Homebirth - water birth - natural birth

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

I am contemplating a water birth. Hopefully the birthing center will be open and running by January if not I will probably go the home birth route. Have any of you ladies had previous home/natural/water births with or without a midwife or doula. How was your experience? Would you follow the same route with your next baby? Thanks. Just looking for some hopefully positive feedback on the whole water birth thing. I dont know anyone personally who has had one. Everybody thinks I am a hippie because I want one. Lol. I think it would be awesome. But I want y'all's first hand experience.

NatureLovers · May 2014

Are you a first timer? What is drawing you to a home birth vs hospital?

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

I have no kiddos here yet. This will be my first child.
A lady I goto church with is a midwife and I really like the whole natural vibe. Not being in a hospital bed with an Iv and being able to feel like I can go my own speed. Talking to the midwife really made me want to go the whole natural route.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

I was also born in a birthing center and not a hospital.

BookitBoo · May 2014

I thought about a home birth but ultimately I chose to have a hospital birth because I lived an hour away from a reliable Hospital and Emergency Room. The distance was not something I was comfortable with should I or the baby need medical interventions.

NatureLovers · May 2014

All I can say is do your research, and carefully consider all the risks, not just the benefits. The midwives will tell you there's very little danger, and for most women this is true. However, you can find tons of stories of women who had totally normal pregnancy, and something catastrophic and unpredictable happened during birth, and the time necessary to transfer to the hospital can mean the difference between life and death.

I, too, like the obvious benefits of home birth, the cozy, familiar environment, freedom to eat, etc. But ultimately, I am choosing not to put the desire for a specific experience above safety. In the hospital, if something goes wrong, all the resources are right there, I never have to ask myself if my child was injured due to my desire to have a home birth.

At the very least I'd have one baby in the hospital as you have an untested pelvis- you can't count on having the exact same experience as your family members. How would you feel if your child suffered brain damage due to oxygen deprivation due to the time spent getting to the hospital? Think about those things and weigh them against your desire for a specific environment or experience. Good luck in your decision.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

That is my worry about home birth too @ICarriedAWatermelon‌ if the birthing center is open by then, which hopefully it will be, the hospital is about a mile away. So that would make me feel better. But I will still have that same worry.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

@RobertJane33‌ that would be great! I would love to hear about her story.

NatureLovers · May 2014

And by the way, my mother was a home birth midwife. I went to many, many births with her. The things I saw made me certain it's not a decision I would make for myself.

Most of the deliveries were fine - except when they weren't. Like the mom who unexpectedly had shoulder dystocia, resulting in her baby having a broken shoulder, collar bone, and permanent nerve damage. Or the mom that wound up in a coma after losing 2/3 of her blood volume waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Or the one who had a cord prolapse and her baby will require round the clock care for life since it took so long to get to the hospital.

I'm not trying to scare you, but you can't assume everything will be fine. All of those complications occurred at birth and were not predictable, and those mothers have to live with the consequences. It's something to think about.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

@NatureLovers‌ I totally agree with the concern there. I definitely am thinking hard about it. The midwife I am planning on using is opening a birthing center and it will hopefully be done by then. She has delivered over 1500 babies an only twice did they have to call an ambulance for an actual emergency. Like I said though. I am seriously weighing my options.

NatureLovers · May 2014

Dylan&Blakely said:
@NatureLovers‌ I totally agree with the concern there. I definitely am thinking hard about it. The midwife I am planning on using is opening a birthing center and it will hopefully be done by then. She has delivered over 1500 babies an only twice did they have to call an ambulance for an actual emergency. Like I said though. I am seriously weighing my options.

I understand your line of thinking, and the odds that something catastrophic will happen are low. And it's good that the hospital is only a mile away - but if you're unlucky enough to have a life or death situation, I doubt you'd feel that the hospital was "only a mile" away. It would feel like an eternity if the lives of either one of you was hanging in the balance.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

You're awesome @RobertJane33‌ thank you.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

And yes you are so correct. I think a lot will depend on how the next few months go. And I'll pray about and see what feels right. @NatureLovers‌

Lalalady54 · May 2014

All I am going to say is, medical professionals in the hospital are 100% there to help, not to hurt you, your baby or force anything on you that you don't want. I have seen the results of home births gone wrong, please be cautious.

MaPetiteFamille · May 2014

I think that birth centers affiliated with hospitals are an excellent option for someone interested in a safer home birth. However, birth centers that do not have a formal agreement with a hospital (for facilitating admission in case of a problem) make me uneasy. If the midwife you know is a certified nurse-midwife (CNM), she may have an affiliation. If she is a lay midwife or certified professional midwife, there cannot be a formal agreement. I also would not be reassured by her claim that she has only had to call an ambulance twice. A health care professional who claims they rarely need help makes me nervous. You want the person taking care of you to err on the side of caution when requesting consultation and assistance. You don't want them to be someone who's worried about breaking their two-ambulance record.

I'd encourage you to research the hospitals in your area. What are their c-section rates? Are they "mother and baby friendly" (a real designation)? Do they encourage rooming in? What is their breastfeeding rate? Do they use CNMs or only OBs? Are the providers called in from their own private practices, or are they labor and delivery hospitalists (meaning the person who delivers the baby is paid to be at the hospital regardless of how long you've been in labor)? All of these factors can play a huge role in determining what your experience will be like and the degree to which various interventions will be recommended. This is a good article summarizing this issue: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/in-delivery-rooms-reducing-births-of-convenience/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

I personally had an unmedicated birth in a hospital with a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). There was a birth center affiliated with the hospital (actually on its campus and staffed by the hospital's CNMs), but I chose not to go that route because I was uncomfortable having to be discharged 12 hours after delivering my first child (the policy of many birth centers). I'm a nurse practitioner, so I'm comfortable advocating for myself in a hospital and wasn't worried about being pushed into unnecessary interventions. But because I did my homework, I actually didn't need to. The hospital I chose has one of the lowest c-section rates in the state, and they use hospitalists so I never felt rushed. I pushed for 3 hours and labored in the tub, which was actually a little overwhelming for me (going through transition with a bunch of whirring jets just wasn't for me). And the L&D nurse and the CNM who delivered DD were amazing.

Honestly, hospitals aren't terrible places to give birth, but you need to choose one that is going to be supportive of your intentions and not seek to rush you through the process. Having a doula to advocate for you may also be a good option if you aren't comfortable doing so yourself.

IHeartScience · May 2014

Med free in a hospital was great for me. I had full emergency services available for the what ifs....I don't think I would have enjoyed the birth as much without that, and I found staying med free much easier because I knew I had options if I wanted them.

I would definitely recommend "hospital shopping" if you go that route. I am going back to mt auburn in Cambridge even though I now live further away. There are other possibilities that would make going to appointments easier, but the hospitals closer to me are less supportive of the kind of birth I want, and I don't think that labor is a great time to be in the stressful position of having to self advocate.

MaPetiteFamille · May 2014

@IHeartScience‌, that's funny, I had DD at Cambridge Hospital. I think we're lucky to have that and Mt. Auburn in our area.

jennkg3 · May 2014

My son was an accidental home birth. So my dh had to deliver him and it was an excellent experience for me lol dd was downstairs with my parents (who had arrived after the birth they were coming to watch dd so we could get to the hospital). DH couldn't get ds to breathe but he was still attached so he was fine but dh didn't know that so it was pretty traumatic as he believed ds was stillborn. I think if your husband is on board it's amazing. I hated giving birth at the hospital compared to my homebirth that being said we won't choose a homebirth it was scary and messy haha and my brain is with many others who fear the what ifs. I do know a lot of planned home and water births and they have all loved it. The paramedics that came after ds was born were amazing but they did take forever to get there my parents and the police got there first.

jennkg3 · May 2014

Oh and a midwife can come to the hospital and you can refuse all interventions. I planned on refusing an IV with ds but then remember if an emergency does happen where seconds matter it is convenient to already have a closed off iv in place just saying.

Dylan&Blakely · May 2014

Our hospital rate in this county for first time mothers is 50% and there is only one hospital that delivers babies. This midwife is one of the best in this area. I fully trust her. She has a great team. The hospital here also pushes a lot of meds and petocin. And epidurals and c sections when they aren't always needed. And that is my worry.

kegerrc1 · May 2014

I work with a home birth midwife and have attended several births with her, all of which have been water births. In fact, the first birth I went on with her was a shoulder dystocia and it turned out fine because she knew exactly how to manage the situation. I would definitely ask your midwife what complications she has managed, good or bad outcomes. I would also say to consider laboring in the pool but pushing on land because your midwife will have a better grasp on an emergency if it does arise.

4roed · May 2014

DS was a water birth baby at my midwife's birthing center 1.5 hours away from my house and 20 minutes from a hospital. Everything was perfect and I intend to do it with this LO hands down. Huge advocate for it.

TiffanyJill · May 2014

If all is well with baby and I we will be having an at home water birth. I have been drawn to it since a women's studies course I took in college. I just knew it was meant for me. The idea of being comfortable in my own home, not having to arrange for my child's birth to be centered around the convenience of the physician, a beautiful opportunity to focus on my strength, and getting the immediate contact with my baby. I don't want to have my child in a hospital where once s/he is born they are immediately taken away from me for "standard measures" I want my husband and I to have that precious time with our new baby.

dixiebelle_12 · May 2014

I had my first baby at a free standing birth center, and it was wonderful. I will be birthing with them again for this baby. My advice is to trust your gut. If you don't feel safe without all the hospital stuff, then go to a hospital, but if hospitals make you uncomfortable (like they do me) then by all means go to the birth center if they are open by then. I'm all for home birth as well as long as you have an experienced certified nurse midwife taking care of you, and you live very close to a hospital.

eplace0979 · May 2014

I am a nurse in a NICU and the birthing center near our hospital was shut down due to too many poor outcomes and lawsuits (and it was only 15 minutes From the hospital.) You can't always expect a birthing center to be a good middle ground between a home birth and a hospital. I would be weary of it just opening as well. With that being said, I am very cautious due to my experience at my job. It is always your decision, just make sure you do a lot of good research!!

Latham12 · May 2014

Why not go med free in a hospital? If you aren't induced and don't get an epidural, you don't have to have an IV. You have no idea how you will take labor/delivery pains. I know women were "made to do this" but along with that phrase came a lot of death from both mom and babies. Even with my epidural, I felt like my back was going to snap in half the entire time, I pushed for 3 1/2 hours and was screaming for a c-section and didn't get one. 4 months later I had to have back surgery for 2 herniated discs I suffered during delivery and couldn't hold or carry or pick up my baby for 8 weeks. You just never know. At least try for med free in a hospital for your first...

CrunchyMamaJen · May 2014

I didn't have a home birth previously, but am this time. I didn't have a terrible experience at the hospital, but I had to be induced at 41w because my body had not started labor. It was a long 17 hours of pitocin contractions with no epidural. If we had a birth center in our town, I would opt for that over a home birth, but we only have one midwife in town and she only does home births, so that is the route that we're going. I've met with her and asked a MILLION questions and DH and I both feel comfortable with her as well as her experience. Birth Without Fear has some fantastic suggestions for questions to ask a potential midwife(especially for home births) if you need help.

ecubaby19 · May 2014

I live in an area where home birth isn't an option so I'm not entertaining it. I'd like to try other pain relief than an epidural but I'm completely open to it if I can't handle the pain. I do think that I am perfectly capable of doing it and would actually like to feel what's going on in my body. I'm hoping to go natural but I know things happen and could end up with a C-section which is like my worst nightmare. In school, I had to be present for several and every time I had to leave the room bc I felt like I was going to pass out. Vaginal births never got to me.

mpiemont · May 2014

I had 2 natural, med free births in the hospital (one with a midwife, one with an OB) and had a great experience. I didn't have time to get in the water with either (got into delivery room at 9am with my first and 8cm with my 2nd). We had a doula for both. do your research. Find a midwife and doula who have done home births before. Good luck with your decision.

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