home birth vs hospital birth?

Question

Hey ladies. Doing some research and really learning toward a home water birth with a midwife and doula. But wanted to hear options on both. :)

Answer

I had an amazing hospital birth. The worry wart that I am makes it 100% necessary to birth in a hospital. Research the hospitals near you and ask about common practices. Definitely make sure you have an OB you trust and will act in your best interest. This is crucial! Everything went according to my birth plan. I was able to eat in the hospital. There was a birthing pool in the hospital which was so great and helpful. Medication was NOT forced on me. Not every hospital does that. This is why it's important to inquire about their policies.

Answer

I gave birth in a midwifery lead centre. They have the birthing pool there and it's a nice relaxing atmosphere...birthing balls, birthing stools, pillows, dimmed lighting etc.... It was also right next to the labour Ward so if anything went wrong help was on hand. Personally I would have a home birth but the birthing centre is a pretty good alternative if option is there.

Good luck in whatever you choose!

Answer

We had a perfectly fine hospital birth with midwives with our first. I'm now 40 weeks pregnant with our second and are doing a home birth with this one. The difference in prenatal care is one of the main reasons we chose home birth. Even with midwives, we never knew who we would get with our first. We had never met the midwife that caught our son. This time we have two midwives that have spent a lot of time getting to know us as a family. It just works for us. Our homebirth midwives work closely with the hospital midwives and if we need to transfer to the hospital (which is 10 min away) they will come with us and be welcome.

Answer

If you are low risk then it is safe. You don't do it because it's trendy, and you don't do it just because women on here haven't seen it and are scared. ☺ I've been in nursing for over 12 years and have had the privilege of working with a midwifery group for 6 yrs where they did birthing center births and home births.

Water births are amazing at helping naturally with pain, relaxing muscles, helping you stay in a better position = better labors/deliveries, gravity helping, pelvis being able to move easier...The buoyancy the water creates is an additional bonus.

I would recommend interviewing several midwives/practices and seeing who you feel the most comfortable with, their experience, transfer/complications rates... (really what you should do with any OB too). ☺

Good luck!!

Answer

Its really upto you if you feel comfortable having a home birth then go for it :-) i know plenty of women who have done it and prefer it to a hospital birth. My grandma done it 5 times, my stepmom had my brother and sister at home n other women in the family had no problems.. the only time i wouldnt suggest having one is that if you havent got good access to a hospital because if things go wrong i wouldnt wait for an abmulance id have a driver on hand to rush you there.x

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No way. why take the risk?

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I, personally, will never do a home birth. I like the IDEA of it, but it is too risky for my comfort and peace of mind. As a NICU nurse, I have seen way too many abruptions and birth injuries. When those happen, TIME IS EVERYTHING. I would love to do a water birth in the hospital.

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It's up to you, but atleast look into the risks and get a full understanding of all your options before you do it. Don't just do it cause it's trendy or you thought it would be cool to try actually do research on come up with a solid reason to do it and like I said make sure you are educated and understand the risks

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See if there are any birthing centers in your area. They aren't so "hospital-y" and usually offer suites with comfortable beds, jacuzzis for water births, and much more. This is what we are doing and our midwife and doula will be there with us. If something goes wrong, the birthing center is a wing of the hospital so we are right there.

Answer

In my opinion it's always better to be in hospital because at least then if something goes wrong you have the best help right there