When we found out at we were expecting a child last year, we were so excited to experience all that pregnancy and labor would entail as they ushered us into our new roles as parents. What I wasn't expecting was how many decisions would have to be made in the process. I recognize and acknowledge that the birth of a child is something unique to each mother and the circumstances surrounding the welcome of the child to the world. Today, I want to share a little bit about my decision to have our daughter at home and what that experience was like for me and my family.
In my husband's family, home birth was considered the norm. He was delivered in rural Kansas at his home by his grandpa. His sister delivered her two kids at home by water birth. In my family, hospital births were the only thing that I had ever heard about. I had never been present at anyone's birth, so I had little to no preconceived notions of how it would go.
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I started my prenatal care at our local Kaiser Permanente office. After I had a few prenatal appointments, I began to wonder if there was another way after being seen by a different provider at each month's appointment. We decided to interview the midwives at Rosehip Midwifery on the recommendation of a neighbor who had worked with them, and were excited to find that their office was a mere 20 blocks from our house (I rode my bike to prenatal appointments up until the day before she was born!)
We quickly decided to work with the team of women there (2 licensed/certified midwives and one apprentice at the local Birthingway College of Midwifery). Several things influenced my decision:
*I felt at ease with the team and appreciated knowing that they would be the same ones working with me through my prenatal, delivery and postpartum period. It wouldn't be left up to chance who was on call when I happened to go into labor. I predicted that I would be able to be more relaxed if I had a relationship with the people who were supporting me during labor.
*We took a tour of the birthing rooms at the hospital I would be delivering at and took into account my past negative reactions in hospitals (I have passed out several times during a variety of visits, including when I am not the patient and am just visiting people). Recognizing that birth is an intense experience and that the hospital setting might be inhibitive to my body relaxing enough to do what it was meant to do.
*We watched the documentary "The Business of Being Born" and acknowledged the high rate at which the medical model interferes with the natural process of birth.
*I wanted to have a natural birth without medication or medical intervention.
*I wanted to trust in birth as a natural process, not as some sort of ailment or illness that needed to be fixed. Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth shares some beautiful birth stories and gave me a better sense of what to expect during labor.
After all was said and done, there were a couple of other unexpected things that confirmed my positive experience with the midwives:
-The midwives allowed us to take control of our decisions. Their role was to inform us and allow us to decide, supporting us in whatever we decided.
-The postpartum support was incredible. After Dahlia was born, the midwives took her vitals, cleaned up, got us all situated, and left us to delight in the newest addition to our family. They came to us at our house for postpartum visits at 1 day, 2 days, 1 week and 2 weeks. It was so wonderful to not have to load up in the carseat to make it to an appointment on time. Also, the frequent check-in was helpful for me in my first days of motherhood. They were available by text or phone call whenever we had questions or I needed lactation support.
-The birthing tub was great to use as pain management
-I was grateful to be able to be in our own space. I could eat or drink throughout all of labor. We got to wear whatever clothes we wanted- no hospital gowns here! I was able to set the tone for the space, filling it with things that relaxed me and gave me strength. I was able to move freely about our home during labor and ended up having Dahlia in our bed.
-We were able to have our families close by (Mary Lou made a big pot of spaghetti and our families were outside eating by the fire pit while I was inside laboring!)
-The midwives knew what they were doing and were able to guide me through the birthing process (they gave me an IV at one point when I became seriously dehydrated, were constantly checking baby and mama's vitals, and even gave me a few stitches afterward). There are some serious misconceptions about the training and certification of midwives. These ladies were highly trained, well prepared and wouldn't have hesitated to transfer me to a nearby hospital if it had been needed for me or Dahlia's safety.
-It cost less than birthing at a hospital. The only bummer is that at this point in time, home birth isn't covered by most insurance, so the cost must be paid out of pocket.
I would strongly recommend home birth as a viable and positive experience to any woman with a low risk pregnancy. It is one of the most empowering experiences I have ever had in my life and I am so grateful that it was how we welcomed our daughter.
