Any Other Home Birth Moms?

I have had two wonderful home births. In Portland, you're in good company. The second birth was totally different from the first. You think once you've had one baby that you know what labor is like and then it changes!! Labor number two was easier for me though, in everything except the pushing phase which was so fast and intense that I had a hard time dealing with it in the two minutes it was happening. Good luck!!

Hi J.,
I am the mother of 7 ranging in ages from 28 to 7. All of them were home births. There is no better experience. If you are healthy and have a normal pregnancy, I would definately reccommend it! You will really enjoy the birth, there is nothing better!!!! C.

I have had two home water births (I've never had a hospital birth) and would love to answer any questions you have and tell you about my births! Feel free to message me. We're running out the door right now, but I'll get back to you in a day or so :)

All the best!
~B.

Hi J.,
I am a home birth advocate and labor support doula. I had my second baby at home and it was wonderful. Our daughter was born in a hospital and we also had a good experience, but there is just something wonderful about being in your home when you are bringing another member into your family. It was amazing. We had Miles in the water and I even got to catch him myself. What a sense of accomplishment and strength! My husband was in the water with me and the experience means more to me than I can say. We did end up having to transfer to the hospital after the birth because I had a retained placenta, but our midwife was so calm and professional that it didn't seem scary at all. Once we arrived, my placenta came on it's own and we were home within 2 hours. They never even checked us into the hospital.
I can't tell you how lovely it was to curl up in our own bed with our baby and sleep as our new family. Thinking about it makes me get all soft and cuddly. When we arrived at the hospital, I was just so glad we had actually delivered at home. Birth, normal birth, is not a medical procedure, but a very natural process. If you haven't seen the movie "The Business of Being Born." you should. It's a wonderful documentary of the state of maternal care in America and has footage of at least 3 beautiful home births. It's produced by Rikki Lake. She had her second baby at home, and her birth is one of the 3 shown in the film. So great and inspiring.
I could write about birth for days, so I'll just tell you that it is a wonderful right of passage, and there is something perfect about doing it in your own space and time. I wish you all the very best and I hope you have an experience to cherish for a lifetime. I'm sure you will!
L.
P.S. My favorite birthing book is called, "Ina May's Guide to Child Birth" It is written by Ina May Gaskin, the country's leading midwife and my ultimate role model! It is very positive and encouraging.

Hi,
Congatulations on your new little one! I'm a homeschooling mom of 8. Six of my babies were born at home, two the midwife didn't make it to in time and the last two were planned unassisted homebirths. I really believe that God created our bodies to birth our babies, just as He created the way to feed them. There are rare instances in which medical help is needed, ut my experiences have shown me that OBs often just get in your way. If you'd like to read some wonderful birth stories (including my last two), check out www.christianuc.com/forums. They're all unassisted homebirths, but the moms who post there are very loving and helpful, regardless of your choice of birth arrangements.

HTH,
Wende

I taught at the midwifery college in Northern California for several years and have been to over 600 births.
If you are in good health do not weigh more than 120 kilos (100 kilos equals 220 lbs) you can have a baby at home. The second birth is usually a piece of cake.
Don't worry. Millions of women had their babies at home before the hospitals took over making birth a medical issue. Just make certain your midwife or you have a medical back-up in case there is a problem.

Hi J.,
I just gave birth to my second child a little boy on Feb 29th (a leap year boy) at home. After delivering my daughter at the hospital,we were not happy with how the staff handled my daughter and myself after the birth. So this time we went with a midwife. We loved it! Being able to labor at home is great..I never had to leave my comfort zone. One of the great things is that you choose who will be there! No surprise on staff Docs or nurses you have never met! No loud hospital rooms! I delivered in my living room and after the birth I was helped into my own bed and was given a hot breakfast and then after all this my little boy was weighed. it was amazing to own your own birth! If you have not seen the new movie THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN you must it is a documentary about home births I know you can get it from net ficks.

Congrats and happy preganacy and have an empowering birth!
M.

Hi J.. I had baby #3 at home and it was a wonderful birth experience. My labor lasted all of 2 hours from beginning to end and I fully attribute that to my comfort level at home. We're done having children, but I would never give birth in a hospital again (unless I had to medically.) A couple of books I would recommend are Birthing From Within (not sure on the author?) which was a fantastic look at birth and your personal attitudes about birth. Very enlightening for me. The second book is BabyCatcher by Peggy St. Vincent. It's a must-read. I felt like there were lots of birth stories out there about hospital birth, but I felt a little bit isolated having a homebirth -- which so many people think is crazy when you mention it, so I pretty much stopped mentioning it. Anyway, the BabyCatcher book was great because it had tons of stories about homebirth and it sort of normalized the process for me. Good luck. And I think you're making a great choice. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. I loved it and I wouldn't have it any other way. Please, feel free to contact me if you want to chat more.
C.
____@____.com

J.,

I tried to have both of my children at home and ended up having emergency cecereans, though no fault of the midwife just my own physical condition. I highly recomend having babies at home even though it didn't work for me. You will probibly get some negative responces, the medical community does not agree. But for goodness sakes if you trust your midwife do what is best for you.

J.

I haven't had a home birth yet, but I plan on it with my next one. I am also a home birth advocate, labor doula, and childbirth educator and I sing the praises of homebirth to all my clients. Home births are as safe or safer than hospital births for women with normal pregnancies. I would also reccomend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It is the book I provide all my students with when they take my class. It's a great mix of birth stories and educational information. I applaud your decision and wish you a happy and joyful birth.

Hello! Good for you! My one piece of advice is to use the Aqua Doula- the home warm water tub- it made my homebirth go so smoothly- the water was so soothing - I didnt want to get out. My son was born directly in the water. Check them out. You can rent them for a week or so of your due date. :)

Hi, I had a homebirth for my second and, for me, it was the best thing. I used to think that any woman who wanted to have her child born in the hospital was crazy, but I realized that homebirth is an option that needs to fit a personality. Same with midwifes, you need to find one that works with your personality.

For my first sons birth, I was told by my insurance company that they didn't cover a homebirth, but I could have a midwife that was licensed to practice in a hospital. So I found one (I was 6 months along because my doctor moved) quickly, thinking "yay a midwife!"
I should have taken action when only the nurse who would check me in could get my name right. As I neared my due date, I was still a week away I think, my midwife was already making me an appointment to get my labor started. I was mad at this point.

I talked to my acupuncturist and she saw me right away. She did some points that gently helped start labor, my appointment at the hospital was for monday and I had my son on sunday ;-)

I was happy I didn't have to use chemicals and drugs (and this point REALLY made me mad because I had discussed with my midwife that I wanted a nearly drug-free labor and she went right away to the drugs, not "take a walk" etc )

I was NOT happy about how my midwife acted when I was in labor. She practically abandoned me. I was VERY stressed out about that, especially since this was my first labor and had not got to any kind of birthing classes. At one point, my midwife was gone so long early in the labor, I thought she left and would come back when I was farther along......nope, found out she was just chatting with the nurses. :-( guess she had better things to do than take care of her patient.

Long story short, she was very aloof and non-helpful, didn't listen to me when I had weird pain in my leg that prevented me from pushing (I don't remember how, but I ended up on my back) During the active labor and pushing, only one nurse was helpful, coaching me, and she was still kind of mean.

Later, I was told if my baby wasn't cleaned up that no one would be allowed to touch him, so he was washed up, something I discussed earlier with my midwife, telling her I DIDN'T want him washed, but she never mentioned it would be a problem.

After my son was born and things settled down a little bit, I was resting and talking to family when a nurse came in, put something in my IV and was about to leave when my sister stopped her and asked what she did. She said she put Pitocin in my IV. I almost freaked! I SPECIFICALLY said I did NOT want that drug. Her response? She shrugged and said, well, you are bleeding too much and we need to stop it.

Okay, they couldn't INFORM me what was going on?? The rest of my stay was like that, there were a couple of nurses who were nice and just came in and did their thing, but I couldn't relax, wondering what was going to happen next. I almost started crying when they said I couldn't go home for a while. I went and took and almost passed out because of blood loss and such, and almost didn't tell the nurse because I was afraid they wouldn't let me leave. I don't think that is the right atmosphere a hospital should have........"don't tell them what's wrong or they won't let you leave!"

Now, my homebirth.......A DREAM!
My midwife had a GREAT personality fit for me, very informative, answered all my questions, let me know what was going on AHEAD of time, was proactive with information, etc. (sidenote, not only did she remember my name, but she remembered my life, she knew enough about me to ask how specific things were going and we frequently talked about non pregnancy things) She remembered things like I am a notoriously difficult blood draw, and made a plan of action, that gave me a lot of comfort.

I called my midwife around 0530 to tell her I had been having good contractions for a couple hours, but wasn't sure if they were steady (I hadn't been timing them) she asked if I needed her there (THAT was a 180 from the other midwife) I told her I was okay and she told me to call her when I couldn't talk through the contractions.

I called her about 2 hours later and told her I felt like I needed to push. She was over within 5 minutes I think.

The labor was rough at this point, I couldn't lay down because each time I tried, I got about halfway down and would almost puke. So, I stood, and that is how I gave birth. I almost expected my midwife to ask me to move or something so it would be easier for her, but all she did the whole time was remind me to take slow breaths "for the baby", make sure I was cool and hydrated and as comfortable as I could be and let me give birth how I needed to.

AFTER birth, I wasn't expecting her to hurry to get me juice, change my bedding and offer to make breakfast. She bossed my hubbie around too, made sure he got me food and she made sure I was eating.

She was a little concerned that I hadn't gone potty and so she hung out for a bit, cleaning up her stuff and chatting with my family. I needed to have a catheter, but she talked to me ahead of time about this, and let me choose how I wanted to proceed.

I am SO thankful I had that experience and look back on it a year later and still feel happy about it.

Yeah! Go for it. All the power to you. I had an unassisted child birth at home almost 30 years ago. 5 of my 7 grand-children were born at home. I am also a lay-midwife and child birth educator. Birth is a normal body function, you will be in good hands with your midwife.
My advice to you is to surrender to the birth process and embrace every sensation as bringing you closer to the moment you will be holding your baby in your arms.
Good birth to you!

Hi J.!
I am excited for your upcoming adventure. I am a mother of 4 beautiful healthy children. We planned to have my first son at home, but I had been in an accident, and had some complications causing me not to go into labor. My hospital birth was accompanied with much caos and panic for me. My labor was only 6 hours, but I felt so defeated at times and though I was required to have pitocin, refused to have any pain meds.I remember saying to my husband that I never wanted to do this again, and that if I had to endure one more contraction, then I was giving up (as if I had that choice:). When I began to crown, I remember thinking that the pain was excruciating, and then the doctor began doing an episiotomy. I screamed at her "I said no cutting" she ignored me and said "we do it for all of them honey". So insensitive. My son was healthy, and we were safe, but it was far from my ideal birth. My other three births were home water births. First of all I would just like to say "Wow! the pain level was like only a tenth of my first". I am not sure if it was because my body had been there and done that before, the waterbirth, or the tea and herbs that I had taken before the labors. Whatever the reason, I would be afraid to do it any other way again. My labor was close to 2 hours with my last 3, and I wasn't even sure if I was in labor until my midwife said "You're almost complete. If you want to push you can go ahead and have this baby". What!? the contractions were so mild that I thought she had to be joking. What a dramatic difference to the defeated, in pain feelings I had with my first. I have said in my at home labors in between pushes, " I feel weird laghing and joking in the midst of all of this, shouldn't I be stressed and irritable right now?" and I have said after the labors, "I feel like I cheated somehow, I don't feel like I worked hard enough to have this beutiful baby already" And I have anticipated that excruciating pain of crowning that I remembered with my first each time, and I have had a baby in my arms before it comes every time. The most wonderful part of home birthing to me is that all my sisters(4 girls whom my mom also delivered at home), moms, dads, grandparents, and most importantly my superb labor partner and husband, and my other children are there to cheer me on and see the first little gazes of their new siblings. It is Awesome! Just a little word about herbs and teas during pregnancy. I have had three easy labors and one hard one. The hard one I had no herbs during the pregnancy. I did a little research before #2 and found that there are herbs that strengthen the uterine muscles,so when you have contractions, they are more productive (I believe this is why my labors were fast and easy). Think of how a weight lifter conditions his muscles to do the work of weight lifting, the herbs condition the uterus to do the work of pushing out your baby. If you haven't already, then you may at least want to look into it a little more. My midwife owns her own herb store, and she ships all over the US. She has herb blends specifically tailored to the needs of pregnant women. If you are interested, I would love to give you the info. ____@____.com

I'm a Mommy of 3 great kids. My first one was a c-section that we found out later was unfortunately unessecary. By the time we became pregnant with our second our local hospital had pass a no v-bac clause and I would have to have another c-section if I went to that hospital. This is what got us searching for alternatives.Through talking to a doula we found that the kind of birth we were looking for was only going to happen at home with a midwife. We thought it was reasonable to go to the hospital and for them to let me have a baby with out a bunch of moniters, pain killers, IVs, and the like. Hospitals don't agree. They pretty much feel pregnancy/child birth is a dangerous diease that has to be mananaged. We did not agree. After much research on our own we decided we would be much better off at home. This was confirmed by the midwife we choose and her assesment of my medical records of the previous pregnancy and birth.(my midwife was a certified nurse midwife whom had worked her residency with very high risk births, her and our doula were also Christian which was a huge plus for us since we are as well and there are not many Christian midwifes out there.)
Our second and third births were at home and were absolutly wonderful. I would encourage anyone who is not high risk to consider the home birth option. I had one big issue that was alleviated by being at home and having options galore to work with. I shake uncontrollably when I hit transition and tire myself out very quickly. At home we were able to fill an inflatable kiddy pool with warm water that I could lounge in during that time right up until I needed to push. It stoped the shakes completely and instantly. Did the same thing for the third birth too; wow what a difference.
I totally believe woman sell themselves short and they don't beleive they can have a baby without pain meds. It can be done and I think they would be better for it. Once you have concured that experience you can do about anything. Now having said that I don't think home birth is for everyone. There are those with complications that even 20-30 yrs ago would have died with out intervention but for someone healthy...there is no better experience.
I'm very excited for you!!! You will have been awake for your whole birth and what a story you will be able to tell. So many of my friends don't remember vast stretches of time during the birth cause they were so messed up.
Many bennifits for the baby as well. They get to nurse right away , are never exposed to staph and a ton of other bugs that reside in hospitals, the atmosphere is calm, warm, and comforting. You can choose to do the eye goop, vit.K and other such things instead of them being done out of your sight and without your consent. Baby only has to leave your arms long enough for a proper weight check and lengh measurment. You can hold them for the cord cutting and any other precedure required.
It doesn't get any better than sleeping in your own bed, eating your own food, wearing your own clothes, and seeing whom ever you want when you want. No one wakes you up for blood presure checks, pokes you with needles, holds you hostage until you have a BM and have signed your life away on a million papers. What freedom.
Another thing nobody seems to have mentioned is how much less money it costs to give birth at home. I know this should not be the reason we do it at home but no one can say "boy I wish I could have spent more money having this baby!". More money to spend else where. =)
I'm proud of you, may you be a shining example to all your friends and family whom may doubt. You may not change their mind but you can help open it. We need to encourage one another to educate ourselves about these huge life changing experience and the options surrounding them.
Hugs and prayers for you and yours.

I had my two kids at home - they were such beautiful, loving experiences and I would not have wanted it to go any other way. I would recommend a home birth highly. After my daughter was born, my son, my husband and my daughter and I crawled into bed and took a nap together. It was all so sweet and so natural.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to talk about it more.
Best wishes,
L.

Oh yah!!!! I am so excited to see another home birthin mama!! I have had my last 2 at home and had awesome experiences. Have you seen the movie "The Business of Being Born" ? it is great. It compares home birth against the hospital birth and how america is in a maternity crisis. We have awful maternal and infant mortality rates compared with pretty much all other developed countries. The big difference? Those countries for the big part are attended at home by a midwife. Birth is not a medical event!! It is a natural process and women fight it so hard. I will respond privately too and give you my number I would love to chat:)

Go for it! I am pregnant with my 5th due in Aug. I have had all of them at home and can not imagine having to go to the hospital in the midst of labor! The hospital has it's place. If it's needed, I would go, but if I at all possible can have my babies at home, I will do it in a heartbeat. My last pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. We induced and delivered him at home although we were within minutes from the hospital in case of hemmorhage. I have a great midwife and have full confidence in her. My last live birth was a water birth and I wouldn't do it without water again if I can help it. The privacy of your own home is awesome, plus you can sleep in your own bed and be relaxed in your own familiar surroundings. I'm all for home birth if it's possible. I hope your experience is as good as mine have been.

I have a 6 month old and we had a homebirth. I live on the coast, but went through Andaluz in Portland. It is a waterbirth center. We borrowed a tub, and was planning to have her in the tub, but it didn't quite happen that way. She ended up being born in bed. By the way, a tip...for you if you are having a homebirth (if your midwife didn't tell you this yet), get an old pair of sheets and an old shower curtain. Put a normal set of sheets on your bed, a shower curtain, then another old set of sheets on top (one's you can put right in the garbage). If you are expecting on having your baby in bed, it is a super easy thing to clean up. IT IS THE BEST thing to do I think for you and your child to have a homebirth. I had my first (and probably only) child at home and I can't say enough about it. You are on your own clock (My clock happened to take 26 hours!), no drugs, no shots (unless you want them for the baby). I think it is one of the best gifts you can give your baby. Way to go!

HI J.,
I applaud you for planning a home birth. In my opinion, midwives provide better quality care than an OB simply because they allow for long appointments. A typical midwife appointment is an hour long each time. I think the book Birthing From Within is the best book out there about feeling empowered as a woman in the birth process no matter what kind of birth you choose for yourself.
I had my first two babies in the hospital due to pre-term labor (though I had planned home births for both) but my third baby I had at home. Even though she was my biggest baby 7 lbs 11 oz compared to 4 lbs 5 oz she was by far the easiest birth. I didn't even realize she was crowning when she was. I think it was so easy because I was so relaxed. I gave birth in a birth tub too which was wonderful. I could move into positions in the water thattook the pressure off and allowed me to open up more.
I'd be happy to be a resource for you if you want to talk more. Feel free to email me.

I had a wonderful homebirth 2 years ago for my daughter. It was so great to be in a a space I felt so comfortable and I could not imagine having gone anywhere. I had the water tub set up in my living room and it helped a lot with the labor and contractions. I was also so thankful not to have all the distractions of a hospital or unfamiliar faces.

The midwives were wonderfully wise and only encouraged me and told me that I had everything in me I needed to make the birth happen. It was so lovely to hold my daughter and curl up in my own bed with my family and rest after a wonderful breakfast that my husband made. Birth is safe and natural. I wish everyone could have a home birth, and allow life to begin in such a serene atmosphere. Good luck Mama! Many blessings to you. Any other Q's? ____@____.com

Oh, when I read your little blurb I got really excited! We sound alike!

My history with home birth is deep. My mom had 4 out of 7 of us at home, so I grew up with it. I loved feeling special having mom there having the baby when the time came instead of rushing off unnaturally.

I know TONS of moms who have had kids at home. I have a wonderful midwife myself. My husband and his two siblings were all born at home when only hippies delivered babies.

My first son was a long, very-slow-to-progress labor. He was a very relaxed baby during that whole time but right at the end of the labor, he got distressed and God gave me strength, though I was wiped out, to get him out in 3 minutes (after 3 hours of pushing). He's a strong, healthy boy whom we love.

My second son was a more piddly, on-and-off labor, but when he kicked in, oh, my gosh! I went from 4 cm to holding him in 15 minutes. He wasn't breathing when he came out, but my midwife, ever prepared, had oxygen and everything on hand. He's healthy too! It was intense but a whole lot better overall.

I wouldn't do it any other way! I love having my babies at home because I'm the queen. I listen to my body and everyone listens to me. I'm not against hints or help from my midwife though. I love being able to stay home in my nest and welcome my baby into his house. I thank God He made that possible for me.

I know a lady who had about 5 C sections in the hospital until they told her she couldn't/shouldn't have any more kids. She went on to have 7 more at home assisted by her husband. My husband is glad the midwife is there. :P

Advice...? I don't know. Pray for your baby and the delivery. Make your nest as prepared as possible. Freeze ready to go meals; have healthy snacks to give you energy during and after labor.

Good luck! I hope all goes according to your dreams!
Feel free to email me if you want to!

Hi J.,
I would recommend reading the book "Baby Catcher" - it's a fabulous book about a homebirth midwife in Berkeley. Our midwife considered it required reading for anyone considering a homebirth and it helped us to decide that it was the option for us.
All the best!

Hi J., congratulations! I have four beautiful children, three of which were born at home. We are on to number five, but I don't know where baby will be born. Only because of insurance reasons. I absolutely support home birth, it is great! At least for me it has been. My second and third child were water births, and the fourth was out of water.
If you have any questions I'd be happy to help if I can.

I personally have not had a home birth, but I read an amazing book during my pregnancy that really helped me. After reading it, I got the courage to see a midwife instead of an MD. it is called baby catchers and it is a real story about a midwife that did a lot of home births. She was actually the first midwife to get hospital priveleges in the Bay Area. Good luck. I know it will be great!!!

Hi -
I don't have any personal experience to offer, but I can offer a great book called Birthing from Within. You may already have read/heard of it. Anyway I just finished the chapters on home birth and it made me wish that I had looked more into it as an option. So... hopefully that helps in some small way. I also would ask your midwife if she has any patients that have gone through it that you could contact and talk to them directly about it. Take good care, T.

Congratulations! I hope your birth goes well. I love the name Angel for a boy - did you get that from Cider House Rules?

My first child was born at a hospital, my second a home waterbirth. Both births felt safe and I got a lovely baby out of it - but my home birth was far, far better! With my first birth the hospital staff did their thing but, you know, it's a hospital. So that meant interventions and lots of silliness that wasn't needed and personally I believe my labor was far more drawn out and painful (thanks to pitocin etc).

By contrast my homebirth was less messy, had less pain, felt more relaxed, and was in a way "no big deal". I was in active labor from about 10:30 PM to 1:00 AM and it was so much easier than the first child! My body and mind were so much more into it and less keyed up. By 3 AM my house was spotlessly clean, I was nursing my new baby in my own bed, and midwives et all were out of my house! Way nicer than hospital.

I read that you are "very passionate about every woman having the birth of her dreams". My homebirth was the birth of my dreams, going even more amazing than I could have scripted. I hope the same for you!

Here is my son Nels' birth story, if you're interested to read:

http://kelly.hogaboom.org/2005/04/happy-birthday-nels.html

Good luck!

Hi J.,
I have two kids, the first (my son) I had in a hospital and I had a c-section.

My second (my daughter) I had at home (VBAC), it was a long process for me but it was the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life. I will remember it forever.

Although I did have my second at home, I had a very bad tear and ended up at the hospital to get stitched up. I did not stay at the hospital longer than to get stitched up. Even with this it was still the best experience for me, my husband and my son who was 4 at the time I had the home birth.

I loved being home with all of them for the birth and we just hung out and snuggled in bed with the new baby. I did not go out at all for about two weeks after I had my daughter. I really think this is important to spend the time at home with your new baby and family and relish the time.

All the best with your birth, you can do it, I know you can.
If you have any specific questions feel free to write.
____@____.com

Regards,
E.
http://elyorganics.com/

I personally have not done the home birth thing but, my sister-in-law has had both of her kids at home. The second was born about 2 months ago in a water bath at home. She says she would never do it any other way, even though she is a registered nurse at a very good pediatric hospital! I hope it goes well for you!!!

Hey J.,

My name is L. and I am also planning my first homebirth for my second pregnancy and I am due in early July. I am so excited to have my baby at home. I am blessed to have some close friends who have had homebirths so I feel so content with our decision and really peaceful about my upcoming delievery.

I think homebirthing is wonderful. I love hearing my sister and best friends expereinces of deliverying their own babies, how empowering they feel, how supportive their midwives are, and how special it is to tuck a new family into their own bed.

I would love to hear about why you chose to do a homebirth and to continue to hear about how you are planning and preparind for it.

I chose to have a homebirth this time around when I was in labor with my first child. I hated that I had to get dressed to go to the hospital and I had so much anxiety about when I needed to go that I decided then the next time around I would have a homebirth.

So you have a kindred spirit on mamsource!

Hi J.,
I'm a mother of 3 little kids and my first two were born in the comfort of my own home, the first home being a cramped trailor home and the 2nd was in a bedroom with much more space, so much that 2 family members were able to be there to share in the joy. I would have had my 3rd child at home as well but he came on Thanksgiving night and my midwife had her family over for dinner at her home, she said I could come there but I didn't want to and we got in a little dispute and I ended up at the hospital which was a good thing because my son turned breech and had to be removed surgically. All the midwives I worked with were very reassureing and encouraging, the really know where your strength for giving birth comes from and are able to get you to bring it out with the ways they have you sit or stand or just do things to let your body loosen and all that.
Anyways, I so very much say yes to having your baby at home where you feel more comfortable and don't have the temptaion of drugs to dull the pain of it all. I will say that I did also feel stronger at home, having all the nurses and Dr.s all around me made me feel a bit...sheepish. I will say that I've started a trend in my family that many of my cousins say thankyou for, for being an example.

After having a home birth I don't think I could go back to the hospital! I've had two of my three babies at home and plan to have my fourth here as well. It is an amazing, empowering experience. My first home birth was to a 10 pounder with a long labor. I just know that if I had been in the hospital I would have ended up with a c-section. My second was to a 9 pound 4 oz boy and it was a beautiful experience. I surrounded myself with a great team, husband included, and had a great time. I used to read those stories of mom's that were like OMG it was just magical and want to gag, but with my second home birth there was something mystical about it. My advice to you is only allow those people that you truly feel comfortable with into your home birth, don't be afraid to voice your needs and opionions, and focus on this lovely time of birth giving. There is nothing like laying in your own bed, nursing your baby, with everyone else taking a back seat.
I also recomend Ina May's book. It is fantastic.
Good Luck,
C.

I have a 6 month old son and he was born in our home with midwives attending. We had a wonderful experience and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. My labor was 16 hours, I was able to walk, lay down, eat, drink, etc... and the best part was that after he was born I got to have a shower in my own bathroom and sleep in my own bed. My son was never taken to a different room. Also, my midwives came to check on us every day for the first week postpartum, and gradually lengthend the time between visits until our final visit three months post-partum. Our midwives gave us wonderful care.

I hope you also have a wonderful experience with your homebirth! Congratulations!

We chose to have a homebirth with our second child. Orr daughter was exactly two and a half years old and we had a friend come over and be her attendant for the process. We did have an overnight bag packed for her just in case it became overwhelming for her. Through most of the laboring she played in her room or outside with our friend. However, she would come in and check on me, and let me tell you her hugs and gentle pats made me relax more than anything. It's amazing the inner strength your children will give you. When it came time for the baby to come, the midwife gently asked if she wanted to see the baby come (mind you this was at 11:30 at night as she never wanted to go to bed!) She watched me push out my son and I will NEVER forget her little high pitched two year old voice gently exclaiming "baby mama, it's a baby!" As he was put on my chest, our midwife let her be the first to use the stethascope to hear his little heartbeat. Okay,I'm bawling now. I wouldn't have done anything different. We didn't have a bad experience birthing our first child in the hospital, it was just so impersonal-nurses in and out-and the doctor who just basically catches the baby for you. Plus, it was on their schedule. At home, my midwives never checked to see if I was dialated. They told me if I felt like pushing I should go for it. If it didn't feel right yet, don't. They had suggested a double sheet on the bed because through the birth if the one got soiled, very easily you could strip it off and have a clean recovery bed. The really nice convienece is I never had to take my baby to the hospital for a checkup. In a week, my midwives came to my house and checked up on me and the baby. How nice is that? Good luck to you! Birthing at home is a wonderful experience.

Hi J.!
We had our first baby at home. It waw a wonderful, nurturing experience. We set up a birthing hot tub in the living room. What a great thing. My husband could get in it too-- so he helped hold me up when I was working though contractions. The water really helped.

It was two days of labor for our little girl, Ruby. She finally came out through the birthing chair.

In retrospect, I wish I had made more foods ready for my midwives (we had 2) because they were there for a few days!

I ended up silencing the phone since my mother was terrified of the whole idea and called a million times!

Candle light, soothing music and a wonderful little bubble of our own making, made our birthing experience quite memorable. But most of all, having support who really heard me-- in comparison to the 2 births I had at the hospital, was wonderful.

Our second girl was a footling breach, so I had a scheduled C-section. My doctor is wonderful, so it was also a good experience.

Our third daughter I chose to have a vaginal, hospital birth with drugs. My labor doula (so important!!) made sure my needs were met since the anesthetiologist was kind of a jerk. By the time my baby came, I played my favorite CD and some student nurses came in and helped. It was also a great experience.

I highly recommend a post pardum doula to help you with the transition. Ours was the answer to everything!!! She was an amazing healer/herbalist and ended up staying on to care for my children for 5 months when I transitioned back to work. She made wholesome meals, picked up the house and offered sincere support for me that only a woman knows how to give and intuit.

Many birthing blessings to you and your husband!
megan

Having a home birth is so safe! Congratulations! I wish I had home births, but had them in a hospital with no intervention (drugs, IV etc). Are you studying the Bradley method? It really works and is geared toward the home birth, but it works in any environment. Im a Bradley Natural Childbirth instructor and have had 3 babys naturally. My email address ____@____.com... if you need some information! Enjoy every moment of it!!!
S., west side mom of three

Hi J., I also love horses, spent most of my childhood on their backs,
Anyway, I have 2 kids, a 1 year old and a 2 year old. Both were home births, atleast by intention - I was transferred to hospital with my first due to complications.
This was ok with me cos I totally trusted my midwife. She had 25 yrs experience and we also had a conversation way before when she asked us how important it was to us to stay at home. Meaning did we want to go to hospital at the first sign of trouble cos we might feel safer there, or did we only want to go if absolutely necessary? Her comfort range was huge as she had so much experience with birthing, but we were new to this. What was our comfort range? We said we trusted her to to make the choice, cos I only wanted to go to the hospital as a last resort. Actually I was more afraid of going to hospital than anything else. So when she said we had to go(after hours and hours of labor plus difficulties arising), that's where we went and it was absolutely fantastic having her there with us. She had a good working relationship with the Doc who obviously really respected her. The Doc would ask us questions, gives us options, and she would answer for us. We didn't have to think or worry about anything. I very narrowly avoided having a C section, and this was alot to do with her.
I had my second at home, and it was also a very difficult and challenging experience but this is mostly because i have an unusually narrow space between my tail bone and pubic bone. When things got really tough, I was begging her to take me to the hospital!! (Since my first experience with the hospital had been so much better than I had expected, and I knew the drugs were good! ha ha the ones I said i would never take...)
When she said I didn't need to go, I started begging everyone else, the second midwife, the student midwife etc. I WILL BE ETERNALLY THANKFUL TO MY MIDWIFE FOR NOT LISTENING TO ME. Giving birth to your own son naturally is THE most rewarding experience ever. It truly is a right of passage.
My advice is this: have frank conversations with your midwife about the possibility of complications and the need for hospital intervention. It happens in v few cases but it's good to be on the same page should anything come up. Then after the fact, you are less likely to feel that something happened and it wasn't your choice.
Secondly do pre-natal yoga and take a birthing class. I really credit my birthing class and the breathing techniques I learnt from both this and yoga for really helping me through the labor. I can't stress this enough. With my first, the birthing class was helpful in a way, but I took a different one the second time and it was really really great for me re pain coping techniques, addressing fear etc.
Good luck, just remember that millions and milions of women have done this too and so will you and it will give you an incredible feeling of power, self sufficiency and strength plus some, to help you be a mum. Having been through pitocin and epidural vs all natural, there's something about a natural birth that alters you...do it and see!

Congratulations! I think you have made a great choice by having a home birth. I had my baby at home last year in April and it was an excellent experience. If I do it again I will certainly hire a nurse or experienced nanny to help for the first few days with the care of the baby. I had my husband at home but we were exhausted from the birth and couldn't get enough sleep, it was crazy! It is a good idea also to get some help with house cleaning and cooking.

Enjoy and good luck with everything.

my sister just had a home birth, and loved it. She rented a birthing tub, but thought she had to 'go the the bathroom' and the baby came right in the bathroom! She already has 3 children, ages 9,8 and 4 and all 3 were there for the birth. It was a good experience for all.

Since your midwife will do it at home, she probably has a lot of resources. Good luck

As a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit RN, I have a very strong opposition to home births. This is a very personal decision, but you may want to look into whether your midwife has priviledges at your local hospital so that you could have a safer location to deliver but still the ability to go completely natural. If medical intervention is needed, there is just no time to be wasted & loading up into a car or ambulance is enough time to cause irreversible damage. I'm sorry to give you such jaded advice, but this is something especially close to my heart.

Second babies *usually* are so much easier and shorter labors. So long as you have a healthy pregnancy, I believe that having a homebirth is the safest plan you could make for mama and babe's physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. My first pregnancy I had a planned homebirth, which transferred for prolonged labor (40 hours) and a baby who needed to come out OP (sunny side up)--this often delays labors. My second was a beautiful waterbirth at home after 4 glorious hours of labor--this baby too was OP!. I highly recommend reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. The first half of the book is filled with inspirational stories about women giving birth in various settings. I also recommend reading Robin Lim's "After the baby's birth." It is so easy to focus on labor, and then on your baby, and to forget about yourself, and Lim's book offers insight and advice on how to take care of yourself as well as your baby. Wishing you the best!

J.,

I have had a home birth. My husband and I rented a tub from Northwest tubs (I think that's the name of it :)) and they delivered it when I was in labor and filled it up. When I was done they came and got it. I don't know if you are planning a water birth or not, but thats what I had and it was the best experience. I did not have one complication and I would never give birth in a hospital after experiencing my home birth. The water was relaxing (as relaxed as you can be during contractions) and I overall felt less pain when I was in the water. I had a wonderful midwife and she also had a assistant that was a student midwife that I loved as well. If you have any specific questions-just ask!

I am a mother of my first beautiful 6 mo. son and a dedicated wife.

I have 8 kids, 4 of which were born at home. Congratulations on your impending home birth! :)In my opinion, you could not have made a better choice for your birth. Staying home makes for a happier mom and baby. :)If I can be of any help, please let me know!

I just had my 2nd homebirth, a beautiful waterbirth. You can read her birth story at http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=861340.
This is my 3rd child. My first was a hospital birth. I was so inspired after my first homebirth, I decided to become a doula to help other women have the kind of great experience I had. What a gentle, kind way to bring a child into the world :-) For more info on birth, doulas, etc, you can go to my website: www.agentlerbirth.com.