| Yes, it was a planned home birth! |
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| By Josie Thompson | |
| Thursday, 18 September 2008 | |
| Last Updated ( Friday, 19 September 2008 ) |
I am posting this blog to WUH because so many people thought I was crazy for planning a home birth to begin with and I just wanted to share my experience.
First of all, for all of those curious, here are the little man's stats:
| Name: Corbin Merrick Thompson DOB: August 11, 2008, 1:41 AM Weight: 7 lbs, 13 oz Length: 20 inches |  |
Thanks, by the way, for all the name suggestions. We actually discussed it all through labor and finally graced him with a name about 5 hours after he was born.
This was my third pregnancy, so I am sure my perspective on the whole thing was different this time around. My first two babies were delivered in the hospital by the same doctor that I still see for all my womanly needs. I have always gone to a woman doctor for all this type of thing because I really think a woman knows a woman’s body better than a man, especially when it comes to bearing children. That belief probably made me more predisposed to the whole idea of midwifery.
The idea of a home birth was actually suggested to me by a friend of mine who helped during her sister’s home birth. I think she suggested it to me because she knew I might be crazy enough to entertain the idea. Once she said it, the thought just grew and grew on me. The more I read about it, the more I really liked the idea.
Now, the American Medical Association will tell you that there is a lot of risk and that “in this day and age” all babies should be born at the hospital where there is proper care available. While there is a risk in some pregnancies, babies have been coming into this world for thousands of years without the help of doctors, in the company of women and midwives. In fact, it is mostly men that push for the hospital experience – it was a man, a king in fact, that decided a woman should lay down prone during birth so he could see his child being born. Who cares if it was more difficult for the woman?
The truth of it is, most complications can be determined before a woman even goes into labor (unless it is premature labor) and you have a higher risk of infection at a hospital where there are sick people everywhere than at home where you are already immune to everything. I had regular appointments with my midwife who checked my heart rate, blood pressure, weight gain, sugar levels, baby activity, heart rate and position – just like a doctor. She encouraged me to eat well and I took heartily to her recommended raw food diet and during the pregnancy became pretty close to vegan (no meat, no dairy). As a result, I only gained 25 lbs (40 with each of my previous pregnancies) and felt better all throughout. Not to mention that I was wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes three days after the birth. My doctor never encouraged me to change my eating habits to aid in digestion and overall health.
There are lots of midwives active in Kansas, and Yoder has a whole birthing center staffed with them. I didn’t search too hard because I felt I hit a ringer with the first shot. Michelle Ruebke of Newton was who my friend recommended. I called her, she emailed me her credentials, I met with her and was hooked. She has attended nearly 500 births in her career and has 10 of her own children – I think she knows what she is doing. After having a home birth with her, I know she knows what she is doing.
Each month, I would meet with her and her two assistants. It was always the same three people. And guess what, these are the same three people that attended the birth. I didn’t have to worry about what nurse was on duty or any shift changes. They were there for the duration. I called when I started having contractions and when we were convinced that it was not false labor (he came a little earlier than expected) they jumped in the car and headed to Hutch. The baby decided to come on a Sunday evening but I heard no complaints from anyone. The midwives arrived with what they needed, coupled with what I was to supply from around the house – sounds hokey but yes, old towels and hot water were included. But there were also sterile instruments and materials from a purchased birthing kit and plenty of coverings to keep from making a mess (my husband’s biggest fear).
Laboring at home was much better than the hospital. I wasn’t tied to any machines and could get up and go pee when necessary (always good!). The midwives kept tabs on everything, regularly monitoring the baby’s heart rate and my progression. I had received epidurals with the first two kids but overall, it was not that unbearable. I was doing pretty well until the last hour or so. By that time, I just wanted to get the baby out. Really, the whole birth thing was designed pretty well, once the baby is out – no more pain. Thankfully it only took a couple pushes to get him out. It helps to have someone directing you on the best way to push – believe me; you can do it wrong which makes it take a lot longer. She also coached me about not moving too fast so that I didn’t tear so much, which would require stitches. This perineal massage was a lifesaver and really helped me recover so much faster. I was up and about right after birth and had very little lingering pain.
After the birth, he was immediately put into my arms, even before the cord was cut. After a half an hour or so he was weighed and measured and bathed. No one was in a big rush and they gave the little man time to adjust to the world around him.
Unfortunately, Corbin developed a breathing problem about an hour and a half after birth. Michelle had oxygen with her and tried giving it to him (all the while keeping record of everything). After about an hour with little improvement she urged us to transport him to the emergency room. Her concerns were about infection that can occur at birth and if antibiotics are not given soon enough it could be tragic. Better safe than sorry. Michelle prepped us on what would happen at the hospital and everything went exactly as she indicated. The hospital was a little unprepared about having a mother bring in her newly born baby, especially in the ER and after several attempts to check me in as well, they moved the baby upstairs to the nursery in the birthing center where they were better equipped to treat him. Michelle had kept great records and reported everything to the on- call doctor. Corbin ended up staying at the hospital for a couple of days while they administered oxygen and waited on the test results to come back. Fortunately, all tests were negative and he was weaned off the oxygen pretty quickly. As it turned out, he still had some fluid surrounding his left lung (evidenced by x-ray) that was causing him to grunt with every breath. Normally the baby is compressed during the time spent in the birth canal and all the fluids are dispersed between that and the big cry they give when they get out. He didn’t drop before labor and spent relatively little time in the birth canal for the process to occur. This was in no way a result of the home birth and likely would have been worse had I given birth in the hospital because the delivery likely would have been faster with an epidural and no regard for tearing.
After we got him checked in and under proper care, we went home to rest. By this time it was about 6 AM and we had been up all night – not to mention I had given birth about 5 hours before. The midwife returned home with me, checked me over to make sure I was doing ok and tucked me in bed. Normally she would have come back the next day to check on both mom and baby but since he was at the hospital she came back 2 days later for the check up. The midwife is capable of doing all of the newborn assessments and required testing and repeated a lot of it despite what they did at the hospital because she attended the birth and had to turn in records.
Corbin’s hospital stay kind of defeated the purpose of the home birth but I would do it all again in a heartbeat. This is the way all babies should come into the world. Not in the sterile hospital environment but into your warm, cozy home with family there to greet him. The post partum hospital stay is unnecessary in most cases. I recovered faster than with the other two births and had the comfort of sleeping in my own bed every night. It was also a good experience for my two daughters who were at home for most of the labor (they wouldn’t go to sleep so finally at midnight, grandma took them to her place for some rest). If not for Corbin having to go to the hospital they would have been right there to greet him and welcome him into the world and would not have to worry about when visiting hours were at the hospital.
I am sure I am leaving some details out so if you are considering home birth as an option, feel free to ask me anything. If you are worried about previous births or some of the risks, contact a midwife to find out more.
One final note: while at the hospital with Corbin I saw my regular ob/gyn who couldn’t pick me out of a crowd despite having delivered two of my babies. I am happy to say that I know Michelle will always be my friend and know me at the grocery store without my medical chart in hand. I only wished I had discovered her 8 years ago when my first daughter was born. Now, I just enjoy looking at the shocked faces of the people sitting in my living room who ask “so did you have him in the bathroom or bedroom…?” To which I respond “No, actually, I had him about where you are sitting there on the couch.” Makes a great conversation starter but might cut back on the number of visitors I get. C’est la vie.
Didn't your momma teach you to share? Share us.
Users' Comments (11) |
 09-19-2008 11:11, , Registered I still think your e kinda crazy but I was think ing that way before you ever had kids... He is a gorgeous little boy.  09-19-2008 13:17, , Guest 09-19-2008 13:53, , Guest 09-19-2008 14:59, , Guest  09-19-2008 16:01, , Registered 
09-19-2008 16:05, , Guest 09-19-2008 16:06, , Guest 09-19-2008 16:19, , Registered 09-19-2008 18:13, , Guest Who can resist holding a tiny baby?!?!? (Uh-oh, might have been bad to confess I just want to sit and hold the baby for hours, making him expect that at home.)
09-20-2008 10:43, , Registered |
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