*Interview a woman who has chosen an alternative to hospital birth. Some examples may include home birth; underwater birth, or birthing center. Ask her why she chose that method and to describe the overall experience. How does she perceive that this experience was different than the hospital birthing experience?
I chose to interview my niece, Lindsey, regarding her experience with at-home birth. Lindsey gave birth to her first child last year. Her son is nearly one year old now, and is a very happy, healthy baby boy. She and her husband elected to have their firstborn at home with the assistance of a midwife. Lindsey has been very healthy all of her life and has rarely needed medical care other than routine check-ups. She intensely dislikes the hospital setting, so it was a natural choice for her to elect at-home birth instead. Her pregnancy was confirmed by her physician, and then the majority of her prenatal care and follow-up was provided by her midwife. The pregnancy was uncomplicated and progressed well, so they all felt safe in choosing to have the child at home. Another major reason they elected to have the child at home is because they lack health insurance, and felt the expenses of a hospital stay were unwarranted.
All necessary precautions were taken to ensure the childbirth would be safe for both Lindsey and the baby, and she was very happy with the experience. With the birthing assistance of a very qualified midwife, she was able to be in her own home with her husband, mother and father nearby, and they were all able to be part of bringing a wonderful new child into the world. Her labor was not prolonged, and she was able to deliver a 7 lb. baby without difficulty, and with minimal medication. Overall, the experience was very positive for the entire family, and the at-home delivery was much more relaxed and private than it would have been in a hospital setting. Lindsey tells me that if she is blessed to have another child, she will choose at-home delivery again.
Carol Martin
Cmartin18@twu.edu
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Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteYour neice is a superwoman as far as I am concerned. I am all for natural births, but I am thankful for caesarian deliveries. I am pleased that your neice and her husband came up with a good and safe alternative for easing the burden of healthcare cost, by doing things the way they did in the past. I believe a number of health care cost may be cut if we all would seek alternative measures for some medical procedures.
Your blog is delightful, These days many people do not choose to stay at home. Your blog showed me that maybe we as women shouldn't go with what everyone else is doing. I had my daughter in the hospital because I thought it was the safest way, but your blog has opened my eyes to the possibility that we can have control of our lives and if there is no threat of illness it may be safer to stay at home with our families.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that your niece chose to have a home birth. I believe that home births are wonderful experiences and that many women, especially here in Texas are unaware of the availability of midwives and the benefits to having children at home. I think that too many women these days feel that they have to have pain medication for childbirth. I would have had my daughter at home if I had been able. I had to have a c-section so I am unsure if I will be able to have an at home birth when I have more children but will certainly consider it if the option is available.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol, I do believe that having the opportunity to have your baby at home with a very qualified midwife is a great experience. I was encouraged to explore that option of a home delivery since a close friend of mine had just had her baby at home. It was, according to her, a wonderful experience. According to my friend the experience was relaxed, personal and lots of bonding time compare to her previous hospital deliveries. Stress level was low, she felt comfortable with family nearby, very comforting to become a mommy for the 4th time.
ReplyDeleteA home delivery is something I would have liked to have experienced with the birth of my 2nd daughter, Natalie. I then found out that I had gestational diabetes and had to change my plans since there was more risk involved. I think that if a woman has a competent midwife, and if neither she nor her babies are considered “high risk” then a home delivery is the way to go!
I have read whole article on the Hospital Birth.I agree with the Lindsay experience and her dedication.I do believe that having the opportunity to have your baby at home with a very qualified midwife is a great experience.
ReplyDeleteautism