Would YOU ever have a homebirth?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Sorry if this topic has been done to death. I've been working since June in OB, focusing mainly on L&D. I have two children of my own, the first one was a fast and uneventful hospital birth, the second was a homebirth (acynclitic and OP, so labor was VERY long and difficult - if I had been in a hospital, I'm pretty sure I would have been sectioned, but all turned out well in the end).

I'm facing the prospect of perhaps having one more in a couple years. I had previously thought that any other children would also be born at home. But now that I've been working in L&D and getting a glimpse of all the potential emergencies and behind-the-scenes things that could go wrong, I'm seriously questioning the safety of homebirth. I guess you could say I'm having a crisis of faith that birth is a natural process that doesn't HAVE to be managed in order to have a good outcome.

Anyway, I was just wondering if other L&D nurses, knowing what they know, would ever opt for a homebirth for their own.

I would only deliver in a hospital with a level III NICU. I don't chastise those that do/want a homebirth, but personally I know s#*t happens. It doesn't happen often, but it does.

I work in a small hospital with a level II newborn nursery not a level III. The women who deliver here do not think they are compromising the safety of themselves or their infants. Homebirthers feel the same way. Statistics show that home deliveries have fewer nosocomial infections for moms and babes, lower risk for morbidity or mortality than hospitals. This makes home delivery SAFER than hospitals for low risk moms.

FieryRN

yes thatis exactly my point, and no matter how well you prepare sometimes bad things happen even with the best preparation. I've seen women with totally uncomplicated pregnancies and perfectly good looking monitoring strips have deliveries with really bad complcations. Not only to the baby but the mother as well.

PS. I do agree that it should be your choice!

I'm not a L & D nurse, but I thought I would add my 2 cents. I don't even have children yet, but when I do...I was 10 lbs. 12 oz. when I was born, my brothers and sisters were all over 9 #. My boyfriend was a hefty baby too. With all those big big babies...ouch! I am not that big and there is no way a 9 or 10 # baby is fitting through my birth canal.

:) Jaime

I work in a small hospital with a level II newborn nursery not a level III. The women who deliver here do not think they are compromising the safety of themselves or their infants. Homebirthers feel the same way. Statistics show that home deliveries have fewer nosocomial infections for moms and babes, lower risk for morbidity or mortality than hospitals. This makes home delivery SAFER than hospitals for low risk moms.

FieryRN

Is this a level II vs. level III debate now?? :uhoh3:

Deliver in a level II, deliver in a birthing center, deliver at home! I personallyl want the best care for my baby at hand.I have personally seen term babies with reassuring strips be mec aspirations and end up on ECMO in less than an hour.I could go on and on, but I am not debating home births. Just giving my opinion like the OP ask

Specializes in OB, ortho/neuro, home care, office.

Hey - I know this has gotten debate like, but I have been researching, as well as reading through old posts (not through alot of those yet) trying to find a distance RN - Nurse Midwifery course. Anyone know of a reputable accredited one that they would be willing to share?

Thanks

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.
I'm not a L & D nurse, but I thought I would add my 2 cents. I don't even have children yet, but when I do...I was 10 lbs. 12 oz. when I was born, my brothers and sisters were all over 9 #. My boyfriend was a hefty baby too. With all those big big babies...ouch! I am not that big and there is no way a 9 or 10 # baby is fitting through my birth canal.

:) Jaime

You can't possibly know this unless you have been assessed by a physician and an x-ray for cephalopelvic disproportion! I am 5 '3" and had a 9lb 8 oz baby born, after 7 hours of textbook labor and delivery. I needed no stitches. I have a beautiful, healthy son.I have another homebirthing friend who is the same height and she birthed a healthy 10 lb baby girl at home, no stitches. You are setting yourself up for failure if you have already decided you cannot give birth lady partslly. A lady partsl birth is the safest birth in most cases for both baby AND mommy.

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.
Is this a level II vs. level III debate now?? :uhoh3:

Deliver in a level II, deliver in a birthing center, deliver at home! I personallyl want the best care for my baby at hand.I have personally seen term babies with reassuring strips be mec aspirations and end up on ECMO in less than an hour.I could go on and on, but I am not debating home births. Just giving my opinion like the OP ask

Can I ask you a question? I'm not be sarcastic or snotty. I really want to know. Do you know the outcome statistics for babies born in a level II and transferred to level III vs those babies born in level III with the same problems? Are there prognosis statistics?

Hey - I know this has gotten debate like, but I have been researching, as well as reading through old posts (not through alot of those yet) trying to find a distance RN - Nurse Midwifery course. Anyone know of a reputable accredited one that they would be willing to share?

Thanks

Frontier School of Nurse Midwifery has a good reputation.

Specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology,Medical/Surgical.
I'm not a L & D nurse, but I thought I would add my 2 cents. I don't even have children yet, but when I do...I was 10 lbs. 12 oz. when I was born, my brothers and sisters were all over 9 #. My boyfriend was a hefty baby too. With all those big big babies...ouch! I am not that big and there is no way a 9 or 10 # baby is fitting through my birth canal.

:) Jaime

I would think that in the months leading up to delivery, a doctor would be able to estimate the baby's birthweight? If then it looks like a woman has a possible 10-pounder in there, then obviously a home birth may not be recommended...but again, totally the choice of the mother. My sister gave birth to a perfectly healthy 10 lb baby a year ago, (at the hospital) but with absolutely no drugs, not even an epidural. Mother and baby were in perfect health and it was a normal L & D.

You can't possibly know this unless you have been assessed by a physician and an x-ray for cephalopelvic disproportion! I am 5 '3" and had a 9lb 8 oz baby born, after 7 hours of textbook labor and delivery. I needed no stitches. I have a beautiful, healthy son.I have another homebirthing friend who is the same height and she birthed a healthy 10 lb baby girl at home, no stitches. You are setting yourself up for failure if you have already decided you cannot give birth lady partslly. A lady partsl birth is the safest birth in most cases for both baby AND mommy.

No, I have not decided I cannot give birth lady partslly. I want to, I am just a big sissy and the mere thought of the pain in childbirth makes me run for shelter...a good indicator that I am not ready for children yet, and thank goodness I recognize this! Congratulations on your home delivery, I admire women who do that. I have zero, zip, zilch pain tolerance--that is what I am thinking about mostly! I believe a home birth would be exteremely sentimental and well worth it, if I could manage it. I have a few years to decide though! :)

I would think that in the months leading up to delivery, a doctor would be able to estimate the baby's birthweight? If then it looks like a woman has a possible 10-pounder in there, then obviously a home birth may not be recommended...but again, totally the choice of the mother. My sister gave birth to a perfectly healthy 10 lb baby a year ago, (at the hospital) but with absolutely no drugs, not even an epidural. Mother and baby were in perfect health and it was a normal L & D.

Probably...like I said, I'm definitely not a L & D nurse...far from it. Also not a mother yet, so I am very unfamiliar with the choices and tests available to determine certain things! Things may change for me when the time comes, further...further....waaaayyyyyy further down the road when I have children!

:p Jaime

+ Add a Comment