home birth mamas

[monalisasus]

I am plannign my second homebirth in october. Imy dd is 2.5 years old currently and will almost be three at the time of the birth. I was curious would you let a child of that age witness the birth? or do you think I would scare her with my moaning and just allow her to come see the baby as soon as its born? She doesnt scare easily but she has huge amounts of empathy so she might be worried for mama. 

[larissalarie]

Only home birth moms opinions count?

Bump I guess.

[tansyflower]

i didnt want my son with me only because he is super hyper at times and i wanted to be able to focus on what i was doing.  if he had been a calmer child i probably would have let him be there lol :)

[mrs.hartman12]

I struggled with this for my 3 yo, in the end we decided to let her be there but had a friend on call just in case. I ended up in labor at night after she was in bed. After the fact we figured out she woke up at some point but stayed in her room. When Dh went to get her up, her eyes were squeezed shut. She ran out of her room and came running to see the baby. For us we wanted her to see a normal birth and be part of it. I don't mind her knowing how babies are born. I hope both my daughters get yo see the next one when we conceive again.

[mrs.hartman12]

She is probably just asking because home birth and hospital experiences are so different and children aren't allowed at hospitals so no hospital mom has that experience either, I don't think she was snubbing. What's your opinion on the question though?

Quoting larissalarie:

Only home birth moms opinions count?



Bump I guess.

[larissalarie]

It doesn't matter what my opinion is :-)

And I guess the hospitals I've given birth at are weird because children are allowed as long as they have someone there to care for them.

Quoting mrs.hartman12:

She is probably just asking because home birth and hospital experiences are so different and children aren't allowed at hospitals so no hospital mom has that experience either, I don't think she was snubbing. What's your opinion on the question though?

Quoting larissalarie:

Only home birth moms opinions count?





Bump I guess.

[MaryJarrett]

I'm going to let both my girls be here for my UC in late Sept/early Oct. My younger will be 3 in April. I don't see why you wouldn't have your children there.
Then again I also let them help with birth prep. Watching online birth videos, reading to them from my birth books, etc.

[monalisasus]

oh geeze lol, of course not, but I was curious what others have done, thats all. 

Quoting larissalarie:

Only home birth moms opinions count?

Bump I guess.

[monalisasus]

Thats how I am leaning, I want her to know what birth is really like from first hand experience rather than the media, but Im not sure she will be able to really get what is going on. I am jsut worried she might jsut want me to play lol, so I might have to have my mom there too, which would be ok. 

Quoting MaryJarrett:

I'm going to let both my girls be here for my UC in late Sept/early Oct. My younger will be 3 in April. I don't see why you wouldn't have your children there.
Then again I also let them help with birth prep. Watching online birth videos, reading to them from my birth books, etc.

[monalisasus]

I honestly didnt even think of the hospital thing because I didn't know they allowed children to watch you push. I have only had a home birth so the hospital thing is foreign to me. Chalk this up to ignorance I guess. 

Quoting monalisasus:

oh geeze lol, of course not, but I was curious what others have done, thats all. 

Quoting larissalarie:

Only home birth moms opinions count?

Bump I guess.

[Cynthje]

I would but i would take time to explain it to them before and have them watch birthing videos online before so that they are somewhat prepared