I think this is what we'll be choosing for LO #2. There are no birthing centers in our area, but we haven't been able to really mesh with a regular OB in our area either. Tell me about your experience!
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Well, no. But I did have a home birth with #1 and then we moved to a different state with a lot fewer home birth midwives and I had #2 in a hospital. But now with #3, I'm planning another home birth. I've really had great experiences with both, although I credit a lot of my great hospital birth to being in a small country hospital where my doctor "let" (damn, I hate using that word in relation to birth) me break all the rules, lol. But, what do you want to know? I'm staying home this time because I just don't see the need to make the trek to the hospital. I'm better researched and am more familiar with the home birth atmosphere in this area this time around and with my history, I feel like it's a good, safe option for us.
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@FarmWifeGina: I'd like to know anything and everything you think is important for me to know... I am just looking to hear people's experiences. I may end up having a great unmedicated birth at the hospital, but I just don't have a lot of faith or trust in my OB or the hospital staff to help that happen. My OB is very nice and personable, but I've had to fight my way through skipping some interventions that have been pushed on my during my pregnancy and that makes me uneasy.
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If we did have another I am very tempted to go this route. I really like my OB but I also feel that based on my first birth experience, I would be comfortable and able to do a home birth.
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@FarmWifeGina: I'm interested to hear your experiences as well! I would like to have a home birth for my next (this one will be born in the hospital unless I have a super fast labor).
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Yes!!! I will never opt to birth in the hospital again, even more now that we had our planned hbac/transfer with P.
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I've thought about it so I'm interested in this topic. Going off my first birth, I'm confident I could do it at home with #2, but it still kind of makes me nervous.
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After my delivery, I would not have a baby outside a hospital (though it is likely we will only have 1). There were complications, and time was a factor.
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@grizz: #1, if you're going to stick with your hospital this time around, you have a doula, right?
With my home birth, I wish I had interviewed more midwives. I just went with the first one I met. And that was fine, she gave me the care I wanted and needed and let me birth on my own terms, didn't push anything, just waited during the almost 20 hours she and/or her assistant were at my house. But I didn't feel the connection that so many women talk about having with their midwives. But that's literally the only thing I would do over again. Well, that, and have a doula. Looking back, it would have been really helpful to have one more experienced person who was there just for me and supporting me was their only mission. Farmer Man did great, but I personally really crave the touch and connection with another woman while I'm in labor.
But as far as my experience, I went into labor at a Christmas party, contractions starting around 5 and then we headed home at 10, calling the midwife on the way, just to let her know that things had started. Then we got home and things puttered out, so DH rubbed the pressure points on my ankles to get them going again. It worked. The assistant came by to check me and I'd dilated from the 2 I was before to 3 and was definitely softening, so it looked like the real thing. I got in the shower, rocked in the rocking chair, did tons of stuff to make the contractions come faster and harder (they were like 5 minutes apart, 40-60 seconds long all night long). Looking back, I should have just gone to bed and slept as much as I could. But I was too excited. It was a really good thing I was having a home birth though because if I'd gone into the hospital that early, well, let's just say I certainly wouldn't have achieved the birth I wanted.
Water broke early in the morning. I kept doing my thing, but it was slow, slow, slow. Midwife just left me be, which is what I wanted. By noon I was 6 cm. and still fairly comfortable, contractions every few minutes. I was bored, so I blogged a little bit. Finally a little after noon, things picked up and got really intense. I spent most of the afternoon in the tub or on the toilet, breathing and relaxing and surviving, lol. I don't know when I started through the mental part of transition, but it seemed to last forever and when I was begging the midwife for the shot of narcotics she carried, she said it was too late for that, but that I was almost done (I did NOT believe her, lol- classic transition). She checked me and said there was only a lip of cervix left and if I wanted to push very gently against it, I could. I grunted a little bit with the next contraction because I was so sick of just trying to cope with the contractions and as soon as I did that, I had my first undeniable urge to push and I roared and went with it, lol. Deere Boy was born 8 minutes later, a little after 7 p.m., and I had no tears, other than a "skid mark" or two. The midwife did a really great job of supporting my perineum while her assistant rubbed oil into the skin. Literally the second my son was out of me, no one had a chance to say a word, I sat up and grabbed him out of the midwife's hands. Lol, I think I asked if I could have him, but didn't even wait for an answer. Then the placenta was born a few minutes later and after we had some bonding time, the midwife measured and bathed him, I got a sponge bath, and the sheets on the bed got changed. Although, seriously, they did such a good job putting down the chux pads that there really wasn't anything on the sheets themselves to clean up. Then they tucked us in and we went to sleep for the night and that was that. -
i think for me personally, after having one hospital birth i DEFINITELY want to have my second (coming soon!) and subsequent births in a hospital too :). i had a great experience with the hospital, ob, and especially nurses with LO#1 and i felt way safer and calm labouring in the hospital than when i was at home. i
hospitals! plus having the option of the epi is dear to my heart hahah 
i love reading about home births, though! so interesting
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I should add... had I known about out of hospital births I would've taken that option the first time!
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^^^that's my story, lol. As far as what to know ahead of time... have some food on hand, even just some snacky stuff, to feed the midwives and for you to eat throughout labor. Get candles around, if that's what you want. Put a clean set of sheets on the bed, put a shower liner or plastic mattress protector over those, and then put an old set of sheets over that for the last few weeks of pregnancy. Think about it you want the option of a water birth and having a tub on hand for that (I only sat in our regular bathtub and pretty much just felt like a beached whale, lol, so this time I will be getting a real birth tub). Any other supplies your midwife will advise you on, as some practices bring more of that stuff a long than others. Have a list of birth preferences to go over with your midwife, particularly what you would prefer if the need to transfer to a hospital and/or a c-section should arise (I didn't do this, but it's a good idea). Have a pack of adult pull-ups on hand for the postpartum bleeding. You can also make overnight pads wet and freeze them for ice packs on the perineum (again, something I didn't do, really didn't need, but it's a helpful tip). Don't worry about cleanup afterwards. I hear this a lot when people talk about home birth and why they wouldn't do it, because of having "that mess in the house." Well, my mom gave birth to 9 kids at home and I've never seen a midwife leave a house without cleaning up (basically, rolling the messy chux up and putting them in a trash bag) and starting a load of laundry before she left. Ummmmmm, anything else?
@grizz: @evansjamie: -
Oh, and had I simply gone to the local hospital for my first birth, I most certainly would have wound up with a c-section. Not that all c-sections are bad, but it would have been completely unnecessary for me. Having my first baby at home saved me from having to fight for a VBAC with #2 in an area that is not very forward-thinking when it comes to birth. And very possibly, I'd be home birthing or fighting for a VBA2C with this birth. So, having a home birth with my first pregnancy really has had an effect on my entire reproductive career.
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@FarmWifeGina: re: Doula - Yes, I do! And she has actually gone through our entire childbirth class with us, so I'm really confident that we're all completely on the same page. She even switch hits with DH on our relaxation exercises, so I know what works w/ her vs. what works with DH.
Your info was so, so helpful! I will be sure to meet with all three midwifery practices in our area to make sure I make the right choice.
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No, but I really felt the hospital staff was sensitive to my wishes and the kind of birth I wanted. I am glad I was at the hospital since I hemmoraged pretty badly, but I still got so many of the more natural aspects I was going for.
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@FarmWifeGina: I know my first time experience has DEFINITELY delegated how I even think about ttc & having more kids! For the longest I didn't think I'd have more b/c I didn't want another avoidable cesarean! Even still things like "what if something happens to my midwife" kinda haunts me! I do NOT want an erc!
@Rainbow Sprinkles: Just asking because I can't remember, but you were induced right? I only ask because pitocin increases risk of post partum hemorrhage quite a bit (can't remember the exact stat right now) so that may have had more to do with your hemorrhage than just "you"... like me I really don't think I would've needed a cesarean had I not been augmented/induced when/like I was. *shrugs shoulders*
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@runsyellowlites: yes I was induced due to high BP! So obviously my birth was far from natural, but the staff still let me move around, use the ball, didn't ask me about pain meds, etc. They also let me push in different positions rather than laying in the bed. so for a hospital birth, it wasn't too bad!
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@runsyellowlites: I also tore pretty badly (over 30 stitches) which I also blame on being induced. I think my body didn't have the chance to prep for labor and labor down naturally, instead the baby was rushed out of my body so my vagina exploded.
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@Rainbow Sprinkles: That was pretty awesome of them! I only asked in reference of the pp bleed. I have another friend that had a serious pp hemorrhage & she was induced as well.... other forum moms have used her story as why they wouldn't have an out of hospital birth but she feels pretty confident it was from the pitocin she had so she tries to correct that perspective.
EEK on the exploding! And wow on the 30 stitches! You're one brave women! *shivers* My MW said she had only seen one 4th degree tear in her career so that had alot to do with my confidence in her! lol
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@runsyellowlites: yep I bet it was from the pitocin. In fact, I don't doubt it. But I also had PIH and I think that increases your chances of bleeding as well? Not too sure on that one though.
Don't mean to thread jack, OP!
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@Rainbow Sprinkles: LOL "my vagina exploded" might be one of the best phrases EVER.
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I had a homebirth 2.5 weeks ago with my first baby! I definitely plan to have a homebirth for my next baby if I can. Definitely do your research, I researched for 3 years...I'm a planner
and LOVED our midwife and the assistant midwife. We also hired a wonderful doula, who was worth every penny! My labor was about 8.5 hours from start to finish, with no tears. I didn't get the water birth I wanted but that was because of a last minute decision I made, so I had her in our bed. I had a relatively easy pregnancy, with your regular aches and pains that come with it all. But, I did have a lot of emotional things that came up--dealing with infertility emotional issues & trusting my body and then my brother and his wife losing their baby on their due date and my DH & I having to plan her funeral...and I was SO thankful to have a midwife to guide me through that instead of an OB because I don't think I would have received the emotional support I needed from an OB. My prenatal visits were typically 1hr long at least and we talked about everything and anything related to our baby, our relationship, how I was doing emotionally & physically, my diet, listening to baby's heart and regular procedures, etc.
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@emg86: So glad to read your post because what you got from your midwife (the 1 hr in-depth visits etc) is what I'm lacking in my OB. My OB made a pretty big communication error at one of my last appointments that led DH and I to think something was terribly wrong with our baby - one ultrasound tech caught that I had low fluid, so I got flagged for a biophysical profile, and the perinatologist who did the biophysical called me back and started asking me all these crazy questions and started a second ultrasound before I even knew what was going on or that anything was wrong. I eventually saw my OB and found out the reason they flagged me wasn't that big of a deal, but it felt like it was the way they rushed me around and passed me to different people to check different things. I was terrified, and now I don't trust her to communicate effectively with me at our birth. I don't feel like that type of experience is something I'd have with a midwife!
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@grizz: Oh, you're going to be golden! I didn't really know what doulas did with my first birth and besides, my mom had 10 kids without a doula, why would I need one? But now that I've learned, and am training as a doula myself, I totally see the benefits and wish I'd had one with my first birth. I had one with my second and it was really helpful, even though I labored mainly on my own and with all the ferocity of a momma grizzly bear, lol.
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@runsyellowlites: I haven't let myself think about what happens if my midwife doesn't make it. Which is a valid concern since she lives 5 hours away. I should probably do some prepping for an unassisted birth, just in case.
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@FarmWifeGina: Lol. I meant more if she died or moved.... There's now one other MW that services our area but otherwise that's it... Them 2 or repeat cesarean! I don't think I'd totally mind an unassisted birth...
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Well, I only have one LO. I did Bradley classes and we wanted a natural birth in the hospital. During the end of my pregnancy I started to hate my OB. I was overdue and had high blood pressure so I was induced. The nurses were all great and let me move around as I please and didn't push pain meds (I never had any). Luckily my OB wasnt on call so I had a different doctor deliver me and she was great.
However, I told my husband that if we have another child I want a home birth. I had horrible side effects from the pitocin after delivery and I never want to do that again. I had chest pains and difficulty breathing. I was extremely dizzy too. We opted for a hospital birth the first time mainly due to my husband. He was really worried something would go wrong and he wanted to be at the hospital just in case. Now he is totally confident after seeing the birth of DS. He actually almost delivered him by himself because the nurses and doctor weren't in the room and I couldn't stop pushing haha.
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@MamaJ: We're in Bradley classes too! I love them. Do you have your birth story posted?
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@grizz: I don't! Joined HB after DS was born. I have it in my email though from when I sent it to my Bradley instructor. So I could email it if you were interested
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I loved the hospital, lol! I didn't like staying as long as I had to though (LO had jaundice). I would get a doula next time though and maaaybe try for a natural birth in the hospital.
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@MamaJ: I would love that! I'll post my email on your wall!
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@grizz: oh and I loved the Bradley classes. I seriously do not think I could have done it without them!
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@MamaJ: We love them so much. I am actually thinking about becoming an instructor! Our instructor wants to add a second person to teach them, and my DH and I really really believe in the principles it teaches.
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Nope, I have no interest whatsoever in a home birth.
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For various reasons (family history, hormonal issues), I believed my pregnancy would be high risk, so I immediately opted to be under the care of an OBGYN. Turns out, I'm pretty low risk.
We will be using a wonderful birth center that I've totally fallen in love with. The nurses act as makeshift doulas, and really support a natural birth with little to no intervention. I'm a little nervous about the lack of NICU (first time jitters), but the large hospital is just right up the road.
Next time around, I think I will see a midwife, instead. While liberal and laid back, my OB is not as holistic and crunchy as I am. She's a wonderful woman, and a fabulous doctor, but the appointments seem rather rushed, which I'm not a huge fan of.
When I become pregnant with # 2, I will strongly consider a home birth.
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I had a home birth with my first and loved it. This is weird but for me, now that I've had the experience I don't care as much where I give birth the next time. Now that I know what it's like and what my body can do, I'm much more confident being able to do that in whatever environment I end up in.
That being said, I would no doubt choose a home birth again if I am able.
Also, I switched from an OB to a midwife practice around 29 weeks. At this practice you saw 3 midwives throughout your pregnancy and 2 would be at your birth. Since my primary midwife was on sabbatical, I only met her about three weeks before my EDD. With all that, I still had a wonderful connection with all three and was much more comfortable with my midwife than the OB that I saw for the majority of my pregnancy (for 15 minutes at a time...). -
I had planned a birth center birth, and it ended in a transfer to the hospital after 35 hours of labor because of heavy meconium staining when my water broke.
I was pushing when it broke, so I was already almost done. It was awful to have to transfer then, but I do not regret choosing an out of hospital birth.
I still accomplished my goal of a completely drug free birth, which I don't think would have happened if I had been in the hospital from the beginning.For baby number two, I'll be planning either a home birth or a birth at The Farm (with Ina May Gaskin's fellow midwives).
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I will be birthing in the hospital again. While I had planned for a med free brith and ended up being induced with every trick in the book needing to be used I still did not feel any pressure to have an epi and to not labor the way I wanted to. I was able and encouraged to move around. I had the option of laboring in the tub, I was able to shower etc. While pushing my OB/GYN used oils to help ease LO out and really took his time working with my body. I was extremely dissapointed that my body itself wasn't able to do what it was meant to do (go into labor, soften, dilate naturally) but overall I was pleased with my experience and my OB/GYN's laid-back attitude. I'm hoping this time my midwife will be delivering (DS was born over Easter and she was off) because she is even more laid-back and has some "tricks" of her own for birthing and I would love to experience her...otherwise I would be happy for my OB/GYN to deliver again
hospitals! plus having the option of the epi is dear to my heart hahah 
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