I've really been interested in the concept of a homebirth ever since I started reading up on the birthing process. So far, I have read the following books:
1) Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
2) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
3) The Birth Book
My Bradley instructor has also recommended a homebirth for us, due to our insurance situation. The first thing that any of the books on birthing will tell you is to find the right doctor - one that is pro-natural birth and that you can develop a relationship with so he/she will understand your concerns. With my HMO insurance, I can't do that. Whoever is on call at the time I go into labor and check into the hospital will be who delivers my baby. I may never have met the person before.
Another thing the books say is that the more comfortable you are with your surroundings and the situation, the better labor will go. The easier it will be for the woman to relax, open up, and allow her body to do the work it needs to do. With my huge fear of needles and interventions, the higher than necessary Cesarean rates these days due to all the malpractice litigation, and all the anxiety that goes along with those things, I just don't feel that I will be comfortable enough in a hospital setting to relax. I will be constantly looking at the clock worried that my time was running out and that I am getting closer and closer to them forcing some intervention on me.
I equate this to having sex. For a man, if you tell them that they have 10 minutes to have sex. After then end of the 10 minutes, their mother is going to come in the room, and they will have to immediately stop whatever it is they're doing. If they have that thought in the back of their mind, they will either 1) actually be able to perform because they don't want their mother coming in during the middle of the act, or 2) they will get performance anxiety and not be able to even start in the first place. Either way, it probably isn't going to be the most pleasurable experience for either the man or the woman.
Although the birthing experience isn't exactly like sex, a lot of the same organs are being used. All my lady parts will be exposed for the world to see. Most women who have gone through it say that it doesn't matter at the time...all they want is that baby out of them. But it just doesn't seem like an experience that would promote relaxation, which is needed during the first stage of labor.
I feel like, due to my huge fear and the anxiety that comes along with possible interventions, I will be much more comfortable at home. I will know all the people who would come in the room. I could walk around naked if I wanted to. I could have the freedom to determine the best laboring positions for me, labor in the tub, eat when I need to eat, etc without someone looking over my shoulder and watching the clock. The midwife is trained to know when intervention is truly necessary, and to ensure that I get to the hospital in time should the need arise. I won't be afraid of someone pushing an unnecessary intervention on me just because it makes them more comfortable. Intervention would only happen if it was truly medically necessary. Just knowing that would make me feel more comfortable and would take away the anxiety.
I know that homebirth is a crazy concept these days, because it is so infrequent. People who have a homebirth or are considering it seem to be labeled "hippies" or old-fashioned. If you say you're going to have a homebirth, the first reaction is that it is dangerous and wouldn't you want to be in a hospital in case anything happened?
Homebirth used to be the norm. And, yes, both women and babies did die sometimes. But only 5% of the population truly needs an intervention and would have been saved by a Cesarean. Today over 33% give birth via surgery - that's 1 in 3 babies! I cannot believe that women's bodies have "broken" that much to cause the 5% to increase to 33%. The only reason for the increase in the rate is because of the doctor's fear of litigation. If the doctors "do all that they could to save the baby" then a jury won't rule against them. So many babies are born via Cesarean that would have been completely fine if their mothers had been allowed to labor longer.
And both women and babies still die sometimes in the hospital, so there's a risk either way. If it's so safe to have babies in the hospital, why is the maternal mortality rate worse in the U.S. than any other country except one? Most other countries use midwives primarily and have a much higher percentages of babies born at home. These countries have a much better maternal and infant mortality rate.
As you can probably tell, I'm completely convinced in having a homebirth. Now I just have to convince my husband...
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