Home-birthing?

[Julie Andrews]

How do you feel about giving birth at home?
How about unassisted home births?

[Canadamom]

I like the idea but I am too scared. I have had some issues that require medical attention when it comes to childbirth. Plus I am not sure I could handle the pain. My last labour was 29 hours and the epidural helped me through it!

[petsrfun101]

i would never do it. after all the problems i had during my pregnancy and premature birth i would never trust that something wouldn't go wrong!

[koala]

A friend of my daughter just did a home birth. Everything went well. Had the pool at home to have the water birth as well.
What I didn't know is because she had a mid-wife she is not entitled to a visit with a physician. Our health system calls that "double-dipping" the system.
I know mid-wives are trained, and licensed, but no doctor! Call me old fashioned, but give me hospital any time.

[mdutka]

i would consider it, i know many people who have done it, in fact i know a woman who had twins at home even. as for the epidural, i found it useless anyways and wouldnt bother with it again so..

[Tansy]

My best friend had her son at home. The midwife was *excellent*. 'Doctor' or no, these women know what they're doing. They specialize specifically in pregnancy and childbirth. And they're totally honest with you. If it looks like you're going to have complications at any time during the pregnancy they will reccomend you see a doctor instead and have it set up at a hospital.
And should something unexpected happen, an ambulance would of course be immediately called.

For me: On one hand yes, doctors and hospitals are wonderful things. Modern medicine is miraculous.
On the other hand, it's very easy to be treated as a 'thing'. (My labour with my son was absolutely *horrible*. The doctor was a jerk and didn't listen to a thing I said. I was a thing to him; not a person.) And midwives have been delivering babies for thousands of years.

[cndlady]

My neighbor at the lake had both her boys at home (her whole family does this). Her WHOLE family was there and they video taped the whole thing (why would you wish to do this )

Both of mine were born in a hospital and I would not have chosen different. My daughter was 72 hours of labour and my son was only 4 hrs but was worse than the 72 hrs.

I couldn't have had him at home as I knew there was a huge chance that he would be a "blue baby" which he was and would need immediate medical attention.

My great grandmother and my grandmother were both midwives and I have the greatest respect for them...but I do believe that even babies birthed by a midwife should be done in a hospital (we have a special room for this) so that if any complications do arise you have immediate access to medical attention.

*I delivered my bestfriends baby...we were having coffee at her house she had been in labour about 2 hrs went to the washroom and the baby was crowning. We called the ambulance but by the time it arrived it was too late. I can tell you although it was a magical experience even 24 yrs later it is not one I wish to repeat*