Who's Giving Birth at Home?

tasiaceleste · July 2012

Maybe we've been over this, but I'm search-lazy and curious.

I'm a FTM, and we're planning on a home birth. Anyone else?

jacksmom119 · July 2012

Im not, just not my thing but I'm all for it if that's what you're into but question...isn't there a lot of clean up after? I've always wondered this and I don't understand the logistics. Do you throw everything away?

Just curious

amberthehobbit · July 2012

I plan to. You should check out the natural birth board. About clean up: there's some prep to do like laying down plastic under sheets but the midwife takes care of all the clean up.

kristenolver · July 2012

I would like to but my husband is really hesitant. He wants me to find some statistics on the risk of home birth versus hospital birth. Does anyone know any articles or books to help with that?

amberthehobbit · July 2012

kristenolver:
I would like to but my husband is really hesitant. He wants me to find some statistics on the risk of home birth versus hospital birth. Does anyone know any articles or books to help with that?

The Center for Disease Control. Also, if you read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth she backs up most of her facts with studies that you can look up.

jillc2010 · July 2012

amberthehobbit:
kristenolver:
I would like to but my husband is really hesitant. He wants me to find some statistics on the risk of home birth versus hospital birth. Does anyone know any articles or books to help with that?
The Center for Disease Control. Also, if you read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth she backs up most of her facts with studies that you can look up.

This!

I am planning for one. My midwife gave us a list of everything we need to have in the house for when baby comes. On the list are plastic bed covers and spare shower curtains to lay out on the floor as well as large pads. The midwives clean up everything before they leave.

DelBride2012 · July 2012

kristenolver:
I would like to but my husband is really hesitant. He wants me to find some statistics on the risk of home birth versus hospital birth. Does anyone know any articles or books to help with that?

The data-tracking on this has not produced reliable numbers, according to epidemiologist Eugene Declerq, who has researched the topic. People on both sides of the debates will cite to one metric or another, but the reality is that no one really knows. I'd view a source that claims to know the American home birth perinatal rate very skeptically. The waters are further muddied because comparing American home birth generally to foreign home birth generally isn't very helpful because our home birth midwives aren't very consistently trained.

I saw BoBB and was keenly interested in home birth, but trying to verify what BoBB claimed and generally trying to verify the safety of American home birth didn't convince me to try it with my first baby.

CarynGunter · July 2012

I will be heading back to the hospital for LO2.

It's not a common thing where I live (New Brunswick, Canada...that's the province above Maine). We just started having certified Doulas and Midwives in the last few years. There were always a select few but the movement to include those individuals is certainly growing. My hospital provides various options for delivery (such a water births). However, you don?t get the comfort of home feeling.

Regardless, I am personally high risk so I would rather be at the hospital. The baby should be ok but I need to be monitored closely per and post delivery by a neurologist?something I doubt a midwife could provide.

Tinybride08 · July 2012

I fancied the idea, but it's not for me. When Layla was born last year at the hospital she wasn't breathing. I don't know what would have happened without the two nurses that were there to work on her. It was very scary.

alanap · July 2012

I'm not. My original intention was to give birth med-free at a hospital with a midwife for my 1st child and if that went well, do a home birth for my 2nd child.

However, after my great experience at the hospital I lost the desire to do it at home. For some reason, I like the feeling of going away to do it and then bringing the baby home.

Aloe0l · July 2012

I don't feel totally comfortable with a home birth - but mostly because I feel like I'm too lazy to get my house clean enough to where it would feel "sterile" enough to my liking.

I do wish I could have #2 in a birth center, but, our state laws don't allow first time VBAC's in birth centers. Secondary VBAC's are allowed, so I'm hoping if we decide to have #3 I'll be in a birth center.

Eaky77 · July 2012

Another thing to look into. My insurance will pay 100% for a hospital birth. For a home birth, my insurance will pay 0%. Just a heads up, look into what your insurance allows.

mcdeann · July 2012

I'm also a ftm. My state doesn't license home birth midwives, only hospital based nurse-midwives, so I can't do a home birth unless I want to pay out of pocket. A home birth is what I truly want, and I've enough education on the issue to have an opinion on it's safety and merits. If you haven't already, def go hang out on the natural birth boards. Just make sure you know what your state requires legally for midwives/birth certificates/etc and what your insurance will or will not cover. You might also look into a birth center or a hospital birth center, depending on your insurance. Mine covers a hospital birth center, so I'm stuck with that.

Most midwives are highly skilled and highly trained and can adequately deal with most emergencies that happen. There are a few rarer exceptions, some of these even a hospital birth couldn't have prevented/saved. Just know who you're dealing with and their level of experience.

Good luck to you!

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