80 reasons to have a home birth

[demeter]

Got any more to add?

From http://www.homebirth-only.com/WhyChooseAHomebirth.htm

1. No chance of bringing home someone else's baby.
2. No chance of having someone steal your baby while in the hospital.
3. No chance of having someone else nurse your baby.
4. No chance of having your baby being given formula when you want only breast milk.
5. No chance of being separated from your newborn.
6. No chance of exposing your newborn to a hospital born virus, or unknown bacterial infection.
7. No chance of exposing yourself to a hospital born virus, or unknown bacterial infection.
8. No chance of you receiving an episiotomy.
9. No chance of getting an infection in the episiotomy stitches.
10. No chance of ripping out the episiotomy stitches when having your first BM.
11. No chance of being confined to a bed during your labor.
12. No chance of being left alone during your labor, unless you want to be.
13. No chance of having your children excluded during this important time in your life.
14. No chance of getting an IV in your arm.
15. No chance of the nurse blowing the vain as she puts in the IV.
16. No chance of getting the wrong drug in your IV.
17. No chance of getting experimental/off label drugs during your labor.
18. No chance of getting a unknown/nasty care provider at the time of labor.
19. No chance of medical students or residents doing unnecessary procedures because they need the training.
20. No chance of getting an unwanted circumcision for your son.
21. No chance of getting an unwanted vaccination for your newborn.
22. No chance of getting an uncomfortable continuous fetal monitoring.
23. No chance of getting unwanted drugs during your labor.
24. No chance of laying in an uncomfortable bed.
25. No chance of laying flat on your back during the birth.
26. No chance of having your legs strapped down into stirrups.
27. No chance of having unbearable cramps in your legs because you cannot move them.
28. No chance of having the umbilical cord to your baby cut early.
29. No chance of enduring the noise of a typical hospital after the birth.
30. No chance of enduring unpopular or against your diet hospital food.
31. No chance of being cohered into a Cesarean.
32. No chance of having an anesthesia reaction, and the dangers that goes with it.
33. No chance of having your doctor cut your baby during a Cesarean.
34. No chance of having your doctor cut your intestines during a Cesarean.
35. No chance of having your doctor cut your bladder during a Cesarean.
36. No chance of getting an infection in the Cesarean incision.
37. No chance of having your doctor leaving something inside after a Cesarean.
38. No chance of having to endure Cesarean incision pain after the birth.
39. No chance of having your care provider or hospital refusing to do a VBAC.
40. No chance of having to get up in the middle of the night to go to the hospital.
41. No chance of having to endure a bumpy/uncomfortable ride in the car.
42. No chance of not making it to the hospital.
43. No chance of enduring a painful pelvic exam to determine "pelvic size".
44. No chance of hearing "I think that your baby is too big, pelvis too small, etc".
45. Your Doctor views birth as a potential disaster.
46. Your Doctor will do whatever he has to to maintain his licence/insurance-You are secondary.
47. Your Doctor will put limits on the length of your pregnancy.
48. Your Doctor will want to induce you, if you pass those dates.
49. Most inductions are failures if you are not close to your baby's REAL date.
50. Your Doctor is "banking" that your induction will be a failure.
51. Your Doctor has financial incentives to do MORE procedures.
52. Your Doctor likes to maintain DAYTIME obstetrics.
53. Your Doctor can make double the money for doing a Cesarean, and he can be done in 1 hour.
54. Your Doctor does not like late night births, he has office visits tomorrow.
55. Your Midwife views birth as a normal function of a women's body.
56. Your Midwife only attends normal births, that is her specialty.
57. Your Midwife will always do your prenatal care.
58. Your Midwife will listen to your needs and fears.
59. Your Midwife is available 24/7 to answer your questions.
60. Your Midwife will honor your birth plan.
61. Your Midwife doesn't do quicky office visits.
62. Your Midwife has no financial incentives to do extra procedures.
63. At home, you can labor in the position of your choice.
64. At home, you can labor and birth in your choice of clothes.
65. At home, you will not have an IV in your arm.
66. At home, you can go to the bathroom without asking someone.
67. At home, you can lay down or stand up without asking someone.
68. At home, you can eat or drink if you choose to.
69. At home, your young children can be with you, if you chose.
70. At home, you can make and control your own labor and birthing environment.
71. At home, your labor coach is the same familiar person that gave you prenatal care.
72. At home, the baby catcher can be anyone that you want.
73. At home, you can birth your baby in the position of your choice.
74. At home, you can birth your baby in a dark room if you choose to.
75. At home, you can have the people that YOU want at your birth.
76. At home, the baby's cord will not be cut until it stops pulsing.
77. At home, your baby will be left by your side after the birth.
78. At home, you can nurse your baby right after the birth.
79. At home, you will not be given "pit" to hasten the delivery of the placenta.
80. At home, your postpartum caregiver will be the same as before, your Midwife.

[Immaculata]

81. At home you can satisfy your postpartum astronomical gastronomical tendencies with whatever the bleep you feel like

[M O P]

81. At home you can satisfy your postpartum astronomical gastronomical tendencies with whatever the bleep you feel like

Yes but the hospital I went to had the best and nicest tasting food, nothing like my husband would have made me at home and it was great having someone else cook!

[Mamaduke]

...and you don't have to clean up any mess in hospital, or worry about your flooring being ruined!

[Immaculata]

82. At home you can walk around your very own garden, smelling the roses while you dilate, admiring the fruits of other labours - the hours you spent tending them while growing the child you are birthing.

[shed]

None of that stuff happened to me except number 29.

But I wanted a homebirth desperately anyway. DP wouldn't pay for it though.

Next time!!

[demeter]

I'd rather not take all those risks just to have hospital food and a stranger clean up around me

[M O P]

not if your home is where mine is!
But like Shed I was very lucky. Baby always with us, husband there the whole time, had a double bed room, didn't labour away on a bed, went in to spontaneous labour, obs very much against c/s, no epi, no painkillers postnatally, no students, same midwife whole way,etc.

[demeter]

Wow, that is lucky! My sisters daughter was taken from her while they were asleep one afternoon in the hospital, my sister woke up to the sound of sirens (later discovered the hospital was having a fire drill!!!) to find she had no idea where her baby was

[M O P]

My sisters daughter was taken from her while they were asleep one afternoon in the hospital,

That is pretty bad. The hospital we had were all for rooming in, I thought most were these days.
Do you know why they moved your niece, was it to weigh her or do hearing test etc?