The Final Installment : Exploring Homebirth

This is the final installment of Exploring Homebirth, I hope you've enjoyed this series as much as I have. So far we've enjoyed the altogether different homebirth stories of Hannah, Kash and Heather. If you missed them, click on their name to enjoy their story. At the end of today's post I will share some homebirth resources for those of you who may want to explore the topic further. Today's homebirth post is a beautiful wrap-up from Susan. She has had the pleasure of birthing seven children, each in the way which worked for them. She gave me an adorable photo to post, but as my readers know, I am tech-illiterate and am having trouble getting it to display. I will have it up as soon as I can, it really is a sweet photo.

Each of my 7 wonderful children came into the world under different circumstances.

• For child #1 I had traditional prenatal care with an ob/gyn. My son was born via emergency cesarean section.
• My #2 and #3 were both delivered at a tertiary teaching hospital. I was able to deliver naturally except that my labor was induced.
• #4 was delivered by a midwife who was in practice with an obstetrician. #4 decided to scare everyone with a decelerating heartbeat. An emergency c-section was ordered until my midwife decided to try sitting on the floor and holding the monitor to my sideways belly. #4 wasn't in duress, she was merely positioned in a way that kept the monitor from working correctly. I was able to continue with induced labor and have another natural VBAC
• #5 was my very first natural VBAC that was not induced. What a difference that made, so much less pain with natural contractions.
• #6 was delivered via a home water-birth with a certified nurse midwife. Talk about pain-free. Water births are wonderful.
• #7 was delivered at home with the same midwife. I intended to have another water-birth but the little guy was in a hurry.

I'm going to ignore the debate of home-birth versus hospital-birth. Parties on both sides of the issue can point to compelling statistics, with total honesty, for or against either choice. The truth is birthing is not risk free. From my point of view and from my personal experience I would always, if possible, choose a home birth. Yet there are advantages with hospital births.

• My cesarean section saved both my life and my son's life. I had H.E.L.L.P. syndrome, it is not something caused by a "cascade effect" of medical procedures. There is no cure except for quick delivery.
• I was able to go from being considered "high risk" to "low risk" after having a normal second hospital delivery.
• Labor and Delivery Nurses- In my experience good ones are worth their weight in gold and should be showered with rose petals everywhere they go.
• Maternity wards equipped with whirlpool baths big enough to float in- Ahhhhh, most wonderful after any delivery and I most definitely don't have one at home.
• Maternity wards again. When you already have children at home, staying in the maternity ward can be incredibly quiet and peaceful.
• The Nursery- If you have a difficult labor, like I did with #4; the nursery can be a great help for a quicker recovery.

Instead of now listing the advantages of home-births I thought I'd share a brief outline of my last home-birth. The differences between the following home-birth and the usual hospital-birth should be apparent but can be summed up with the words: gentle, patient, and peaceful.

• I woke up to gentle but regular contractions.
• I had a lovely day around the house nesting and spending time with my other children.
• I called the midwife and my husband to come around 3:00 that afternoon.
• My contractions slowed as soon as they both arrived, but it didn't worry me or the midwife. She chatted with my husband and I mopped my kitchen. The contractions were regular, every 5 minutes or so, but not intense.
• My husband and I decided to go on a brisk walk. Just 30 minutes of walking hand in hand in our neighborhood with my husband was both relaxing and bonding. It also kicked my body into a more intense level of labor. I was a bit worn out when we got home, but happy.
• A friend arrived at the house to help- she served everyone dinner. I ate a small portion and felt renewed strength.
• While my family and friends chatted I stretched on my bedroom carpet and concentrated on getting into the rhythm of my contractions; embracing the waves. The lights were dim. I moved to a birthing ball and shifted around finding ways to relax and focus and even enjoy the experience.
• After about an hour I suddenly felt exhausted and lay on my bed to take a short nap. The contractions were deeper as my body moved into the third stage of labor.
• 15 minutes passed and I felt suddenly restless; the quality of my contractions had changed. I felt my cervix dilate and called my husband and midwife to help me get up.
• My midwife started to double check the water temperature for the water birth. But # 7 had different ideas. When I stood up I felt the overpowering urge to push and my little one came into the world. With my husband and midwife supporting me I got to catch my baby myself.
• After delivering the placenta I walked just a few steps and climbed into my own bed with my baby and nursed and cuddled to our mutual contentment. My friend and children were still doing dishes. They got to come and meet the newest member of the family and spend time with me before going to bed themselves.
• When the midwife did need to check over the baby she simply put all of her equipment on my bed and my husband and I helped and chatted.

Though I loved my home birth experiences, every pregnancy is different and choices have to be made on an individual basis. If we were to have another baby, we would carefully reassess our options.

After all, the desired end-result is a sweet, round, warm baby- not a picture perfect birth story.

Susan can be found blogging at Daily Coping Skills. There she shares her everyday successes and failures as a homeschool mom of seven. Her two youngest children have FOD (Fatty-Acid Oxidation Disorder) if you are interested or in need, there are resources available at her site. Susan blogs with an open heart and optimism.

Additional Homebirth Resources:

Is Homebirth For You

The Homebirth Choice

Unassisted Homebirth

The Midwife and Homebirth