Well, I can't answer for all "birth activists" but personally, I want women to be educated about birth choices. I want them to know that home is just as safe as hospital, and with much less risk of intervention. I want them to give birth in the place where they feel safest, and to know what is necessary and not necessary as part of labour and birth. (ie - induction because your OB is going on vacation is NOT necessary!)
If the research showed that the hospital was the best place, or that the birth centre was, or whatever, I'd be all for it, I think. But since research currently supports healthy women giving birth with minimal intervention, which is most likely to happen at home, I support and encourage home births.
Wow Rory - 8cm by the time you got to the hospital! That must have been quite the car ride! For me, it was more about the going home - I left the hospital about 7 hours after birth with DD2, and thought this is a pain in the butt! Had to pack everything all up again, get that poor tiny bean into a car seat, and drive home with her in the back where I couldn't see her, then take her back a day later for testing... With midwifery care here in Ontario, the midwife visits you at home as often as you need it for the first two weeks, and all your testing etc, is done at home too. Then at 4 or 6 weeks you go for your first office appointment. Much easier to manage!
This is a difficult question for me.
I completely agree with the hassle factor of having to go to the hospital. TBH, the trip to the hospital was the least enjoyable part of my labour with DD.
I had DD in a fabulous birth centre. I had NO vaginal exams (not a single one), had the same MW all through my prgnancy and labour (although I did get to meet my secondary MW once). Actually, I have the same MW with this prgnancy, too. I was not hassled, all my MW did was encourage me to do what I felt I needed to do and helped me get comfortable, fill the bath, etc. When the baby was crowning, she asked whether I wanted to catch or whether I wanted her to do it. I was calling the shots with everything. I left the hospital within 4 hours and spent the night in my own bed. The MW visited me every day for a week and then weekly for 5 more weeks.
By the way, it is a case-load model, so your chances of getting YOUR MW are pretty good. They do work in groups of 3, so you have a secondary and a tertiary MW and don't have to just birth with whoever is on shift.
It was so easy and straight forward that I did seriously think about having a home birth for any subsequent deliveries.
This is what made me decide on another birt centre birth:
I could have the same MW whom I love.
I don't have to pay for it (I know, this seems like a cop-out)
They have a beautiful birth pool and I have a bath tub that is only big enough for 3 year olds
I do have the backup if something does go wrong (but i also know that I can trust my MW and that she wouldn't push me into unnecessary intervention)
My family, although they would support me if I wanted a HB, are more at ease with a BC birth (I know, it is about me, but I also want the baby's father to feel comfortable in our birth choices.
If, for some reason, the BC was not available to me with my second baby, I am pretty sure I would choose a HB. It's just that I feel that in this BC, I don't really have many of the negative aspects of the birth, but it is a much easier choice than a HB.
Please don't slam me for my reasons. I've been trying to be very honest.
Sasa
xoxo
Last edited by sunshine_sieben; June 12th, 2009 at 12:50 PM.
I would dearly love a homebirth this time around. I had a pretty horrid birth experience the first time around as far as the m/w's were concernced- they were dismissive, unsupportive and would not let me up off the freaking bed o matter how much I begged them- but the hospital ob who came in when things went a bit haywire was fantastic. I'd like a hb to avoid the sterile, cold, brightly lit atmosphere of the hospital, to avoid the medical feel, to avoid he feeling of disconnection I got when my baby was scooped out of my arms into the arms of those who seemed to think they knew so much better than me.
Having said all of that, a hb is just not possible. I have a heart condition that could prove very dangerous if it were to act up during labour, both for me and my baby. I've discussed the possibility with my midwife and cardiologist, both of whom have talked me out of the idea. (I know there are some people who will think i could definately have a hb anyway, and maybe I could. But that is a risk I'm not prepared to take.)
However, I am in the situation you describe- I'm in the public system with a caseload midwife, so she does all of my care and will be attending the birth. She has promised to be an advocate for me, to help me avoid intervention, and to follow my wishes in terms of birth and post birth care. The caseload midwives have 'control' of one birthing suite in the hospital, which is kept dimly lit and warm and has a bath, shower, bean bags, etc. So I will have a calming birth centre environment, minimal intervention, immediate acces to emergency care if it's needed, and an early discharge if I want it. I am having my cake and eating it too.
Thank you so much for all your responses girls, and Sasa I don't want you or anyone to feel attacked (I think as women were are attacked enough we should at least be same in a forum like this!)
You are all echoing thoughts I have had myself, and bearing out an inkling I had that many women don't actually mind the idea of hospitals, but its the reality of them that has us worried (ie: your mw/doc/OB might mouth words of support for a natural birth but the reality of being in a hospital "system" is that it is pro-intervention).
A really minor example of this - with DS#1 he was born 27 hours after my waters first broke, so he was given a shot of penicillin to prevent infection because hospital policy required the nurse to do so if the baby was not born within 24 hours. There was no sign of any infection, and I know some hospitals have a similar 48 or 72 hour policy. I remember thinking that was so dumb!
I had an awesome hospital birth with DS and my Ob was fantastic, the midwives were great, and I had a wonderful doula as well I really can't fault my birth... and I wasn't even in a birth centre and it was a VBAC. It makes me sad that 99.9% of hospital births aren't like this, I know it can be and I know that Ob's don't need to be intervention crazy to do their job. I hope one day it can all go back to being a team that works together for the woman rather than what the situation currently is.
Here's a different perspective though... would I recommend my daughter have a hospital birth... probably not. In fact I would want for her (provided it was her wishes obviously) the most natural birth experience possible with little intervention. Purely because I got lucky doesn't mean she will (unless something changes) and thats what is so sad.
Roryrory, i did not feel attacked
And I completely agree that having arbitrary time limits seems totally stupid.
I guess every situation is different. I really did feel that my MW was my buffer between me and the hospital system. She didn't push anything on me. She always gave me a choice. Like for example when it came to the Hepatitis shot, which I declined. Or when it came to the Vit K, where I chose the oral dose. I later found out that she (and her BC collegues) regularly get into trouble over this as the hospital is not happy with their vacc rates. But they don't care as they do what they believe in. They just have to be careful with how they word things, so it isn't perceived as if they discourage women from those procedures.
And I do really know how low intervention her attitude is as she is pregnant herself now and is planning a home birth. So she isn't just paying lip service.
Actually, this is the biggest beef I have with some health care providers. That they mislead women by saying they are pro-natural birth or pro-BFing. But once they gain the woman's trust, they start undermining the natural process. if they were up-front from the start, a woman could make a choice based on whether her beliefs are matching the approach this health care provider has.
It is such a sad state of affairs that we have to have this deep-seated mistrust towards the very people who are meant to help us.
For the sake of being clear to all who read this (I think you know my story).
My DD14 (it's her birthday today!) was to be a homebirth - because I see birthing my babies as natural as doing a pee... A little harder work - but natural none the less. I am a nurse and had attended a number of homebirths and hospital births. It was a no brainer that my baby would be born into the water at home. Alas fate had other ideas! I transferred to hospital about 24 hours into the labour. My midwife was a beautiful woman very experienced at homebirth - but she was a born again Christian and her loud praying and "praise the Lord" exclaimations just about did me in... My beautiful girl was born vaginally but alas not naturally! I managed to keep at bay a very ferocious advocate for the unnaturalness of birth (his name is well known in Brisbane - he has about a 70% c/section rate...) Between pushes he "forced" me to sign a statement that I was birthing vaginally at my babies risk and peril... Now, I made an informed decision. My babies heartrate was normal, membranes were intact - I was absolutely exhausted but that was the only issue. I knew I wanted more babies and a c/section would only make vaginal births more difficult in the future. There was absolutely no way I was going to the OT.
I had a 2nd degree tear which I elected to not have sutured (again at my peril! )
Fast forward 6 years and I went to the birth centre at the RBWH. I had a beautiful midwife who supported my beliefs and advocated for me. It didn't even enter my mind that the surgeons knife was down the hall way. I knew my midwife and she knew me. She was my advocate and I trusted her implicitly. Importantly she trusted me and believed in me also.
My son was born into his Daddy's hands. My most vivid memory of that labour was my midwife cross stitching at a little table in the corner of the room - in between checks on me... It was beautiful.
My daughter was born much the same - but much faster and more furiously.
My next daughter was born at a private hospital - however I chose an obs who would agree to not enter my birthing space unless a doctor was required. He did so, and I had a midwife known to me (this hospital had a midwifery program that enabled this) support my labour. She was born into the water in a candlelit room surrounded by her siblings and my SIL...
Immy was an emergency c/s at 27+5 weeks...
So, would I have a home birth. You bet ya I would. Unfortunately I couldn't find a midwife to assist me in Brisbane at that time. However, knowing what I know now I had awesome births that really couldn't have been more empowering. The only down side was the drive to hospital that obviously wouldn't be needed if I had a homebirth.
The secret to empowered birth is education and support. Choose a birth place that will tick all your boxes. Care of another woman known by you and trusted by you is not just nice it is IMPERATIVE. Yep some women have great births without this - but when things stray by the wayside you need that woman. Be she a midwife or a Doula. Its not a negotiable.
You need to be educated and make it clear what your thoughts and decisions are. You need to ensure that your birth place have no restraints on movement, using water, managed 3rd stage, HEPB, candles, music, PV exams, what happens post dates, PROM etc etc.
There is no right place to give birth - however I'm a back to basics type of gal... Women have birthed their babies at home for ions - healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies need not move from their loungerooms when labour begins. Provided they have in place good support.
If I were in your situation, with your history - I would be engaging an independent midwife, hiring a birth pool and trusting that your beautiful body will do it's job just fine. If something goes a little off track - you can transfer. That's not optimal but if it's necessary (and overwhelmingly things go fine!) then you will have a midwife with you to advocate for you and continue to support you...
With midwifery care here in Ontario, the midwife visits you at home as often as you need it for the first two weeks, and all your testing etc, is done at home too. Then at 4 or 6 weeks you go for your first office appointment. Much easier to manage!
Reply With Quote
I really can't fault my birth... and I wasn't even in a birth centre and it was a VBAC. It makes me sad that 99.9% of hospital births aren't like this, I know it can be and I know that Ob's don't need to be intervention crazy to do their job. I hope one day it can all go back to being a team that works together for the woman rather than what the situation currently is.
)
Bookmarks