"Natural" Birth?

Ah, the great home birth debate.  I have resisted writing much on the subject for awhile. I really try not to push my beliefs onto other people. If asked, I talk.  I realized my family is not the norm. I don't get asked about it a ton, but as I get farther and farther along, it creeps up.  Those super close to me, that really matter, either had a home birth themselves, believe in them or no enough not to "convince" me otherwise.  I have perfected the art of smiling and nodding.  I resist the urge to educate people on perhaps the greatest life event they will ever go through. It is not my place.  It is sad to me, but I let it go.  I celebrate each mama's choices and trust that it is a maternal urge to do what is best for her family.  And while I make different choices, I don't think they are better, necessarily, they are just mine.  I don't think there is truly one answer or absolute truth besides doing what is in your heart, gathering all the information you can, and taking control over your own body.

People laugh at me or do the "shocked" look when I say I believe in natural child birth.  I practically have to pick them up off the floor when I say that I have my babies at home. The gasps and the looks of shock and awe are awesome.  My personal favorite things that people say are, "I just don't see any reason for that, what with modern medicine and all " or " there isn't any medal or award for that" or " I could NEVER".  My response..... then don't.

I'm not a total hippie, though I tend towards that side.  My group calls it "kinda crunchy".  I am not sure why we have to quantify it like that.  Hippies=home births, mainstream ppl=drugged up hospital birth. Um, what?! That makes no sense and I hate categorizing people like that. But for the sake of argument, I will.  I am college educated (not that that matters), my husband has a masters and is an Engineer (not that that matters either).  My point being, contrary to the home birth stigma, I am not a flowy skirt wearing, tambourine playing, patchouli soaked, "granola head".  I kind of aspire to be but I am too uptight. I know people like that, they rock.  What I am really trying to say is, there are all walks. It is possible to drink Starbucks and believe in home births.  True story.  Most (again with the categorizing, see how I am?) of us home birth-y know a lot more about how our reproductive systems work and words like breast, nipple and vagina don't make us turn away or blush. Eh, whatev's.  We all have the same parts, lets be real.

To be honest with you, there is a part of me that envy's the women that have an epidural at the first sign of a contraction and get to play cards and nap during their labor.  Part of me would LOVE to do that.  But, that is the only the part of my that hates pain and likes to be in control.  Childbirth, to me is intense and can be painful. If it were for something lesser than bringing a child into the world, hook me up.  All the way.  No shame there.  I think that is natural though.  People, by nature, don't like to be out of their comfort zone and being in labor is an experience like no other.  If it were a lesser occasion, I would choose different.  But it isn't.  To me, those feelings are important.  Intense as it may be. To me, it is important that I not be messed with. Don't strap me to a machine that they have proved has zero medical necessity, don't put me on unnecessary IV's that pump me full of liquid that leaves you puffy and swollen.  I want to move.  I want to be in water, I want to push how my body feels comfortable doing it.  In our last midwife appointment, Stephanie (our midwife) read us the notes from Porter's birth.  I tried four different birthing positions.  Four.  One didn't work at all. Completely was counter-productive.  I cannot imagine being allowed one position to birth, have not work and have to power through it.  No wonder women are scared.  That IS scary. 

I think education is power.  That is how my family made our choice.  We read a lot, watched a lot, discussed a lot.  We were not willing to blindly follow those that went before us.  We chose to question and a got all the proof and answers we needed. When I speak of my home birth, I get every horror story in the book.  Everyone knows someone who had something happen and therefore it must be true. Personally, I have heard some pretty horrific hospital stories, but I don't take them as gospel.  It is possible to have a good hospital birth, though I believe it to be the exception not the rule.

 Fact is tragedies do sometimes happen.  The other fact is that MORE MOSToften they don't.  Let's not forget, most often, in low risk women, perfectly healthy miracles are born, both in hospital and at home.  Most often, a new life begins, a family is made, a new chapter starts.  I say, we celebrate that.  I say, we be proud as women of what our bodies can do. I feel like my body is a luxury automobile and I have taken it out for a spin and really seen what she can do.  It's amazing.  The after natural birth high is better than any drug on the market. So, I say, lets not worry until we have to.  Let's be cautiously, but still 100% optimistic since we have every reason to be, and no reason not to be.  Worry about that then.  Until then, celebrate.  Babies are blessings, families are forever and you CAN do it, however it is that you want to.

"Change is good in a way that childbirth is good, it is a function of God's graciousness not life's cruelty".

Fact Time! 

Stats you won't get in What to Fear Expect When Your Expecting:

There are many misconceptions about home birth and safety.  Also about our medical system and it's safety.  the US has a disgustingly high infant mortality rate.

1. In studies comparing home vs. hospital births, home births supervised by a “trained attendant” indicate fewer deaths, injuries and infections. Respiratory distress in newborns was 17 times higher in the hospital than at home. (1)


2. The US has the highest obstetrical intervention rates of any country. (1) The US is currently ranked 28th for infant mortality (that means 27 other countries have a better rate of infant survival than we do). (5, 33)

3. The superior outcomes seen in home births are not because the women are at lower risk or in any way special or different from women planning hospital births. (2)

4. You are very likely to have a c-section if you chose a hospital birth. The WHO concluded that there is no reason for any region of the world to have a cesarean rate of more than 10-15%. As of 2004, the US has a 29.1% c-section rate. This rate is up from 27.6% in 2003. (2, 20) (3) C-section infants also are four times more likely to die than those born vaginally. (5, 31)

5. The newest study, done in 2005 and published in the British Medical Journal showed home birth with a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) to be as safe as hospital birth. The rates of medical intervention at home were lower, and the study showed a high satisfaction rate for mothers. (4)

6. The vast majority of woman are 2 to 6 more times likely to die if their babies are delivered in the hospital. (5, 25)

7. If your baby is born at home with a midwife, instead of in a hospital with an OB, he is six times more likely to survive his first year. (5, 29)

8. The longer your second stage of labor, the more likely you are in to receive a c-section when at the hospital. At home, there will likely be no time limit on your pushing stage unless there is a real problem. (5, 46)

9. When your birth is attended by a midwife, your chances of hemorrhaging and/or continuing to hemorrhage are significantly reduced. (5, 58)

10. A study published in the November 2003 of The Lancet found that c-sections double the rate of stillbirth before labor begins, in women who have had a previous c-section (and most likely a hospital birth). (5, 105)