Thanks everyone.

The thing is, i had a good experience last time in the same hospital, with the same Ob and probably the same m/w (she is a personal friend and has offered to come in even if she isn't working). Last time all i requested was that i be given the opportunity to go without pain relief, and i had that. I had a quick labour, and a beautiful outcome of course

This time i know more about what i want (no medical induction before 42 wks, baby skin to skin straight from womb, baby allowed to self-attach to breast, and the biggie - a physiological third stage). I trust my m/w enough that if she belived we needed intervention i would agree, but i wanted the opportunity to do it the way my body is designed to. Apparently that's just not how it's done in a private hospital. I am low risk for pretty much everything.

The midwife i spoke to today (from homebirthing network) made an interesting point that most professionals in the private sector have never actually experienced a normal third stage of labour, and therefore have a higher potential to think there is too much bleeding and start things like pulling on the cord, making the situation worse. In that sense i guess i could be putting myself at risk if i DO advocate strongly for a normal third stage with inexperienced (in natural birth) professionals, yk?

And realistically, i am getting way to stressed about all of this (there goes the last piece of that family sized block of chocolate), and i don't want to be stressed at this stage. i don't believe that my baby will be at any grave danger for having a managed third stage, but i do think we (baby and i) will miss out on the opportunity to have a truely beautiful birth. I love the idea of being comfortable at home, having DS involved as much as he wants, going to bed in my own bed after the birth.... ohh i've got to stop this!

I'll buy a lotto ticket this weekend as a last chance!