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Where, Oh Where, To Birth?!?!?
- Jan 25, 2010 at 9:48 PM
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- Comments (25) Total Views (1027) Everyone can see this journal post.
With a lot of my friends seeming to pop up pregnant lately, I thought I would take the time to cover this very important part...The Birth! It's the most wonderful thing, your baby being born... but where? Long ago there was only one choice. Now days, there are others. But are they really the best? Lets take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly... ok, maybe not ugly...
HOME BIRTH
Advantages of home birth...
Statistics show that home birth is as safe or safer than hospital birth for low-risk women with adequate prenatal care, and a qualified attendant.
At home a woman can labor and birth in privacy and comfort of the familiar surroundings of her own home, surrounded by loved ones, in whatever positions and attire she finds most comfortable.
The laboring woman maintains control over everything impacting her labor and birth. Meeting her needs is the only focus of all those present. Nothing is done without consent.
Labor is allowed to progress normally, without interference and unnecessary interventions.
Studies show that the risk of infection is reduced for both the mother and baby.
During labor the woman is encouraged to eat, drink, walk, change position, make noise, shower, bathe, etc.
Care-givers are invited guests in the birthing woman’s home. She can have anyone she desires present: family, friends, children, etc. Her medical team (midwife and birth assistant) do not go home because their shift is has ended. They also don't take the day off because they planned something else or because it is a holiday.
She doesn't have to worry about when to go to the hospital since her care-providers come to her.
Continuous one-on-one care is given by the midwife, providing ongoing assessment of the baby's and mother's condition throughout the birth process and postpartum period. Her care provider knows her well and she knows her care provider. They have established a trust relationship.
Women are supported throughout the hard work of labor, and encouraged through the personal experience being derived from such a powerful life changing event.
Bonding is enhanced and includes everyone who has contact with the baby including neighbors and relatives. Breast feeding is facilitated by the baby remaining with the mother.
Disadvantages of home birth...
Clients must assume a greater responsibility for their own health: physical, mental, and spiritual. This requires active ongoing participation in decision making in all aspects of their care, and a willingness to accept the consequences of those choices and decisions.
Since the hospital is currently the socially accepted location of birth, choosing otherwise may result in negative judgments and lack of support.
Cesarean section, forceps deliveries and a neonatalogist are not available at home. Transport to the hospital is necessary for these and other medical interventions.
Personal arrangements must be made for postpartum care, such as meals, housekeeping, child care, etc.
The cost of home birth may not be covered by the client's insurance.
BIRTH CENTER
Advantages of a birth center birth...
The facility is usually only provided for pregnancy and birth events.
In a birth center, pregnancy is considered a natural and healthy process.
During pregnancy and birth women are encouraged to show responsibility for their own health care.
It provides an alternative to parents not comfortable home birth, yet who are not wanting to give birth in a hospital.
It has many of the same advantages as home birth, such as greater parental control, non-interventive obstetrical care, freedom to eat and move during labor, and to give birth in any position, and to have family and friends attend the birth.
It offers personalized care at a much lower cost than traditional hospitals.
In most centers, parents can meet the entire staff prior to the birth.
The rate of cesarean and forceps deliveries is less than hospitals.
The discharge time after birth is normally measured in hours not days.
Disadvantages of a Birth Center birth...
Rigid screening criteria often eliminate healthy mothers, i.e., VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), mothers over 35, twin and breech births.
The mother is still moved to the birth center during labor, and still labors away from the home environment.
Many have rigid rules concerning transporting of the mother to the hospital (i.e., prolonged labor, ruptured membranes).
There are usually no pediatricians on staff if the baby has special needs.
The mother cannot remain at the birth center for a two or three day rest; discharge is usually within 4 to 24 hours after birth.
HOSPITAL
Advantages of a hospital birth...
Many mothers feel safest laboring at a hospital.
It is the safest environment for the mother at risk of certain medical complications during labor.
It is the only option available in the event a cesarean is necessary.
Immediate pediatric attention is available should the newborn need immediate medical care.
It has round the clock help for the mother and baby.
Disadvantages of hospital birth...
The parents are not on "home ground" and do not have the same control.
Hospitals can seem impersonal and intimidating.
The father is less likely to be actively involved in a hospital setting, and may feel like an "outsider".
Some routine separation of the mother and baby is almost unavoidable.
The mother's birth is usually managed by experts trained in pathology, not normal births.
The mother is at a significantly higher risk of having an unnecessary cesarean section. (In Corpus Christi, TX that risk is almost 1 in 3)
The risk of complications or infections caused by medical interference to the mother and baby is greater among mothers who deliver in hospitals rather than with the help of a qualified midwife in their own home.
Less privacy is available.
Most hospitals do not allow the mother much rest.
No matter who your care provider is (even if it's a midwife), you are still bound by hospital protocols and procedures. It is very difficult to have a non-medical birth in most hospitals.
*****
Do you see that? 11 advantages for home birth, while hospital birth only has 5. There are 5 disadvantages for home birth while there are 10 for hospital birth. I know from personal experience that the disadvantages at hospitals are true. It was the worst experience for me. I had to have my last son in a hospital, and it was the WORST thing I've ever had to go through. I know that a lot of moms don't even think about anything but the hospital, but you DO have a choice! Birthing Centers have one of the lowest rates of emergency c-sections.. because the mothers don't need them!
Dont you think it's funny that the same women who gives birth in a birthing center or even at home wouldn't need a c-section, but put her in the hospital and it's likely. (It happened to me... 2 births in a birthing center.. but once I was in the hospital, they were pushing for C-section.. because I labored for *gasp* 4 hours in the early morning!) Another thing that irks me about hospitals is that they try to schedual the birth! If you don't labor before your due date they try to induce you. There is no need!!! I've found that a lot of the time, it's for the convenience of the doctor. (In my opinion, they knew they'd have to be on call 24-7.. if they didn't want to do that, why did they become a doctor in the first place???) I know that if, God willing, I get pregnant again.. it will be a home birth. Never in a hospital again! (I'll write THAT experience in another blog later.. ugh)
Comments:
i love this journal post. i delivered my son at abirthing center. whenever i get pregnant again i will have a homebirth. i loved everything about the b/c except having to get in the car and drive 45 mins, ugh. i try my best to inform women about the risks of the hospital, but ( i hate to say this) most of them have to have a horrific experience before they think otherwise. someone once made the comment "why have a natural (painful) birth? you go home with the same thing (referring to the baby). this was coming from a lady who had a c/section and stayed in the hospital for a week with her baby in the nicu being fed some special serum because he was only 4 lbs! all i could do was smh.
loved my homebirth. the disadvantage of it was when DH threw out his back right after the birth I didn't have nurses around to wait on me, and I felt SO good that I really didn't need it as much, lol. If we have anymore children(we have 3) DH is going to a chiropractor to keep his back in shape for the big day, lol. For those afraid of the pain management look into hypnobabies(google it), I loved it!!!!
I love our AP group and feel so happy for those of you ladies not having a hospital birth. I just don't have the guts (or the room in our tiny rented house) to do it. I try to go as natural as possible while at the hospital, though :)
I think this is awesome. I would so go home birth if I knew that i didn't have NICU babies.
I went with midwives last time. I was SO excited too! It would have been a hospital delivery anyway but they have relaxing birthing rooms there (not the cold white rooms like your normal hospital). Well, I went 3 months between appointments (11weeks - 22weeks) due to doctor faults and insurance lapses (thanks, army!!) and when I went in to see my midwife with 5 IN 30 MINUTE-CONTRACTIONS (when 4-6 in an HOUR is cause for concern) she didn't even do a pelvic exam to see if I had dilated at all... then a week later I lost my son...
So I'm sure you can imagine I'm a little burnt up about that, and now I'm considered high-risk and will need all sorts of interventions just to keep my baby inside full-term. My uterus prolapsed, I have an incompetent cervix, the "specialist" who "delivered" my son (he was in my room a total of 5 minutes the entire time I was there) crushed my left ovary in post-delivery uterine massage and now there's a massive lump in that area (ovary or cyst or something, who knows)...
I'm not a fan of doctors... obviously since that guy didn't do a great job at taking care of me... but neither did the midwife. She did nothing but repeat "drink more water, put your feet up" over and over and send me home because it was her lunch break. I need more than that... but I won't be trusting a doctor to take care of me either. Hubby and I are taking things into our own hands, I'm not going to be as nice this time around and I will get EVERYTHING I feel I need... but midwives are just less invasive and want to stay out of things... as much as I would love that experience, my body just won't allow it...
So while I agree with this blog completely, and would even LOVE a homebirth... I just can't. Pros and cons are out the window when it comes to even having this baby at all. It sucks! lol... but it's all worth it.
Jesika.. as someone who is studying to be a midwife, I'm going to let you in on a secret... Most midwives who work in the hospitals act JUST like the doctors. I think it's because being around all of that makes them "hard". I have NEVER heard of or seen a homebirth / birthing center midwife act that way. (And trust me, I've seen "midwives" who work in hospitals.. and I use that term loosely...)
And, with this pregnancy.. go somewhere else and get another opinion. What happened last time might not happen this time. Get a second opinion. especially if you don't have a hospital birth. *HUGS* Good luck hun! :)
Well, they had their own clinic, they just had a wing at the hospital of their own for their birthing rooms, in case they needed an emergancy staff for whatever reason during delivery. I'm hoping that this pregnancy goes well, and if the next one does too, we are really hoping for a decent midwife experience later on. Right now we're just hurt from the experience and afraid of something awful happening again so we won't risk it.
We're doing the hospital thing for the next two for sure, but I really hope we get the more natural delivery we wanted last time with a baby in the future... I would love that so much!!
this was great. I had a c-section and needed to read this. i am hoping for a home birth since birth centers here in FLa do not take first time VBACers
This is why we're having a home birth with this baby. I have an awesome midwife, and I'm so excited.
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omgosh thank you so much...I have been debating this ever since we started ttc...This was a great blog.
- julieobug
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