a question about choices

[sunshine_sieben]

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