Sunday, August 30, 2009

Birth is only ~19 weeks away

Well the major topic of discussion at our house is birthing. Our current plan is to labor at home as much as possible and then head to the hospital in Eden. I know some people think it is weird to travel 30 mins to a hospital when I have one around the corner but DRMC just ain't a real option. I've heard too many horror stories from ex-staff to trust my newborn to them. Besides the whole giving birth in one room then moving to the next to recover and then moving to your final room is bs. After having a baby I don't think moving from room to room (around sicky to the next sicky) is best thing.
So far I've been very happy with what I've seen at the Eden hospital and many people sing the praises of the staff there. But I can't help but wonder about the idea of giving birth at home. Ray and I both had traumatic births. No staying in the room with mom and being held and cuddled. Both of our moms nearly died after having each of us. Neither one of our moms had envisioned nearly dying rather than holding us but life happens. I know that even with the best made plans, things can go wrong. I do trust that my body will be able to handle getting Bud into the world but at the same time, what if?
Strangely since finding out I am pregnant, I've backed off home birthing and moved more toward the hopsital. Ray has actually moved the other way. He wants to catch Baby Bud. He wants to be the first hands to hold Bud. He wants Bud to be at home. Since we are 19 or so weeks away, it feels like we need to make some decisions. I'm happy with my current plan but what about giving birth at home? Just setting up the birthing tub in the livingroom with a fire going in the fireplace. Ray helping me breath as we have a midwife encourging me all the way. I love that idea. I love the idea of taking Bud to my bed afterward and knowing that I don't have to recover and get out in a day. It will be late December or early January and the height of flu season, doesn't my baby deserve the best birth possible and the warmth of his/her own home?
So much to think about!

1 comment:

  1. Well, Anne and I both hope to give birth at home. The reality is if the pregnancy is not 'high risk' then the birth is unlikely to be either. If you have a good, licensed midwife she will also realize if things are problematic and require a hospital. However, at that point you're probably going to the NEAREST hospital not the one you would rather be at.

    A lot of people make the assumption that maternal and fetal mortality has a lot to do with the availability of medical care--we partly think that because so many women and babies die in the third world for lack of care. However, its not the pure lack of care that causes the probelm--its the reality that women who have often not had a full day's nutrition in them are giving birth to full size infants. Their pelvis' are too small to birth the child and they are often not fed well enough to have the energy to get through labor and birth. So they don't die because there was not an obsterician around, but because they've suffered malnutrition their entire lives. So yes, with medical intervention they would survive, but that's not the reason that giving birth is so dangerous in those countries.

    The funny thing is that in this country home birth is still taboo, whereas in Europe their health care systems are working at enabling giving women a real choice in how they give birth--be it midwife or in the hospital.

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