Jennifer, I had a feeling that might have been the case for other midwives. Unfortunately, being part of the hospitals homebirth program trial, there was no wriggle room on things like meconium. I am very conscious about not being a woman that cries "had too". I've always stressed that I made the decision to transfer, I'm not about to chalk it up to being 100% I had no choice. But I was alone when my waters broke and when I saw they were tinged with green...well, I wasn't going to force the midwives to assist me when they would not have been comfortable and breaking the 'rules'. I honestly thought the suctioning of DD's lungs was not necessary, and it was just a policy that was being fulfilled. After the birth, I mentioned I had a slightly sore chest. Seeing as I have E cup boobs and laboured with all my weight over a fit ball, I figured that was why. An OB took my bloods, have me two ekg's and told me I'd be having a blood transfusion. I refused because I was fine. I think, although the program was excellent, that a lot of 'policy' still remained and that was its major failing. I know I will definitely be going with a private midwife next time. Sometimes I do wonder what would have happened if I had put my foot down and said I was not transferring, or not even mentioned my waters, as I had no interventions for it or anything else during the birth anyway. But it's no good playing 'what-ifs'. It is what it is. A wonderful birth, and hopefully next time I'll be able to do it all in the comfort of my own home.
PZ you're the reason so many of us can espouse home birth as low risk, because you were responsible and transferred as a safety measure when things weren't 100% perfect. Tbh I might have done the same with my first baby.
As it was, I did go into hospital for monitoring with dd before coming home. I wish I could erase that experience because it was ****ed. It was nearly midnight on Christmas night and I was being bullied into an induction and was forced to stay hooked up to the ctg for three hours! But I'm also glad I did it, because it meant I felt safe to birth at home in the way I did, 'knowing' all was ok.
Who knows if you would have been secure enough in yourself to achieve a great birth if you were stressed about the mec at home? So many factors come into play in a birth, and I think for you the hospital setting might have been exactly what you needed for dd's birth. Each birth is unique...and we all aim for the best case scenario and plan for the worst....what happens in the end is something in between.
I was planning a homebirth for my first but ended up transfering. at the time I was pretty gutted and cried all the way to the hospital but I was also exhausted. then when I got home after giving birth my beautiful midwife said 'if we had just done such and such then you would have given birth at home.' she said it in a nice way, but it still opened my eyes because at the time I was a bit naive about birth and my body. I didnt trust enough or even understand enough. but im glad I still got a vaginal birth (with epidural) and my midwife was with me the entire time in hospital and was great in telling me that next time I can definately birth at home again. just because the first time it didnt work out doesnt mean it will be the same with subsequent births.
PZ, we transferred. I would have loved a homebirth. I feel like I've missed out on something wonderful. However, the birth with DS1 started at 35+3 and we didnt know his position. Transferring was the right thing to do in that case. We knew our IM'S 'rules' when we signed with her. We agreed with them which is why we were confortable with her. We knew she was more conservative than most IMs about transferring and we were fine with that. Like you, we ended up with an empowered vaginal birth. It wasnt a peaceful water birth in dim lighting, as I would have preferred, but that was the compromise we made to have a vaginal breech birth.
I feel really sad we'll never get our HB now. I hate feeling jealous of friends who have. I should probably stop stalking this thread however, I see HB as the gold standard of birth. There are reasons to transfer and following those still means a successful HB. There are reasons for a planned hospital birth. I see hospital as the place for high risk and we are now high risk. Which sucks but that's just life. Within that framework of a planned hospital birth, I feel it's important to emulate as much of what makes HB successful. To that end, I've identified the team that will help me with that, including our IM and an OB who has agreed to shared care. Whilst I'm unlikely to have a waterbirth, as MMC only has one tub (what is with that?), hopefully we can manage everything else to be as close to a gold standard as possible.
IMO, hospitals should be trying to reproduce the homebirth model of care as closely as possible.
for me, i would do anything to avoid transferring because i really do not trust hospitals or hospital staff. and so i selected a highly knowledgeable, experienced IM with a low transfer rate to try to facilitate birthing at home. when baby was not engaged and kept rotating from breech to transverse and down to cephalic position (therefore at greater risk of cord prolapse if i went into labour) the IM pulled out all her tricks and when we got baby into cephalic position again i bound my body up day & night and bounced my little touche for hours hoping he would stay that way.
during the birth, waiting for the placenta to come, i lay on my kitchen floor for hours with my IM next to me and i was so greatful to be doing that at home rather than sitting in a hospital bed.
we all make our decisions with the info that we have at the time, and influenced by our past experiences.
i don't think hospitals will ever get close to producing 'homebirths' no matter how many potplants or cushions they throw around.
I got a call from my Midwife, she is coming for my first appointment on Tuesday - asked about her on a local birthy FB group and got a dozen women who adore her reply so i'm feeling so good right now
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