Poll: Am I crazy to want to "accidentally" give birth at home?

Question

I'm a FTM and am definitely in the school of thought that women's bodies were *meant* to give birth. However, I work in an ER and I have seen enough tragic stories to make me want to give birth where emergency services are readily accessible (i.e. a hospital). But! I can't shake this feeling of dread about going to a hospital to give birth, I just want to labor at home with my husband (who is EMT certified). I'm a very private person and I am worried that I will be pressured into doing things to speed up my labor or get told things that will unnecessarily worry me into getting a c-section to "play it safe". My plan right now is to labor at home until the last possible second (my husband has even agreed to check cervix dilation for me 😅) and then show up at the hospital for maybe the delivery and all the postpartum care. So what do you guys think? Anybody else feel like me? Please give me your thoughts! Or tell me why I'm being irrational and I should just go to the hospital like a normal person! 
I'm 17 weeks now 😊

Answer

I'm a paramedic and I feel very confident about giving birth at home. My ED experience gives me confidence in my body's ability to deliver naturally and normally. 
We have hired a midwife and I have great, supportive ob for backup should I require a transfer.

Get a midwife. Read Ina Mays guide to childbirth.

Answer

My husband and I are planning an unassisted birth with just the two of us in our home. Look into unassisted birth!! I have bought about 5 books and feel extremely confident in our abilities. I also had that same deep feeling that I didn't want to surrender any bit of control over my birth experience to anyone else. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers have trusted their bodies to birth unassisted for thousands of years.

Answer

It depends to me. If everything has gone well then sure do what you want. If your baby is breech or you have had high BP at the end or if you go into labor early you need to go to the hospital. You are still really early in your pregnancy so there is a lot of time to figure it out.

Answer

Because it's your first baby I highly suggest going to the hospital first time round. Also car rides bloody suck when you are having contractions so don't wait until they are to close haha

Answer

Omg, I've had the same thoughts!! You're not crazy...or maybe we both are haha!

Answer

You could always look into a natural birthing center that is close enough to transfer if you need emergency services

Answer

I'm a midwife, I would recommend labouring at home for as long as possible and going in for the delivery. Look into a birth centre kind of thing. I'm in Australia, so I have signed up to a birth centre that is in the hospital, they try as much as possible to keep it as natural as possible. 
I don't know where you are, but find a midwife who is happy to do the natural ways of things. Or do your research into doctors where you are and let them know your thoughts regarding birth or even hire a doula to be with you in the birth and be your birth advocate. At the end of the day, you and your partner are medically trained so you have the knowledge and I don't think they would try anything. 
I actually knew too much going into my birth with my son. So I was much more reassured going into hospital and my son got very very stuck, and they tried to rotate him but there was absolutely no turning him. If I had stayed home I don't want to think what could have happened. 
I'm trying for a vbac in the next few days (I have 8 days until I have a scheduled csection) so I am praying I go into labour real soon! I'm going through the birth centre again because, they listened to me and what I wanted, but with the benefit of being in a hospital and also being sensible about where I was at.

Answer

It's okay to labor at home but give yourself enough time to actually get to the hospital so you don't birth her on the road. Also if you want an epidural you need more time for that. If you're too far gone and ready to push you have to go all natural. I wouldn't suggest birthing at home though just incase something went wrong that could have been prevented.

Answer

I'm planning to give birth at home on purpose.

Answer

I looked up instructions on Google.... just in case.

Poll: Am I crazy to want to "accidentally" give birth at home?

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