Homebirthers of BYC!

[foxyloxy]

Hey all!

I just wanted to start a thread for those of us who are happy homebirthers. I thought it would be fun to just share a little about our births and tell some birth stories! Also, those who are considering homebirth can share future birth plans, hopes and/or dreams and ask questions!

Homebirth is a wonderful option for healthy moms and babies. It is not dangerous and risky if a mother is prepared physically and mentally. If I could have my way, then all healthy mothers would have homebirths so they could experience the joy and empowerment that comes from it!

Let me also say that I am not in any way bashing hospital birth. I am SO grateful that we have modern technology available for when problems arise. I would definitely not be here if it weren't for hospitals, I would've never lived past a few hours old, if that.

Rules of this thread, if I may...

1. Please don't bash homebirth. Those of us who have done it/want to do it know the "risk" or are researching and preparing.
2. Have fun!

I'll go ahead and start. I have to say that I LOVE homebirth. It is one of my passions. I've even thought of becoming a midwife.

I've had 3 babies at home. Two "land" babies and one "water" baby. All were wonderful healthy births with no complications. My first labor (7lbs. 9 oz.) was 6 hours, my second (9 lbs.) was 12 hours and my last (7lbs. 10 oz.) was about 6 hours of active labor. My kids are 9, 7 (as of today!) and 1.

I have to say though, my favorite one was my last. My mother was able to attend her birth, and wasn't at any of the others. It was a really special time with her there along with the fact that my last midwife was my absolute favorite.

I used a lay-midwife for my first birth, and nurse-midwives for my last two.

If anyone would like more detail of my births, please let me know!

Now let's hear yours!

 

[justbugged]

If I had had any more babies, I knew that there was no way I was going to bother heading to a hospital never again to have a kid. With the last baby, I was sent home just as my labor got serious, only to have to turn around a go back. I only made back to the hospital with 10 minutes to spare. Even then I had to tell the staff to get out of the way because I was having the baby now. I was just hoping that maybe someone would be bothered to catch the kid. I figure it has to be better to pace around one’s own home and be able crawl into your own bed, and not have worry about other people and what they want you to do.

I didn't come to this opinion without thought. I opted for the traditional hospital for the first baby. I figured that if something could go wrong it would mostly likely happen with the first baby. I think I was also worried that I couldn’t handle the pain. (I had been told by my mother that she didn’t think that I could handle it) Well maybe it was a good thing that I was there, because my DD's lung leaked with her first breath. I also wonder if it had to do with the epidural that I had, that slowed down the natural progress of the labor. We also had to then wait for the suction thingy to get done being used by another patient. So we waited around for 2 extra hours with the baby in the birth canal.

Let me tell that really can bruise a gal up. I was so naive back then, and really didn't understand why I was having barely walking even a week later.

With the next baby, we knew before she was born that she was going to have major brain damage. So that time I went into the hospital hoping for as many drugs as I could get. As it turned out she was born so quickly that there was never time for me to be given any drugs. With the third baby, I was just too scared of what could happen that I took a way over cautious approach to the process. (Losing the middle baby, when I was about three months along with the third may have had something to do it.)But I finally figured out that it was without a doubt something that it might be hard for me to do, but that everything would be okay if I just opted to have the babies at home. And it was going to save myself the trouble of driving around town while in labor.

I knew that with the loss of our middle child that my DH was not up to tempting fate again, by having more children. So I chose to stop having kids, and settled with raising two wonderful kids. I still wish that we could have had more children, and that I could have had a chance to have some of my children born in the quite comfort of our home.

 

[babylady4]

Four kids; three at home and that last stinker at Hosp. Homebirth was SOOOOOOOO much better!

I cannot understand WHT the stinking AMA and the docs can't see how this is such a good option for both mom and baby!

 

[hunterjumper999]

just forwarning you- this may get closed ... mine did

if you check my post titled natural childbirth it should include a link to a SS thread I started on it over there. lots of info

 

[turney31]

My first son was born with Gastroskeises (sp). Intestine and organs on outside of abdomen. It was a total surprise and had he been born at home he would have died. Please be careful. He was care flighted to a large hospital and in surgery 2 hrs after birth. There is a great need for fast emergency intervention. If it weren't for that, I would have had the other 2 at home. I had 3 natural.

Micah

 

[mom'sfolly]

Wouldn't have worked for me. The first kid would still be in there, and he's twelve! My water broke, and nothing happened, absolutely nothing! No cramps, no dilation, no labor, no nothing. With my mom, it took her three days to go into labor after her water broke.

 

[nonseq]

My last baby is my homebirth baby.

Here's his story:

Tuesday morning I started having contractions. They were strong but irregular, and I continued on with my day as planned. I was feeling very odd and distracted all morning, and I decided I didn't want to drive to my prenatal appointment. One of the midwives decided to see me at home, and she came over about 4:00pm. Baby and I checked out just fine, and she left.

After dinner, my contractions picked up. Soon they were about a minute long and about 5-6 minutes apart. Then they jumped to over a minute long and 2-3 minutes apart. And they hurt. So we called the midwives, and they came over. Then everything stopped. No more contractions, no more distracted feeling, no more labor. I asked the midwife to check my cervix and see if I had made any progress. She said I was at 3cm dilation, 80% effaced, and the baby was at -2 station. Very early labor. So I apologized for having them come out. They said it was OK and left.

The next day I woke up to grinding, painful contractions. Long, grinding, painful contractions and bloody show. So I called a midwife to give them a heads up and went on with my day. The show continued all day, and so did the grinding contractions. But the contractions never became regular. They varied in length and interval and just would not settle into a pattern.

Thursday was the same way. I helped my husband cook Thanksgiving dinner while contracting off and on all day. Bloody show continued. Midwives called to check on me. I was feeling pretty crappy and disheartened.

Friday morning I spoke to one of the midwives, and she suggested we go to a hospital and have an ultrasound done. The midwives felt that I had a lot of amniotic fluid and a large baby and that was preventing my uterus from going into an effective labor pattern.

We drove to Grant, and I got checked out. The doctor felt that my amniotic fluid levels were on the high end of normal, and she estimated the baby's weight at 8.5 to 9 pounds. The nurse checked my cervix and said my cervix was dilated to 4-5cm with a bulging bag, and the baby's head was at -2 station. The staff tried to check me in, because I was in active labor, but we signed out against medical advice and went home.

Friday night I couldn't sleep at all. I had contractions all night. Long, painful, nasty contractions that lasted well over a minute - a minute and 16 seconds, a minute and 20 seconds, etc. - but refused to settle into any pattern. I was exhausted and in tears Saturday morning.

I called one of the midwives. She listened to me. She said we had three options: 1) Go to the hospital and be induced 2) Wait for labor 3) Have the midwives come over and break my water. We decided on option three.

My husband and I readied our bedroom for the birth. Then we set our three little ones downstairs with their big sister to watch a video.

At 10:50am the midwives arrived. One of them checked me. My cervix was now dilated 7cm with a bulging bag. The baby's head was at 0 station. The midwife unwrapped an amniohook and attempted to rupture my membranes. It took some effort. It did not want to break. When it finally did, my husband says, "Shouldn't have double-bagged it, hon!" Everybody laughed.

I went and hung out in the shower for awhile. Then I started feeling shaky and sat on the toilet. I was feeling a lot of pressure, but not really an urge to push just yet. When I did, I hobbled over to my bed and pushed a couple pushes worth while on my side. Then the midwives got me up on the birthing stool with my husband behind me. And I pushed Colin out into this world. It was 12:03pm.

Colin weighed 10lbs 12ozs and was 21.5inches long. His head circumference was 36.5cm (14.5in) and his chest circumference 40cm (15.75in). A big boy all-around.



Colin will be three in November. He is my seventh and last child.

 

[Camelot Farms]

I always wished I was brave enough to do homebirths. Kudos to those of you who were able to make your births just the way that you wanted them!

 

[ChikeeMomma]

I find it interesting, but the hubby would never go for it. Had two babies at the hospital, but as natural as I could go when doing it there. Had midwife the second time around -- what a difference -- in a good way!

Neat stories!

 

[mom'sfolly]

I would have much preferred no drugs...but 5 hours after my water had broke the kiddo was still at -2, and I was at 1 cm with not so much as menstrual cramp contraction. Unfortunately pitocin (sp?) gave me wonderful triplet contractions that went up, came down a little, went further up, came down to the previous high and then back up again.....

I got two wonderful guys though, after two induced labors.