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speaking of home births
i wish i could remember the whole conversation now, but a couple of months ago i was talking to a yoga teacher at the yoga studio i was working at and she was getting ready to deliver at home. we were mostly talking about how for her first home birth she hated the lady so it made it bad. i think the lady she had worked with beforehand that she likes was either not available when it was time, or maybe she was there but then had to be relieved by someone who was terrible.
but what struck me is she said at the time (4 years ago i think) home births weren't legal in maryland. she had to find someone from virginia to come over the state to do it illegally. i think maybe it's legal now but only if they are certified and most midwives aren't so it's very hard to find a midwife. she said she goes to a practice and it's so crowded she feels rushed. for this reason she was feeling anxious again. so i guess it's not always as zen as one would hope...
i'm actually surprised she had a home birth given that she's at least as old as me or older. obviously the older you are the more likely there will be complications...
Re: speaking of home births
From my limited research a lot of states outlawed midwives after the 1920's, mostly from OBGYN's lobbying for it when they wanted hospital births to become more prevalent. I know that midwifery is completely illegal in Alabama also. Obviously from everyone's responses here midwifery is still looked at in a bad light and as irresponsible as a result of the shift to hospital births, even though statistics show that you really aren't always safer in a hospital. High risk pregnancies aren't an option for home birth, so if an older woman showed any indicators of trouble a midwife would most likely refer her to an OB. But older doesn't have to mean that there will be complications.
It's unfortunate that she wasn't able to have a relaxing experience. There's a shortage of midwives out here too, but I haven't heard anyone having a stressful experience because of a lot of patients!
Home birth definitely isn't for me (obviously from my post below), but I don't think it should be illegal. If people want to do it, fine by me.
I have more of a problem with the government making things illegal and taking choices away than I do with people choosing home birth. FWIW my opinion is the same on most things that I can think of - gay marriage, polygamy, abortion. I'm just not a fan of choices being taken away.
Ponder-ing whether or not to become a Viking's fan
Agreed!
I don't know that a home birth would be for me either. My first thought is "ugh, I don't really like my house that much" haha! I just hate to see misinformation going around about them.
Agreed above that midwives ARE medical professionals. They go through a lot of training and have a lot of experience. Plus they tend to treat pregnancy as a natural thing rather than as a medical condition. That is why I chose to go with a midwife. I will be delivering in a hospital, but it is a new hospital with very comfortable birthing rooms that and it is far more like a birthing center than a hospital. I would be open to a home birth, but it would probably kill Bruno. He is a scardy cat and every time I say ow if I don't immediately reassure him that it is ok he runs out of the house into the back yard terrified and won't come back in for awhile. The poor guy couldn't handle me giving birth at home.
Poor Bruno!
Our hospital is like that also, it was so much more comfortable than a regular hospital room.
And I agree, midwives treat births as the natural process that it is whereas most OB's treat it like a condition. We were really fortunate to have an OB that is more like a midwife.
Going to a birthing center or using a midwife at a hospital birth is still totally different to me than having a baby at home.
Maybe I'm just scared to ruin my couch! LOL! I mean seriously when Anna Duggar was on the bed with the little doggy pee pads spread out all I could think about what that I would have covered my mattress with saran wrap!
I think my real fear would be that I'd have to have an emergency c-section or something and I'd "waste" time being driven to the hospital. I'm kind of a worrier, and reading all these scary birth stories makes me want to be right next to the ER with every blood pressure, oxygen, whatever else monitor taped to me.