Would YOU ever have a homebirth?

[klone]

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.

[ljds]

Frontier School of Nurse Midwifery has a good reputation.

Ditto.

Most programs, though, require a bachelors in SOMETHING to get the midwifery degree. This, however, is changing, as rn to masters programs become more common. One ofthe nurses I work with it just starting the Frontier program, and a mw I used to work with also attended Frontier. I was and continue to be impressed with their school.

Another thing I think is cool is how the Frontier school was established. Talk about a school with a noble history!

Lori

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I would not - I also have seen things turn on a dime.

However, I do not begrudge anyone making this choice.

(p.s. I'm also thinking about the bloody, poopy mess . . .oh and not getting an epidural) :)

I did have 3 vag delivers w/o an epidural and one emergency cesarean.

steph

[RNpandoraRN]

I would not - I also have seen things turn on a dime.

However, I do not begrudge anyone making this choice.

(p.s. I'm also thinking about the bloody, poopy mess . . .oh and not getting an epidural) :)

I did have 3 vag delivers w/o an epidural and one emergency cesarean.

steph

(A bit off topic here....) It's funny, I think I may be one of the few woman who shudder at the very thought of getting an epidural. I don't like the risks involved whatsoever - the possible hypotension, chronic back pain, spinal headache, prolonged labor, side effects to baby..... :uhoh21:

Not to say these are common, but they do happen, and that's enough to scare me away. I plan to do it all au natural.....LOL

[MacNurse]

Although kids are at least 5 years away for me. I'm very much considering a homebirth. The other option for me is hospital with midwife with a quick discharge (I did a maternity placement where some of the mums left after 4 hours).

But, again, we'll see....I tend to think that you just can't plan these things too much...

[kbee3]

I am new to the forum. As nursing student and a doula, this topic is dear to my heart. It would be great if a choice existed where a woman could have a home birth like experience in a hospital. At this time the middle ground for births are birthing centers, but how many of them are there? A hospital birth doesn't have to be so medicalized, yet that is what they are. The moment a mother walks through the door it's "this is the way things will be done around here". That includes the EFM, Toco, IV and selling of the epidural. I am sick and tired of watching hospital staff push the drugs and then ride a patient for a refusal. Even after a birth I attended recently a new mom was being chastised for not taking the drugs. "Well b/c you didn't get the epidural you're feeling the effects of labor and delivery more (I agree but it's all in the delivery of the message) had you gotten the epidural......... At that point mom and baby are both healthy and mom is feeling like a champion for making it through many, many hours of labor, why on earth is a nurse giving a speech on epidurals? At that point epidural are no longer an issue!

Homebirths are great and if attended by, as others have stated, competent individuals have a nice success rate. With everything we do there are risks involved does that stop us from doing them? Driving your car is dangerous when you think of all the things that could happen.

Women should be allowed to birth their babys the way they want as long as they are not high risk. It's all about control. The reason woman chose homebirths is because they want to feel they have control over the situation. When you go to a hospital you are no longer in control. Even if you have a birth plan and you and your doctor agreed to "xyz" unless your doctor is there advocating for you the birth plan is useless because everyone on staff wants to do things their way.

[ljds]

I think there is so much pressure on nurses, as far as time and patient ratios go, that there is that contingent that gets grumpy and takes it out on the patient. They are definately the few rotten apples in the barrell, but BOY DO THEY STINK!

I birthed in a hospital, had a few interventions, but ALWAYS on my terms, and I am very happy with that. My nurses were very respectful of my birth plan and my refusal of interventions. Some at the nurse's station were not, however, and my doula and husband overheard them talking, unfortunately saying very nasty things about us. They didn't realize I worked at that hospital (on the med floor); so at one point one of them, while covering for my assigned nurse while she had supper, tried to bully my dh into taking my oldest daughter home, and telling me that my doula wasn't allowed in the room. I was like, "Hellooooo, I work here, I know my rights, and you are in deep ****, honey. I'm on a first name basis with your supervisor, and I don't think I. is going to be impressed with your bedside manner." She fell over herself apologizing, and later my regular nurse came in laughing about the entire incident. Not so funny, though, if it hadn't have happened to me. That particular bad apple wasn't used to people sticking up for themselves, and it made me sad to think of all the people whose birth experiences she had manipulated to what was easy and convienent for her.

Respect for birthing decisions is what it should be all about. Homebirth may not be for some of the women here, due to their perception that it isn't safe. No amount of studies or talking is going to change their minds. The same is true for those of us who believe that home is the safest place for 95% of births. No matter how many SDs or PPHs I see, I'm going to think "Yeah, but this probably wouldn't have happened at home, because of positioning, pulling on the cord, etc." No amount of talk is going to change my mind.

Hopefully we as nurses can put aside our own preconceived notions, whatever they may be, and support our patients in a respectful, gentle manner, no matter if they are choosing to have a completely unmedicated birth, refusing all interventions, or if they are choosing an elective c-section. Certainly it is our role to insure they are informed, but it is also our role to be the patient's advocate, and to allow them to make the choices THE PATIENT feels is best for them. Even if we completely disagree.

It takes all kinds to make the world go round, you know? If we all thought the same, none of us would be able to waste our time off on these forums, because we would all agree on everything, and there wouldn't be anything to discuss, and instead we would have clean houses, folded laundry, and organized junk drawers.

Lori

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Maybe.

[lisamc1RN, LPN]

I think there is so much pressure on nurses, as far as time and patient ratios go, that there is that contingent that gets grumpy and takes it out on the patient. They are definately the few rotten apples in the barrell, but BOY DO THEY STINK!

I birthed in a hospital, had a few interventions, but ALWAYS on my terms, and I am very happy with that. My nurses were very respectful of my birth plan and my refusal of interventions. Some at the nurse's station were not, however, and my doula and husband overheard them talking, unfortunately saying very nasty things about us. They didn't realize I worked at that hospital (on the med floor); so at one point one of them, while covering for my assigned nurse while she had supper, tried to bully my dh into taking my oldest daughter home, and telling me that my doula wasn't allowed in the room. I was like, "Hellooooo, I work here, I know my rights, and you are in deep ****, honey. I'm on a first name basis with your supervisor, and I don't think I. is going to be impressed with your bedside manner." She fell over herself apologizing, and later my regular nurse came in laughing about the entire incident. Not so funny, though, if it hadn't have happened to me. That particular bad apple wasn't used to people sticking up for themselves, and it made me sad to think of all the people whose birth experiences she had manipulated to what was easy and convienent for her.

Respect for birthing decisions is what it should be all about. Homebirth may not be for some of the women here, due to their perception that it isn't safe. No amount of studies or talking is going to change their minds. The same is true for those of us who believe that home is the safest place for 95% of births. No matter how many SDs or PPHs I see, I'm going to think "Yeah, but this probably wouldn't have happened at home, because of positioning, pulling on the cord, etc." No amount of talk is going to change my mind.

Hopefully we as nurses can put aside our own preconceived notions, whatever they may be, and support our patients in a respectful, gentle manner, no matter if they are choosing to have a completely unmedicated birth, refusing all interventions, or if they are choosing an elective c-section. Certainly it is our role to insure they are informed, but it is also our role to be the patient's advocate, and to allow them to make the choices THE PATIENT feels is best for them. Even if we completely disagree.

It takes all kinds to make the world go round, you know? If we all thought the same, none of us would be able to waste our time off on these forums, because we would all agree on everything, and there wouldn't be anything to discuss, and instead we would have clean houses, folded laundry, and organized junk drawers.

Lori

Very well said!

[babynurselsa, RN]

I personally wouldn't have opted for home birth, just from working NICU for so long. I have seen all that can and will go wrong and it has made me a little paranoid.

That being said my last labor was so fast that I delivered my last one in the back of an ambulance. I would have rather have been home.

If God in his divine wisdom or wry sense of humor should see fit to give me another pregnancy (Please Jesus NO NO NO) and there are any survivors after I would be delivered this news.....

I could not probably consider a home birth since I experienced a pretty severe post partum hemmoragh(sp) after I deliver so I would not be a good candidate.

SIde note hemabate is evil.

[klone, MSN, RN]

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.

Wow, really? So if you lived in a smallish town, you'd move? Or would you base a decision about where to live on whether they had a Level III NICU? I'm just curious because the hospital at which I work is a Level I. Any NICU babies are shipped to Phoenix (approx. 30 minutes away via helicopter). It would never occur to me to NOT birth at my local hospital.

[klone, MSN, RN]

(p.s. I'm also thinking about the bloody, poopy mess . . .oh and not getting an epidural) :)

With my homebirth, we used lots of chux, a shower curtain under the sheet, and the midwives cleaned up EVERYTHING. And I wouldn't want an epidural anyway. :)

[SmilingBluEyes]

I thank everyone PROFUSELY for keeping this on-topic and being respectful. It's been a great discussion. Definately things to consider on "both sides" here. Thanks for keeping it pleasant!