How do you feel about the debate of home birth vs. hospital birth?

My mother had all of us naturally, two girls with midwives in her home and one boy at The Farm in the early to mid 80s.
I’d like to do it similarly, but we’ll see how I feel when I have a ten pound bowling ball demanding to make an entrance.

Fun fact, the woman pictured on the Wiki article, Ina May Gaskin is the founder and the midwife assisting in my brother’s birth which happened on her birthday. :)

I wanted my epidural, so I chose the hospital. I also was also more trusting of a hospital, especially if there was a complication.

Since then I have met a friend who had her first child at a birthing center and her other two children at home (one just last week!) and I might be a convert. Hospitals are full of germs because, face it, that is where sick people go.

If a woman has an uneventful pregnancy with no complications, a good tolerance of pain, and an experienced midwife then it might be the right choice.

If the baby is healthy, I see no problem with home births with a midwife. But if the baby’s sick in some way, the woman shouldn’t refuse medical attention.

I feel that it is in the child’s best interest to be born in a hospital in case something goes wrong.

Home birth seems to be more or less the standard in Holland. Their system appears to be built up around that. I don’t know what to think.

I’m planning on using a midwife for childbirth. Im against the idea of doing it at the hospital (for me). In college i read articles that talked about doctors scheduling unneccessary C-sections, not for the safety of mother or baby, but for convenience of schedule for the Doctor.

Also, giving birth laying on your back makes no sense whatsoever, with the exception that it is more convenient for the Doctor to be positioned to do his thing. If gravity can be to your benefit, why not use it?

I’ve researched the whole underwater birth idea and I think i like it. I’d like to do my births as natural as possible. (all those drugs they pump into at the hospital go directly into your baby)

It would be ideal to be in a place that (god forbid) anything goes wrong, i would be able to get to a hospital quickly, Because as much as I want a natural childbirth, I’d never refuse medical attention for myself or my baby that was needed.

I regard home birth about as highly as I regard home brain surgery. Fine if it goes well, a completely unnecessary disaster if it doesn’t.

Also, how do you feel about the rising rates of c-sections? I think 1 in 3 women are having c-sections.

@nayeight I think it’s the patient’s right to deny any treatment.

I’m a man, so I have little say in it. Sounds like birth at home is a good idea, especially now that homes are clean and you can get help if you need it. But I think whatever the mother’s more comfortable with, I would not push her either way.

My ex wife recently accused me of making her walk, which is simply what her doctor had ordered her. We only walked once, and then her waters broke the same night. Then again, she’s accused me of a lot of things.

@Jack79 I, too, have noticed that memories are greatly skewered after a divorce.

Ever since I thought about having kids, I wanted a natural birth but as most american women, I never considered having it anywhere other than a hospital. After watching this documentary and doing some research online, I am having second thoughts about having my child in a hospital. Like SarahBeth said, there have been many cases where you get to the hospital and they rush you by inducing your labor or give you unecessary drugs and then recommend unecessary c-sections for the safety of the baby. Unless I have a high risk pregnancy or really need to be in the hospital, I would much rather have the baby at home. I also hate how they just tear the baby away from you right after birth.

After having two easy and quick deliveries I contemplated having my third son at home. I had a friend who had done it just a couple of months previously and was incredibly happy with the entire thing. After tons of thought and even more research I ended up deciding to have him in the hospital.

After about six hours of labor my water broke. When it broke the baby dropped. When he dropped he brought the cord with him and smashed it – he stopped breathing. There happened to be a room set up for a scheduled c-section. I was in there within five minutes and that baby was out in ten. When he was delivered he still wasn’t breathing so they intubated him, he was breathing on his own pretty quickly after that. After he was born they said that it didn’t look like he was brain damaged but only time would tell. He hit all his milestones on time and I am grateful to be able to say he is now a healthy happy six year-old.

The entire time I was in the hospital every nurse and doctor who saw me and/or him told me what a miracle baby he was. My ob/gyn told me for the next couple of years, as did his pediatrician. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had decided to have that baby at home we would be severely brain damaged or he might not have made it at all. The precious time we saved by having the prepared OR right there saved him. Period.

While there is no arguing that hospitals need to work more with women to make the birthing experience more comfortable and natural and that there are many unnecessary c-sections, I for one would never take the chance of delivering my baby at home.

My ex-SIL had her first child in the hospital, but even brought her own Tylenol to keep the costs down (she is a nurse and knows what goes on). However, once it was discovered that she has a very easy time giving birth she chose to have her other two babies at home with a midwife.

In a perfect world I would see midwives, doulas, and OB/Gyns working together to provide mothers with the best and safest birthing experience. Often, potential problems can be predicted well in advance of the actual birth so those women would be encouraged to choose a hospital birth. Those first-time mothers with no apparent problems could choose to give birth in a birthing center that is connected to a hospital in case a problem arises. But then those women who have successfully and safely given birth before (such as my ex-SIL) could choose to give birth at home or in a birthing center.

Unfortunately, too many people rank these professionals differently, generally down-grading the skills of the midwives and the doulas, and placing the MDs on a pedestal and making of it a political situation. What it should be is three different professions working together to make the birthing process both as healthy and as rewarding as it can be for both mother and baby.

And my son was born in a hospital with all the attendant technology, but he still ended up with brain damage from lack of oxygen.

@SuperMouse Wow. No matter how gung-ho i am about natural homebirth, this is the perfect example of what terrifies me. Because although it may be true that women have been having babies long before hospitals existed, the fact is that the infant mortality rate is much lower now that most women use hospitals. no matter how ‘natural’ you want your birth to be, no mom would ever want to sacrifice the safety of herself or her baby.

@nayeight at the hospital where I delivered, after a simple, uncomplicated birth, they lay my son on my stomach and left him there until I was ready for them to take him. I held him and nursed him for a good hour at least.

The practice that I used when I had my son was great. From specialist to midwives and lots of birth plan choices. The hospital I used had rooms that would accommodate a water birth. If you wanted to use the ball to help you sit while giving birth, that was fine, if you wanted to stand and squat. Walking was encouraged and many options were given, if you didn’t want an epidural. Doulas were welcomed and in fact, encouraged. There were women on the floor that never saw a doctor, during delivery. They said they felt more comfortable using a midwife, but delivering at a hospital. Makes sense, in the county I live in, most people live away from the hospital…it’s not in a great location.

I have no problem with home births, but I don’t think I would have ever chosen to do it, even if I hadn’t had the complications I experienced. I worry about the “what ifs” and how far am I from the hospital. Now, I’m only 5 minutes from a new hospital…again, for a healthy pregnancy, which I did not experience, I might have considered a home birth.

Don’t discount the ability to have some of the more “modern” ways of birth, in a hospital. You will find that a lot of them, if they know you don’t want the epidurals and all the extras, will work with you. Ask what you can and can’t do…you just may be surprised.

Oh, one thing I loved about my practice, their c-section rate was very low. Now, I knew I would be, I had no choice, complicating medical issues on my part. They didn’t encourage them and rarely did the scheduled c-sections for patients. You go when you need to go, as long as it’s healthy for the patient, that is what they went with. If you weren’t in danger – or the baby, then nope. Not a chance. Good for them!

Look up the book “Birth Without Violence” by Dr Leboryer. It is kind of hippie because of when it was written, but it caused me to think of birth from the babies perspective. My kids didn’t cry when they were born and had their eyes open in wonder!

@asmonet !!!! Ina May delivered your brother?! I’m jealous of your mother!!! That woman is amazing.

I chose a hospital birth. Mainly because I have severe anxiety, and I was worried I would panic from the contractions. Technically, I did panic…because I could not control the pain. I let the pain engulf me. I wish I hadn’t. I think I would have enjoyed giving birth more.
I had a very long labor, but was determined to have a vaginal delivery and I got it.
I pushed for 3 hours straight. They even left me alone with my husband, while I pushed and my husband held my legs up.

I regret the hospital we gave birth at. They kept me from my son for 4 hours. They gave him vaccines instantly. They gave him a bath. They gave him a pacifier. All things I never ever wanted to happen to any of my children.
Newborns do not need those baths. They don’t need pacis. They don’t need vaccines straight out of the womb.
Hopsitals are very dangerous. They carry the nastiest viruses and diseases. You don’t need to sterilize your home to give birth.

I’m all for homebirths. I am not a fan of unassisted births though. I believe births should be supervised by a certified midwife or doula.
I’m not sure what I’ll do for the next pregnancy. I might go to The Birth Center I went there for the information session, but ended up not giving birth there before. They have a fantastic facility and it’s directly next to a hospital where the midwifes have rights to be in the delivery room and deliver the baby…

@casheroo what vaccine was given so quickly? Was it the vitamin K injection?

Casheroo, that’s right. be jealous. ;)

@SuperMouse They give Hep B when babies are born, as well as the vitamin K.

I think most modern hospitals are very accommodating to more natural methods. The key is getting a doctor who is, too. Or using a midwife instead.

I really wanted to give birth in a birthing center, but all of my pregnancies were high risk so the hospital was the only safe place for us. That said, I never had an epidural, all three were vaginal births, and I used a midwife for the last two. The first two children were laid on my chest immediately after their births and were nursing within minutes. Thank God I wasn’t at home for the third child’s birth. She wasn’t breathing well and required oxygen. I didn’t get to see her for quite a while because they put her in a warming bed until she could regulate her temperature. Though I did miss the immediate bonding time with her, I sure am glad she got the help she needed. BTW, she’s 11 years old now, and is just fine!

Everyone rooting for a home birth must be an optimist. Sure, if everything works as it should, then a home birth with a midwife is totally fine. But, suppose one chooses a home birth, and there is a maternal or fetal complication (as supermouse described). Say there is massive bleeding, or the placenta doesn’t detach completely and the mother exsanguinates. Or, perhaps there is an amniotic fluid embolism and the mother has a cardiac arrest. Or, the baby has the cord wrapped around it’s neck, or gets stuck in the birth canal, etc. etc. Midwives are great, but they can’t and won’t do an emergency C-section to save the baby’s and/or mother’s life. I could never live with myself if I chose a home birth and something awful happened. Never.

@shilolo To be fair, a cord wrapped around the neck isn’t an emergency unless it becomes tight. My son had the cord wrapped around his neck twice, it looked awful, but the doctor calmly unwrapped it…I’m sure a midwife would know to do the same. Midwives also help women give birth in the optimal positions, OBs are trained for surgery and high risk births. It seems they don’t even know what a natural birth is anymore. Also, if my child was breech, I’d still want a vaginal birth (considering the type of breech, of course) but, no OB would willingly delivery a breech baby, god forbid!

@casheroo Yes, a wrapped cord can be totally normal and benign. Or, it can be more serious. At the risk of not being definitive, I didn’t list all of the complications of pregnancy that can occur, since I didn’t want to belabor the discussion. I have the utmost respect for midwives, but I would never be able to console myself if something terrible happened at home that was preventable. For the same reason, I caution women to avoid foods that might lead to listeriosis. Yes, it is rare, but why take chances when it can be prevented.

@shilolo Makes sense. I think as much as I’d like a less hospital-y vibe for my next birth, I know I fear the “what-ifs”. I just wish there weren’t so many rules to follow at the hospital. I wish I could have at least seen my son after giving birth. I hope the next time I do, that I’m more forceful with my objections.
Also, I dislike people who have homebirths, their baby dies and they put 100% blame on the midwife. I guess if my child died, how could I not feel at fault in some way. I don’t know if I’m making sense. Here’s a blog of someone who had a couple homebirths, one child died and she blames the midwife

i know for me, i felt secure in a hospital knowing that if there were any complications, especially for the baby, all kinds of doctors, machines, etc. were around and readily available. my daughter took two days to come out, and i was happy that at a moment’s notice, i could be wheeled in and have an emergency c-section.

I think the best option ( for me anyway) is to find a hospital who will provide a home like setting, that is respectful of their patients wishes and a doctor who is a partner with the family and understands their desires.

personally i love the hospital, having been there many times, I always feel safe there.
HOSPITAL BIRTH IT UP!

There are never any easy answers in life. I have 5 children. The first was born at home with a midwife, the second unassisted (midwife failed to show in time), the third was at a birth center (sort of a mess-up, but everyone was fine at the end). Then I had twins at home, not as a first choice, but because I was told I WOULD have a cesarean, I WOULD NOT be allowed to even go into labor, and on and on. The last straw was that the doctor who would have been assigned to take care of me did abortions on the side. I said, “This guy is confused!” and I tried to find someone who would see me before my due date. Nobody would. My next option, aside from showing up at the hospital and taking whoever was on call, was a midwife. I am a great networker, and found a midwife who specialized in complicated homebirths and twins. By the time I met her, she’d assisted in 104 twins at home.

To make a long story short, I gave birth exactly like I wanted to. The babes were in a 69 position, with the first one head down. At transition, I realized that the second midwife (who was still in training) I had planned on was not there yet, so I said, “God, I’d like to wait until she gets here. Nobody in the world can give her the gift I can give her. So, labor stopped. When my friend arrived, I pushed out the first baby. I again asked God to let me wait while we got her breathing. When she was checked out and fine, I pushed the second one out…head first! The second babe did a summer-salt while we were sitting there chatting and drinking tea.

I know there are many horror stories about homebirths gone wrong. I’ve also seen horror stories of hospital births gone wrong as well. So I was blessed many many times in the birth of my twins. They are now 21 years old, and in college.

I had my two girls at home, both in a birthing pool. I thought it was a wonderful experience and my husband had a job to do – he was in charge of the water in the pool. Made him feel less of a spare part. And when it was over we went to bed in our own bed together with our new baby – in hospital he would have been sent home to a cold empty house

I researched it and found out that there is this thing called a cascade of interventions (we’ll lie you on your back to monitor you, Oh things are not progressing, we’ll give you a drip, still not moving and you’re in pain? How about an epidural? Nothing’s happening fast enough. lets get you into surgery for c-section). There is also the fact that first labours are long and slow and when things go wrong, they take a long time to go wrong, giving the midwife time to get you to the hospital. Labours are shorter at home on average and are certainly less stressful. It’s very rare that things go wrong fast and there’s no guarentee that being in hospital will help.

I was also lucky that my sister had her 2nd at home and she is a midwife so that gave me confidence.