Homebirths

[Kelthaz]

It's the 21st century. Go to a freaking hospital.

Babies were birthed at home for centuries. Why go to a hospital, where mom is expected to spit the kid out and then leave within 36 hours?

Because of the reasons Scout101 has already said. I admit I haven't done a whole lot of research on this, but a hospital has got to be a safer place to give birth. Yes, if nothing unusual happens a homebirth would be fine, but what if something does go wrong? Even if a homebirth only increases the chance my kid will die by 1/10,000, that's still way too high.

 

[Raven_Shayde]

Ok, here's my pennys worth. I've had 2 children myself and both times in hospital. With my 1st son I was glad to be in hospital where people knew what they were doing, but 2nd time round I begged and pleaded for a homebirth. My midwife pretty much talked me out of it with "you have a history of having quick labours, and sometimes when that happens the baby sometimes forgets to breathe". So with that being said to me I caved and decided to go into hospital.

Although this didn't happen either! My labour was in fact so quick that I ended up delivering in the back of an ambulance. Personally I'd have rather stayed at home where everything was familiar and comfortable, as when I did get into hospital I was able to go home the next day. Felt like an unneccesary journey

 

[ByrdMan]

I don't have kids, but my friends wife has pretty much a perfect pregnancy. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. During labor (in a hospital), she started bleeding profusely, and ended up requiring emergency surgery. If they had been at home, the baby probably would have been fine, but my friends wife would have bled out.

 

[John Picard]

It's the 21st century. Go to a freaking hospital.

Babies were birthed at home for centuries. Why go to a hospital, where mom is expected to spit the kid out and then leave within 36 hours?

Because of the reasons Scout101 has already said. I admit I haven't done a whole lot of research on this, but a hospital has got to be a safer place to give birth. Yes, if nothing unusual happens a homebirth would be fine, but what if something does go wrong? Even if a homebirth only increases the chance my kid will die by 1/10,000, that's still way too high.

Newborns die in hospitals too

 

[Kelthaz]

Babies were birthed at home for centuries. Why go to a hospital, where mom is expected to spit the kid out and then leave within 36 hours?

Because of the reasons Scout101 has already said. I admit I haven't done a whole lot of research on this, but a hospital has got to be a safer place to give birth. Yes, if nothing unusual happens a homebirth would be fine, but what if something does go wrong? Even if a homebirth only increases the chance my kid will die by 1/10,000, that's still way too high.

Newborns die in hospitals too

And where did I say they don't? I said having a homebirth would increase the chances of death and other problems. I never said a hospital would completely eliminate the risks, but expensive medical equipment and well-trained doctors sure as hell aren't going to increase the risks.

 

[John Picard]

Because of the reasons Scout101 has already said. I admit I haven't done a whole lot of research on this, but a hospital has got to be a safer place to give birth. Yes, if nothing unusual happens a homebirth would be fine, but what if something does go wrong? Even if a homebirth only increases the chance my kid will die by 1/10,000, that's still way too high.

Newborns die in hospitals too

And where did I say they don't? I said having a homebirth would increase the chances of death and other problems. I never said a hospital would completely eliminate the risks, but expensive medical equipment and well-trained doctors sure as hell aren't going to increase the risks.

You *think* a homebirth increases the chances of death. That's NOT a fact. A FACT is that people are more at risk of developing an infection in a hospital MORE than at home.

Again,

 

[Deckerd]

And where did I say they don't? I said having a homebirth would increase the chances of death and other problems.

Well, see, it doesn't.

 

[maneth]

Home births are at least as safe as hospital births provided the mother to be has had an uncomplicated pregnancy and feels secure enough in herself that she can do it. When you're crowning is no time to go into a panic... No way in hell I could, my pain threshold's way too low. I gave birth to my son in hospital, and I was so happy about having the epidural, it worked so well for me.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I plan on having either a homebirth attended by a midwife or going to a freestanding birthing center run by midwives.

I know it's traditional and still common in Africa, but are you sure you want to give birth standing up?

A freestanding birthing center doesn't mean giving birth standing up. Freestanding in this context means not attached to or affiliated with a hospital. Many of them recreate a home-like environment (sofas, soft comfy beds, etc.) while still having the benefits of a large staff of midwives, and often transfer agreements with hospitals if something goes wrong and emergency care is needed.

 

[Deckerd]

Home births in the UK (and the Netherlands where it's much more common) have the usual emergency services available as for all emergencies. It's not like if you have a problem after a trouble-free pregnancy that you're stuck there with a couple of midwives and some gas and air. They take you to hospital, spookily enough. However, in the vast majority of cases you get to give birth in your own home and you don't have to be subject to whatever shift change / teaching class / horrible service staff / unhygienic / infection-ridden ward they can fit you in.

 

[Kelthaz]

You *think* a homebirth increases the chances of death. That's NOT a fact. A FACT is that people are more at risk of developing an infection in a hospital MORE than at home.

Again,

Yes, that's right, I think. I believe that home births are riskier than hospital births. This is a discussion forum and I'm giving my opinion on the issue. If it was an issue I was actually dealing with (my wife was thinking about having birth at home) I'd do a whole lot more reading about it.

Now if someone wants to give me some cold, hard facts to the contrary I'd be willing to listen. Until then rolling your eyes at me in an attempt to make me realize what an idiot I'm being doesn't stand a high chance of success. You might want to move onto plan B.

Well, see, it doesn't.

I read the BBC article you linked to, but it goes against what some posters in this thread, such as Byrdman and Shikarnov, have said. Byrdman specifically mentions a perfect pregnancy, a low-risk pregnancy, that could have ended in death if it hadn't taken place in a hospital.

 

[ByrdMan]

Home births are at least as safe as hospital births provided the mother to be has had an uncomplicated pregnancy and feels secure enough in herself that she can do it.

That's not always true. As I posted earlier, my friends wife had no complications the entire way through the pregnancy until she had actually given birth, and would be dead today if she had opted for a home birth.

*edit*

lol, posted at the same time.

To be fair, the baby would've been ok. I'm sure the assured serenity and well-being she would have felt from being born in a home environment would have completely been worth growing up without a mother.

 

[Deckerd]

I read the BBC article you linked to, but it goes against what some posters in this thread, such as Byrdman and Shikarnov, have said. Byrdman specifically mentions a perfect pregnancy, a low-risk pregnancy, that could have ended in death if it hadn't taken place in a hospital.

You do understand the difference between 'anecdote' and 'research' don't you?

 

[Sledder]

I too know two women who had complication free pregnancies who then went on to have very difficult and life threatening deliveries.

Had they not been in the hospital they likely would have died and possibly their children too.

While many and likely most pregnancies go smoothly I wouldn't take the chance of having a child outside the hospital. If you want to give birth at home that's great, but I'd rather have the safety of a full medical staff (and equipment) close at hand.

 

[Kelthaz]

I read the BBC article you linked to, but it goes against what some posters in this thread, such as Byrdman and Shikarnov, have said. Byrdman specifically mentions a perfect pregnancy, a low-risk pregnancy, that could have ended in death if it hadn't taken place in a hospital.

You do understand the difference between 'anecdote' and 'research' don't you?

I understand perfectly. I understand that the research says there is "no difference in death rates of either mothers or babies" between home births and hospital births. If even one of those anecdotes are true, and I have no reason to doubt any of the posters, that proves the death rate for home births is higher than hospital births. That would completely invalidate the research.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

My sister has three sons. First in a hospital, then she swore she'd never give birth there again if she had a low risk pregnancy. Sons number two and three were delivered at home, perfectly safely. Number three turned out to be foot first breech.

He was delivered safely. The midwife knew that breeches heads don't "get stuck." It's that the feet can slip through before the woman is fully dilated. The thing is you have to coach the woman to keep panting and blowing for a full hour after she wants to push. That assures full dilation. Hospitals refuse to do breech deliveries and would have forced a c-section. A midwife trained in breech delivery is trained in newborn resuscitation if necessary and has the equipment to suction out meconium if the need arises. It didn't. If the professional knows what he/she is doing, breech births are perfectly safe.

At the hospital, a woman is forced to have ice chips while in labor. You can't even have water. A midwife will allow you to eat and be comfortable because you're giving birth. You're not suffering an illness. My sister swears by them. She couldn't stand the obstetricians at the hospital.

I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to conceive, but if I had I'd have followed her example.

 

[HighteeHeller]

I don't have kids, but my friends wife has pretty much a perfect pregnancy. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. During labor (in a hospital), she started bleeding profusely, and ended up requiring emergency surgery. If they had been at home, the baby probably would have been fine, but my friends wife would have bled out.

I had a home birth and this DID happen to me. My pregnancy was perfect, i was healthy and there was nothing to suggest that anything would go wrong. If you read my first post, my son weighed 10 lbs, was too big and they had to "help" him along. Because of his size, and the trauma caused to me i did begin to bleed quite heavily. Fortunately the midwife and her helper were quite able to get the bleeding under control with medicine and proper training. I did end up going to the hospital, but it wasn't because of the bleeding. My son was not breathing when he arrived, but they managed to get him breathing in no time at all. We would have both been fine but the law required us to go because of that.

It's not like they don't know what they are doing.

Now my first birth, on the other hand, was just terrible. I wasn't told until i was in delivery that my doctor would only deliver the baby if i had an epidural. Never once did he mention this to me in all the check ups i had with him. No, it wasn't until i was in full blown labor and had no choice was i informed. I didn't want the damn drugs. They didn't help me, could have paralyzed me, and i was doing fine on my own.

 

[opali]

Ladies - Have you/would you have a homebirth (assuming you plan to have children)?
Guys - Would you want your wife/girlfriend to have a homebirth (or has she already have one)?

A homebirth was never an option for me because I had complications with all my pregnancies and births.

I haven't. I hemorrhaged after my first birth and I would have died; I was within spitting distance of hemorrhagic shock, if not already there. I had to get into the OR and then a transfusion followed.

Besides, it would have just been another mess I had to clean up.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Most complicated pregnancies are well-known ahead of time; and most complications that come up unexpectedly at the last minute can be dealt with by a Midwife (who are advanced practice nurses-- the main difference between a Midwife and a Family Practice doc is that Midwives aren't trained to perform surgery). The vast majority of women could give birth in a manger if they had to without harm to mother or baby.

A good compromise between home and hospital births is a Birth Center, if your hospital has one. They have a nice, homey atmosphere, but 21st Century medical technology is a minute away.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

One of my in-laws delivered ten of her children at home, and that was after a Caesarean and a later midwife-assisted birth in a hospital.

It is entirely reasonable that some home deliveries might fail where a hospital delivery would not and yet there still be "no difference in the death rate" because doctors are capable of fucking up a simple delivery in hospital that might have gone fine at home - as doctors occasionally do just about every surgical procedure. That's just a fact.