Did you had a homebirth with your baby (babies) or did you deliver in a hospital? My husband and I are not decided yet.

D.

I would never even consider a home birth. What if something goes wrong? The time an ambulance would need to get to your house and go back to the hospital can make a difference between life and death of the little baby.

Sheryl

I was planning on a hospital birth, but I wanted to have the baby naturally. Things didn't go as planned though and I got the epidural at around 7cm dilated, because the pain was so intense, I got scared and thought, what am I gonna do when I'm 9cm and I don't have an epidural, it's gonna be really painful, so I got the epidural.
I didn't want a homebirth because then for sure I couldn't have an epidural if the pain became severe.

@baby_is_here!

That would scare me, too. Natural is good, but I think sometimes there is a reason for certain medication and pain killers. I do not understand the hype about homebirth in certain groups of the population at all.

Andrea

I believe that hospital birth is the best way to go. Just because if something were to go wrong with the birth, there will be people that are highly trained and ready for even some of the strangest things, and knowing that would make me so much more at ease than doing it at home. Good Luck with your decision ! Congrats !!!

I totally agree. Since hospitals started offering newly styled delivery rooms there is really no need to risk baby's health with a home birth.

Barb

It is certainly a very personal choice, since birth can effectively be both an intense rite of passage and the most intimate thing a female can experience. Being comfortable in your chosen environment is of utmost importance, since the ability to relax is critical. A mom who would be fearful at home might be better off at a birth center, but a mom with fears of hospitals/medical environments may be better off choosing a different location where she feels safe.

For moms-to-be who are considering where to birth, here is an article that gives a very clear intro to homebirth and what actually happens at each phase, from prenatal care to after delivery:

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...irthchoice.asp



For healthy moms with healthy babies, a planned homebirth attended by a midwife has very similar risk to a hospital birth, and in fact results in fewer medical interventions which themselves increase the risk of certain complications like forceps, vacuum and cesarean.

Here is a summary of a large study.


Home Birth Safety


Prospective Study Confirms Safety of Planned Home Birth with Low Rates of Medical Interventions

Johnson, K. C., & Daviss, B. A. (2005). Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. BMJ, 330(7505), 1416-1422. [Abstract]
Summary:This is the largest prospective study of the outcomes of planned home birth in North America. All certified professional midwives (CPMs) credentialed by the North American Registry of Midwives were required to participate as a condition of recertification. A total of 409 participating midwives provided data on all of their clients who were due in 2000.

The study focused on the 5418 CPM clients intending a home birth at the start of labor. The rate of intrapartum or postpartum transfer was 12.1%. Failure to progress, request for pain relief and maternal exhaustion were the most common reported reasons for intrapartum transfer while maternal hemorrhage and retained placenta were the most common reasons for postpartum transfer. The newborn transfer rate was 0.7%, most commonly for respiratory problems. Urgent transfer occurred in 3.4% of intended home births.

Rates of medical interventions in intended home births, including attempted induction of labor (9.6%), electronic fetal monitoring (9.6%), episiotomy (2.1%), cesarean section (3.7%) and vaginal instrumental delivery (1.6%), were consistently much lower than averages reported in comparable studies of hospital-based births. Intrapartum and newborn mortality occurred at a rate of 1.7 deaths per 1000 low-risk intended home births (breeches, twins and fatal birth defects excluded), a rate consistent with most published studies of low-risk births occurring within or outside of hospitals. No maternal deaths were reported.

A random sample of 10% of the mothers were contacted and asked about their satisfaction with their birth experiences. Over 97% were extremely or very satisfied and over 98% said they would use a CPM for a subsequent birth.


Significance for Normal Birth: This is one of the largest prospective studies of the outcomes of home birth. Furthermore, the compulsory nature of CPM participation and the rigorous study methods render this study relatively free of the methodological flaws that have plagued previous studies of home birth. This study confirms that infrequent use of interventions can be associated with excellent perinatal outcomes and provides strong evidence that planned home birth is no more risky than planned hospital birth for low-risk women and their infants.

An analysis of a national survey of childbearing women in the United States found that those women who gave birth at home were far more likely to have achieved all six care practices that support normal birth (Declerq & Corry, 2003). This is because the approach to care is fundamentally different in most out-of-hospital settings, where care practices that support normal birth are the norm except when compelling medical reasons dictate otherwise.

Unfortunately, many people believe that the best outcomes will be achieved with aggressive use of medical interventions. This study adds to the large body of evidence refuting that approach.

I heard so much about homebirth. I just don't know if that is really such a good thing. I personally consider certain things should be done in places that are dedicated for that specific purpose. I just could not see myself sleeping in the same bed I was laboring in and my child eventually was born in. It's a mind set for me. How can I make out with the hubby in the bed my baby was born? I just can't.

Pink

lol, Pink..but that's a good point!!

my thoughts on this at this stage being a first time mommy and all is "What if something goes wrong?"

This early on, I'm definately opting for a hospital birth but that's my personal preference, maybe next time i'll have a home birth

__________________

LOL about the bed thing...Well you don't have to deliver in the bed, in fact since vertical positions are best, (laying on your back makes the pelvic outlet smaller, yikes!!) most homebirthed babies aren't born in bed anyway.