The thing for my situation here in the country is that homebirthing is so under the radar that when the laws do eventually change the caregivers around here need to know that people want it and need to know that people have been prepared to have freebirths without their ridiculous hospital and doctor collaboration.
What I'm saying is, lucky for you ladies who don't have to do booking in yourself or don't have to be the brave minority who front up with their homebirth plans out in the open. Really. Because I was one of you and then I moved to the country.
I KNOW how much easier it is for you metro people to access homebirth, despite restrictions on hospy programs...you have hospy programs! I wish we were all in a position to take for granted that we didn't need bookings in. Please be mindful in your responses of those of us who actually have a bit of a struggle to get what we have a right to plan. It is coming across as dismissive, just to let you know. It used to feel a lot more supportive in this section, and I'm in here to get the support I don't find IRL, increasingly in vain (in general, not just this section)
I live semi-rurally and have no support locally. My birth support is not part of any clinic or hospital, hell, she is not even registered. In addition to distance, many IMs were not comfortable in attending my birth due to my medical condition. In the current climate, having a second birth support person is incredibly difficult due to my primary not being registered. If a registered midwife were to attend my birth, she would legally be considered responsible for the event, regardless of the position that she was hired for, or volunteered for.
I have not booked in to a hospital, because if i transfer if is due to an emergency. in an emergency, i have notes that have my personal details. I do not believe that the hospital needs to know my personal details, or what my blood pressure or measurements were at each appointment (if it is not relevant to why i am at the hospital). I don't need to hear their judgement or face their questioning. Additionally, dependent on what the emergency is, i may go to the local hospital or i may travel to one of 3 other hospitals. Circumstances will dictate where i go, i am not going to pre-book in all of them jic.
I think it is important to question why we do things. why you want to book in to a hospital. I can understand that some people find comfort in having that option sorted. Having an interesting birthing history might make checking out the local hospital beforehand a more attractive option.
When offering responses to Teni, i considered that she had already been the hospital, including at least once this pregnancy. She doesn't like the person she is booked in to see, and my impression was that she was expecting an interrogation on her birth choices. Teni has mentioned she doesn't like confrontation and it didn't sound like she had a support person lined up for the appt. So my suggestion was to not go to the appt. Question what benefits there are in going. What harm is there in going, particularly as Teni heads in to the last few weeks of her pregnancy and should be surrounded by loving and supportive people.
We come from many different backgrounds and circumstances. A number of discussions here i feel isolated, and sometimes frustrated, because they don't apply to me. But for other topics, it is here i come for support because i think that there others who may have or be experiencing similar.
Re: Homebirth General Discussion #17
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