I'm one of those people that weighs stuff back and forth heavily, but once I make my mind up I'm usually good to go and don't worry much anymore. That's how it went with my HB. I went over all of the "what ifs" before I made my decision, but once I did my research, met with MWs and prayed about it - I never looked back.
To be 100% honest, it never crossed my mind to quesiton my decision while I was in labor. I was so focused that I almost forgot about all of that "risk" that had me worried in the beginning.
HB was the best decision I ever made. I loved my experience and plan to do it again with any future children.
Just make sure you do all of your research, do thorough interviews with your MWs, and pray about it. Good luck!
This.