This weekend marked a big pregnancy milestone for me — I’m now 36 weeks, which means I’m clear to for a homebirth in Oregon. I wasn’t worried about it (I’m not one to worry about stuff like this), but it does bring me a bit of excitement to know that pregnancy is almost over (nope, not a big gestation fan here) and if all goes well, I’ll be able to push this baby out at home.
I thought I would explore some of the reasons my husband and I have elected for me to birth our babies at home, not because I’m looking to convert anyone or to write a homebirth manifesto, but because I think some of you would find it interesting.
But before we dive into the fun, let us pause while I make one thing absolutely, perfectly clear:
I don’t care how you birth your baby.
No one needs to defend their choice to use the services of a hospital or get an epidural or elect to have a cesarean in these posts. Please don’t feel threatened by my story. If we meet some day and it comes out that you didn’t give birth at home, I won’t care one thing about it. Promise.
Because, let’s get real here. How you push a baby out really doesn’t make a lick of difference in the grand scheme of things. Neither does if you breastfed your baby, or co-slept with your baby, or gave your baby pacifier or how you got your baby to sleep through the night. And anyone who cares about these things so much as to threaten a relationship really needs to get a hobby or spend some time considering mothers around the world who don’t have the luxury of time to think of anything but survival (read some awesomeness about that here).
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now.
I think birth can be very scary for those of us who have not seen a birth in person, especially when the depictions on TV and movies are our only reference point. I had the privilege of watching a number of births before I got pregnant with my first baby. The first was when I was sixteen and I was at the hospital birth of my youth leader’s first baby. A number of years later, I watched my sister-in-law give birth to two of my nephews — one in the hospital and one at home. In addition, my husband’s other sister gave birth twice without an epidural (one at a hospital and one at home) before I had my first baby. Lots of births and all without intervention, so I had a fairly good understanding of what a non-medicated birth looks like and does not look like.
Fast forward to 2003 when, after just graduating from a very expensive and time-intensive graduate program and getting an AWESOME job offer in a very competitive field, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. And without health insurance. Whoops! (We tend to dominate at surprise babies.)
My first “surprise” and I trying to take a picture together in the bathroom mirror.
Being cheapskates frugally-minded, were determined to find some reasonably-priced options for getting this baby out.
To be continued…
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That is all fine and well, but if complications arise a hospital i think in my humble opinion is better able to handle a crisis that being said the state of health care in the USA is in my humble opinion pretty dismal, Oregon not being a state that offers their citizens many options to have a baby without anykind of insurance but people still have their baby’s births in Oregon in Hospitals, how they pay is another story and happy to say Washington is more progressive king, pierce and snohomish counties have many certificed nurse practioners that will deliver babies at home and take payments however a person can pay, a lot of excellent hospitals in those counties take payments for however long a person can get the payment to them..I cannot wait for Obamacare when everyone in our country who can muster up some dough can get some kind of health insurance at most reasonable prices, everyone should have an opportunity to get heath care everyone, it is not just for the privileged few with stacks of cash!!!!!!!!! Wishing you a happy happy baby and a smooth free delivery, many happy days & years with your new little one…
I like how this post showed both sides, some things like pacifiers and circumcison should not not be something that people make big deals out of. Understanding that I have to vote for hospital births, because thats where I work. When I first started working in the 80’s A lot of people were doing home births do to no insurance, and OHP was not out yet. But we saw the other end of it in the hospital. about every week there was someone who was brought in from an attempted home delivery, some of the cases were really sad, babies that died, or were oxygen deprived were some of the worse. I know that there are many wonderful home births, with great outcomes. But now days oregon is trying to ensure all woman have prenatal care and safe deliveries with OHP.(oregon health plan)
Oh good. Cuz this way people can bring you fast food while you’re in labor, and someone else can make you a drippy frothy coffee drink from your Aeropress too. Win-win!
Definitely a plus that you can eat during labor at home!
Depends on your Dr. or midwife at the hospital, Interview your Dr. or widwife.
Love this post!
My homebirth baby turns one on Sunday. IT WAS AMAZING! I had two inductions prior and I was tired of my ability to birth being seen as a problem and not just a variation of normal. We paid out of pocket for services even though insurance would have covered a hospital birth 100% – that is how much it meant to us (DH was unemployed at this time too). Start to finish 19 hours but it wasn’t a big deal – I just went about my day and had a baby before bed 😉
I love reading your posts. You really are gifted not only in your writing abilities but also in your presentation abilities! I wish I had just a fraction of your talent. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!
To quote from “Gone with the Wind,” “i don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ no babies.” But I witnessed all 5 of my kids’ births in the hospital. I’m glad all the repliers so far have been open-minded; I thought I might need an epidural if there were a lot of negative comments.
My first child (32yrs old now) was hospital birthed, the last three at home… 30yrs old, 21yrs old, and 16yrs old now. I treasure those memories at home (hospital birthing is different nowadays, I hear, but my experience was not good).
There is WAY to much judgement passed around about how a new mother “should” birth and raise her baby . It’s truly awful. I am so glad you are sharing your story without that. I look forward to the rest of your story, and I will pray for a safe delivery and healthy baby.
God bless you.
OH My!!! 🙂 You are such gold!! I’m 29 weeks pregnant and will be having a hospital – epidural birth (variety of reasons neither here nor there) but I LOVE the tone – the thought – the information – the experience – the story! 🙂 I cannot wait to follow this through.
When you are pregnant EVERYONE has an opinion about EVERYTHING and if you aren’t doing it ‘their way’ dear goodness watch out 🙂 So.. you were able to do this without that feeling at all – GO YOU!!! 🙂
From someone who had both my babes in a hospital with 2 c-sections, I have got to say that I LOVE the tone of this post. I can fully appreciate why people want to have their babies at home and if everything wasn’t so scary with my deliveries, I may have too. What I can’t appreciate is the generally sanctimonious, holier than thou tone that a lot of articles take about hospitals and their evil-ness. Thanks for sharing in such an amazing (and open minded) way. Can’t wait to read the rest!
Our lack of medical insurance led me to explore other avenues of birthing as well.
From that came 2 natural water births & I’m so happy about that choice.
If it weren’t for paying for it ourselves, I would never have checked into non-hospital births!
That was our reason in 1986, for having a home birth. No insurance, and the midwife took payments. Not many babies are paid for before they’re born!
p.s. He’s 26 now.
I am a big fan of hospitals. I work in one and we do help “save” lives. Yet, I chose to have my single birth babies at home. It’s not for everyone but woman do need to know that it is a happy and healthy option.
I am a HUGE fan of hospitals. My first baby would have died if not for giving birth in a hospital- emergency c-section. They saved my little girl and possibly mine if the delivery would have gone bad. Love hospitals! Not all stories are like mine. Hope the home birth goes smoothly.
This is a truly awesome and tactful post- and I say this as the mother who spent a month in the hospital before giving birth to premature twins. (Yup, the other end of the spectrum)
Best thing I’ve read today?
“And anyone who cares about these things so much as to threaten a relationship really needs to get a hobby or spend some time considering mothers around the world who don’t have the luxury of time to think of anything but survival.”
love it! can’t wait to read more 🙂
Can I just give a wootwoot! for home birth and the brave midwives who make it possible?