Questions & Answers

Calling our experiences "silly" makes me wish i could punch you through the computer!

Some hospitals allow you to labor in water but once you push you are out of water for safety reasons. Check with your hospital... I had a friend that did that twice with natural childbirth and she loved it. This was in St Louis, MO. Just a suggestion of meeting in the middle. Me personally I will be delivering in the hospital again with my epidural. I loved my hospital experience. The nurses and my doctor was amazing and it was so nice to have staff and a cook for you 24/7. I struggled with breast feeding especially and was able to see the lactation specialist from my bed several times a day to give me a hand! Plus I had really high blood pressure post birth ( have no idea why, by was normal throughout pregnancy) and they had to watch me closely.

I had my first in a hospital. Loved the experience, the staff was wonderful. I did end up bleeding out alot after my daughter was born. That was when we found out I was anemic. I dont blame hospitals for excessive bleeding, I blame drs who just dont really give a damn. I am 36 wks and will be having my baby at the same hospital, where the staff is already awaiting me. (they remember me from last year lol) So my opinion (whether some like it or not) to each is there own, and dont let everyone elses horror story make the decision for you. I wanted to do a water birth this time around, but after explaining my delivery complications with my new OB, we both decided that it would be a safer bet if we didnt do a water. Next time maybe. (5yrs + from now)

Watch the documentary "The Business of Being Born." I was already going with midwives before I watched this, but it totally affirmed that for me. I am kind of compromising, as I am planning to give birth at a birthing center run by midwives. They have ambulances on call so they can send you to the hospital if something were to go wrong. I have had a few people tell me I am "brave" for wanting to do a natural waterbirth. I think that it is the opposite! I am horrified of the thought of being pinned down on my back at a doctor's mercy! I want to let my body do what it is designed to do!

I don't think these "horror" stories are "silly". Fact is, if you have a low risk pregnancy you are likely going to have a safe and successful home birth. BUT...no one can predict what will happen the day they have their baby and IF something should happen where a higher level of medical intervention is needed than what you have, that would be very scary. Weight the pros and cons (as I'm sure you are) and make the decision best for you, but these stories of what can possibly go wrong are not silly....they are warnings.

it's funny when people bring up their stories of all the complications they had while in hospitals (and thank god they were in hospitals, right?) but it makes me wonder if they ever stopped and thought that maybe the reason they had the complications was because they were at a hospital? and hemorraging is not that common, and it's also associated with medicalized hospital births.

for me personally I am glad I was at a hospital, or my baby would of died, he was being strangled by the cord and they got him out within 20 minutes via emergency c section, if I was at home the nearest hospital is 45 minutes away, we wouldn't of made it, so that's my horror story, everyone is different, you cant predict what's going to happen, plenty of people have amazing home births with no complications at all, Im sure you will be fine good luck in whatever you decide.

I'm having a homebirth for my first, I'm in the Uk and over here it isn't nearly as medicalised as in the states, and you will find that most of the time intervention breeds complications which is why the states have such a high c-section rate! If you want a homebirth do not let silly people put you off by telling you horror stories, that is there experience, do what you feel comfortable with and research it, look up homebirth stats and you can see how safe it can be when managed properly :)

and btw medicines and injections "only hold up too a certian point" and sometimes dont work. why take the risk. this is a beautiful tihng but its a medical procedure and should be handled like one not only because of you but because you have another person coming into this world. i had a wonderful hospital experience and it was so good i didnt wanna go home when they d/c me! but its up to you :)

just because you deliver in a hospital doesnt mean you need to take the epideral. i prefer hospitals and only hospitals because say you haave a wonderful labor and delivery and healthy baby but all of a sudden you hemorage?? even with living 5 mins away from a hospital you wont make it. and not to freak you out but women homerage alot these days especially when you arent pushing correctly.