Roll Call: Who is planning an out of hospital birth?

BurlapandLace · January 2018

Home Birth?
Free standing (not connected to or associated with a hospital) birth center?
Other out of hospital option?

Anyone else planning an out of hospital birth? I’m just taking the temperature to see if there are enough of us interested in a thread specific to our prep, planning, education, etc.

*This is not to exclude those going for a natural birth in a hospital. I have just found that in the past with a thread/check-in of this sort, the questions and prep and conversations are a bit different than with those planing to go natural in a hospital setting*

twelvetwosomeonenew · January 2018

While I will be delivering in a hospital, I would LOVE to see the difference in prep for those of you opting not to!

helenbz · January 2018

I suppose I’d be interested in finding out a bit more about the advantages.

Ive never even considered anything other than a hospital birth after seeing what can go wrong with my sisters delivery and seeing how quickly they can act when the OR is in the same building...but I’d be interested why people would choose a non hospital setting. Pros/cons/what considerations need to be made etc.

pewpewpewme · January 2018

I'm looking into a birthing center with a midwife. It would be my first choice but I have to gather the info/take a tour and see what it costs.

=caenis= · January 2018

I might be doing a homebirth, but not sure yet. I really wanted to do this for my first pregnancy, but I had to be induced so needed to be at the hospital. Then I had severe tearing and needed to go into surgery to get stitched up. I'm nervous about a repeat performance. Homebirth is the standard where I live. Everyone gets a "birthing box" full of all the supplies you'd need (padding, antiseptics, umbilical cord clamp, etc.). Your midwife attends the birth, but they are trained to usher you to the hospital at the first sign of trouble.

My other choice is a birthing center associated with the local hospital. It's technically under the same roof, but is a kind of "birth hotel" that has separate staff, and your own midwife presides over the birth.

alena425 · January 2018

Do your research if you plan to deliver in a birth center with a midwife. I switched to a midwife at 25 weeks with my first child and the midwife kept telling me I would have a perfect birth and the baby was head down and ready to go. Upon arriving to the birth center while deep in labor, they determined my baby was breech! She had been breech for a long time based on what the nurses told me at the hospital. Long story short - I was transferred by ambulance to the hospital while pushing - not fun. And I delivered about 5 minutes upon arriving at the hospital in a cold, steel room, with no medication - Frank Breech. If you choose a midwife route, I highly recommend you advocate for yourself and get that last ultrasound! The midwives won't!

BurlapandLace · January 2018

@alena425 ~ I’m sorry you had a bad experience with your midwife. But that’s not going to be everyone’s experience with Midwives. My midwife suspected that DS was breech and insisted I do an ultrasound to confirm - when we did we discovered he was frank breech as well. I ended up having an ECV and had a vaginal birth with my midwife team.

Again, I am sorry your experience was different. But to say that ALL midwives are going to miss that a baby is breech in prenatals and not suggest an ultrasound to confirm is a false statement.

lovesclimbing · January 2018

alena425 said:

Do your research if you plan to deliver in a birth center with a midwife. I switched to a midwife at 25 weeks with my first child and the midwife kept telling me I would have a perfect birth and the baby was head down and ready to go. Upon arriving to the birth center while deep in labor, they determined my baby was breech! She had been breech for a long time based on what the nurses told me at the hospital. Long story short - I was transferred by ambulance to the hospital while pushing - not fun. And I delivered about 5 minutes upon arriving at the hospital in a cold, steel room, with no medication - Frank Breech. If you choose a midwife route, I highly recommend you advocate for yourself and get that last ultrasound! The midwives won't!

*lurker*

I am surprised that a midwife could miss that, and like @burlapandlace said, not everyone's midwife experience will be like that. I had midwives at a birth center with my daughter. At every appointment, they felt my belly and could tell by feel what way she was. At one late appointment (35-36 weeks ish), she couldn't quite tell and said if they still couldn't tell at my next appointment which way she was, they'd send me for an ultrasound. They were able to tell at the next one, and I didn't have an ultrasound. She was delivered safely by them head down.

My mother had midwives, and they could tell that one of my siblings was breech ahead of time. She went to a doctor who successfully performed an ECV and then a few weeks later, delivered her head down with the midwives.

I'm curious how the nurses at the hospital could know the baby had been breech for awhile. It's definitely possible, albeit unusual, for babies to flip last minute in between your last appointment and going into labor.

alena425 · January 2018

@BurlapandLace - I trusted them 100% but they missed this...100%!! They felt my belly every week and kept telling me she was head down. Until you go through it, you'll never know I guess. But midwives are very capable of missing the obvious...an ultrasound would have picked that up immediately.

alena425 · January 2018

I didn't say "all" will miss this - only that each person should do their research and advocate for themselves! @BurlapandLace

murraydog2008 · January 2018

I believe it's pretty essential to do your research regardless of whether or not you're working with a midwife or an OBGYN. In order to have the best experience possible for you and your child, having as much information going into it is absolutely essential. When I decided that I was going to attempt an unmedicated birth, I read every single book I could get my hands on so I knew what to expect and had as much information going into it as possible. I know there are circumstanced that would have changed the outcome that no amount of knowledge could have helped, but knowing the risks of both scenarios helped me make an informed decision for myself and my baby. I had my first baby with an OBGYN and my second I worked with a midwife group and was actually delivered by a midwife student. I will say that in my experience, there were very few differences in the treatment I received from both providers. I had the same number of appointments and ultrasounds with my second as I did with my first in the OBGYN setting. This time, I'm working with a different midwife group and it's been exactly the same as the first 2 times - the same number ultrasounds and the care schedule is very similar.

I guess the moral of the story is - this could have happened to any provider MW or OB. Be your own advocate. If you think you need another ultrasound to confirm baby's position in the end phase, ask for one.

Dashaina · January 2018

I'm planning an unassisted birth at home. I'd be interested in a thread specifically relating to this type of birth experience too.

flockofmoosen3 · January 2018

Lurker from July board...hello!
My BFF, for whatever reason, never had ultrasounds in her 2nd pregnancy. Her midwife was confident that she was measuring on track and apparently wasn't concerned. She did a home birth and delivered one baby, only to discover that there was another baby sitting breech! Surprise twins! She was rushed at that point to the hospital for an emergency C-section and baby #2 was almost half the size of her twin. Both kids are happy and healthy today but it could have been bad for any of them. Moral,according to my friend is get at least one ultrasound and have a back up plan in place for emergencies.

LaceyBee522 · January 2018

**lurking**
@Dashaina hi girl!! Nice to see you! How are you doing???

Dashaina · January 2018

LaceyBee522 said:

**lurking**
@Dashaina hi girl!! Nice to see you! How are you doing???

Why does your screen name sound so familiar?? Tell me! Hee hee.

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