Homebirth General Discussion #10

[Aimz]

If you could recommend just ONE favourite pregnancy/birth book, what would it be?

My midwife has a whole library for me to borrow from but I know if I get too many I'll probably be overwhelmed and read none

[BellyBelly]

Sonja? Oh no.... what on earth for, breathing?? GRRRR!!!

Tan, my belly has been off and on for a while too, for my first birth it was one of the first signs for me it was all on, but this time around my belly is more unsettled than usual. So not really going by that this time.

Aimz, so hard to pick just one and depends on the stage of your journey. What books HAVE you read? If you've read New Active Birth and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (bare, basic essentials I reckon!) then it might be time for some Ina May

[Jennifer13]

Rediscovering birth and Spiritual Midwifery were my two faves.

I am an auntie again! But despite being in the midwife program, my sister was induced at 12 days past EDD yesterday night and ended up with a c/s under GA very early this morning. Bub was 7 lbs and is in SCN. My sister saw her briefly after the op but hadn't had a cuddle by 1pm. Bub seems okay at least. I'm so worried about my sister though. What a rough start to motherhood!

Yet again the hospital system shows me exactly why I didn't want to go there. And why we need IMs like Sonja.

[Jennifer13]

Oh no, Mirimum. I'll go stalk my FB middie friends to see what happened. Sonja was also our crossing supervisor's m/w at one of her four HBs.

Update: decision has been adjourned until further docs are supplied by both sides. Apparently it was Nepean Hospital that made the complaint when a HB couple transferred to hospital and went in a car, instead of her calling an ambulance. I don't think there was a negative outcome from the birth.

[BellyBelly]

Oh #%*%}, SERIOUSLY?!!! Thats pretty damn petty. The hospital system stinks.

[Jennifer13]

Nepean are known for being unsupportive of HBing and difficult to transferees generally.

[Mirimum]

Thanks Jen & Cassius.

Sonja told us about the transfer in the car incident (no names or anything of course!) when she was explaining what would happen if I needed to transfer; for some reason I never made the connection that there was legal action over it. Poor chick, what a stupid thing for the hospital to be upset over!

[PumpkinZulu]

What the hell? Are you serious? That's pathetic. I hate society and what it's done to birth My doula explained with DD's birth that if we transferred and she was there, I'd have to go in an ambulance as she could potentially get in trouble driving us (we don't drive ourselves). Surely if the mother is in good enough health to go with (I assume) their partner in their own car then that's a personal choice?

[Tegam]

I use to work at nepean. They are into a lot of intervention!! So many babies ended up in NICU 'just for observation' for four hours. Missing their mums and newborn snuggles! Then they needed formula etc etc etc

[Cassius2]

That is so messed up. Do they do this for every pregnant woman that comes through their doors with their husbands driving them in?

[Beatrix]

So thought I would pop in hear and say there's a good chance I will be trying for a home birth in April of next year.. am waiting to hear back from the home birth unit at the local hospital with actual conformation as the head midwife is pushing my case with the registrar in charge but she seemed positive that I could and well she is trying to make the registrar see that it would be in everyone's best interests if we were prepared for one medically due the a 35min labour with my last baby.. the only downfall i Have against me is the fact that i got high BP at 38 weeks with all 3 pgs. She did say though being that this is different father it could mean no high BP...

so I guess its a waiting game til i get approval...

[PumpkinZulu]

Oh that's really exciting!

[Beatrix]

We are lucky in SA to have a fully funded public homebirth clinic.. but it does come with strict acceptance.

I have had 3 natural births but two were induced. With one birth i did have pethadine but that is the only drugs in all three. and I never had any bleeding issues or along those lines so the midwives think I would be perfect for them only th high BP is playing a issue

Im honestly still unsure about it.. because well its very nerve wracking and this is DH first baby but with the quick labours I think even if i decide to hospital birth (which the clinic are also fine with) they will still prep my house medically with sterile equipment JIC which is what I am looking for really

[HomeStyleMumma]

Beatrix that's great if you can get on the program! I can't imagine having to go to hospital with a quick labour like yours... I honestly wouldn't have gone with dd2 even if we hadn't planned a hb! Would you look at an IM if the hospital won't take u on?? My sis had high ho with her first 2 pg and this pg completely normal if not a little low so really past experience is only an indicator not a diagnosis & any good mw would monitor & transfer if necessary. Hope u get some good news from the hosp soon

[Beatrix]

MrsBaj- unfort due to costs a IM is not a option for us

[Cassius2]

Hi Beatrix and welcome! I have everything crossed that you get into the program

It would appear that now Jan Ireland is being investigated (despite the fact that the machines to resus at the hospital broke at a critical time...it's obviously all her fault...love the media reporting...).

[Jennifer13]

I'll email it to you, Kel. I assume because they were presented at the conf and emailed to all and sundry, that's pretty much publication. You could probably contact her and ask her if she'd be happy for you to publish them on BB too.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=184027

[Jennifer13]

Yeah, unfortunately my second sister to give birth was through a hospital in Brisbane that is quite renowned for its intervention. She was very well-informed and well-educated on birth, was going through the midwifery program (set up in preparation for the new birth centre being built). I'm not sure of the details, but at 12 days past her EDD she went in to be induced. I imagine she faced some pressure from hospital protocol past 10 days over. She ended up with an emergency c/s under GA and a baby in ICU early the following morning. They are both at home now and doing well. Bfing is going well too. I am sad for my sister, especially since she didn't get to hold her baby for about 12 hrs and then wasn't with her for over 24 hrs. But I haven't gone into the details with her, just happy with how well they seem to be doing at home (which is probably where most mums and babies should STAY!).

Her bub was only 7lb at birth, and although I know the women in my family all have teeny tiny new babies (my own barely make 6 lbs!) I think this is an indication that she was not 'overdue' but still well within the realms of normal gestation.

My conclusion is that pg women and women in labour should stay away from hospital as long as possible! My patience for hearing about medical management of pg and labour where it is not required is running very thin.

The outcome of both of my sisters' births has, however, stopped my Mum from going on about how you can have a good birth in hospital (she felt a little threatened when I took her to the Face of Birth premiere). I have told her things have changed for the worse in the last 30 years. She can't deny it when of her four grandchildren's births, the three in hospital have all been c/s and the one born at home involved no drama and the best possible outcome for mum and bub. You may be able to have a good birth in hospital, but it's no longer the norm. From where I'm standing it looks like a miracle. And by 'good' birth, I don't mean only that the baby came out of your vagina, which in itself is becoming a 50/50 proposition at a lot of hospitals.

On a positive note (let me step down off my soap box!), I completed a HBAC survey for someone who presented at the Midwife's conf in Tasmania last month and she sent me her presentation. She interviewed/surveyed 53 women who planned HBACs. The stats speak for themselves. 83% successfully birthed at home with no complications, 17% transferred to hospital, but of these another 4% had VBACs. So of women planning a HBAC (and not all used an IM, some had just doula or freebirth plans), only 13% had a repeat c/s. Compare that to the successful VBAC rate at my local hospitals - 16% successful VBAC rate at the public hospital and 6% successful VBAC rate at the private hospital.

Kinda makes planning a VBAC a no-brainer...

If you'd like to see her presentation, PM me. She sent us all a copy.