PZ, there are a few transfer stories in the HB birth stories thread. FWIW I prefer the HB transfer stories to the unplanned HB stories. Funny because they're hospital births right? But it's about knowledge and empowerment... key elements that seem to mostly occur in HB stories.
is it weird that now that i have had an awesome HB that i now am even more concerned about transfer?? i was thinking last night that when i was pg with DD2 that i was more willing to consider transfer as 'one of those necessary things if the time arises', but now, now that i had such a beautiful experience, the thought that this time could end up in hospital is just scary?
AFM: found a HB midwifery group here in LA that will take us (even without...insurance!). loads of money but not as medical as the place we went this morning (checked out a couple of places...no sign of the PTSD...yet!).
Cassius - how is it that I never realized until now that you are in the US? On the opposite side of the continent from me, but still a whole lot closer than most of the BB crowd.
I can't add a whole lot to the transfer discussion, really, but I'll throw in my two cents. I thought about it a bit with DD3, but I had a calm and confident midwife (whom I really miss!) and everything went beautifully. With DD4, I suppose you could almost say that I transferred, because I had to switch from a home birth to a hospital birth on the day I went into labour, because my GBS test came back positive, and the rule here is that they can't hang IV antibiotics at home. It was still a great birth - my midwives handled everything for me at the hospital, and aside from having that stupid IV in my hand, the rest was pretty much natural. I asked for an ARM, because I wanted to hurry things along, but that was it for interventions.
DS was almost a transfer, right at the end. I laboured at home with him, and things went really quickly and easily, but then his head was in a bad position (posterior brow presentation) and I had a very hard time pushing him out. It was when my (annoying, worries-out-loud, and indecisive) midwife said that we should transfer that I finally got mad enough and found a final burst of energy and pushed him out. A transfer at that point would have been terrible for me. I was naked, upstairs, in my own bed, worn out and in a lot of pain, and the thought of having to get onto a stretcher, down the stairs, out of the house, and to the hospital (20min drive) and possibly have a c-section at that stage was unthinkable! My baby was not in distress - he was handling everything very well. If he had been stressed, that would have changed my mind pretty quickly, I think.
About mec in waters - I believe if there's solid mec in the waters when they break then you have to transfer, here. But if it's just mec staining from an earlier BM, you don't, I think.
Cricket: hahaha, it is only a recent move! We are doing a 6 month stint (was meant to be more like 8 months until suprise baby...). There are now 3 of us in the US in this thread
Tash: well, one tub is better than at the RWH where for about 6 months they told women that they kept losing the plugs for the baths...when in actual fact they never bought them (I kid you not). seriously, pack a plug JIC lol.
I had a tub at RWH both times. First time, didnt use it. Second time, got to use it after intervention from our IM. Apparently they don't have a 'policy' for using the tub in a stillbirth. FFS. So I was allowed to labour in the tub, but not allowed to birth. My team, including DH, IM and Mum were back and forth to the staff kitchen filling up jugs of hot water to pour into the bath, as the water was only lukewarm. What's the point of using water as pain relief if it's cold? At least we had our IM, both times. Irrespective of place of birth, I wouldn't birth without our IM. No way, no how.
Anyhoo. I dont believe that a hospital birth can come close to a HB. I just see HB as the standard other environments should be reaching for. Yanno, in an ideal world. In my dream world, I'd birth at home, in or out of a birth pool, with only my chosen support people around me, rather than strangers rostered on for a shift. I wish I could have that, but with our history and fear etc, it's not going to happen next time and I won't have a baby just to have a HB, ITMS. I do like the idea of hiring a birth pool for use at home and then transferring at the last minute.... and maybe baby slipping out at home anyway. oops.
We'll cross that bridge if we ever manage to get there.
Registered User
It was still a great birth - my midwives handled everything for me at the hospital, and aside from having that stupid IV in my hand, the rest was pretty much natural. I asked for an ARM, because I wanted to hurry things along, but that was it for interventions.
(I kid you not). seriously, pack a plug JIC lol.
Bookmarks