I just had a water birth at home. And you know, an emergency DID occur. Dd got stuck in the birth canal. It was very scary! She was as blue as a blueberry. BUT... My midwife was just as qualified as hospital personnel. She knew exactly what to do. In fact, I'm confident that had I birthed in a hospital they would've vacuumed my baby out or rushed me in for an emergency c section. Instead, I was able to turn over to all fours and get baby out with the help of my mw. She brought oxygen with her, which dd needed, and everything else she could've needed for other emergencies.

People wrongfully assumed I would be unwilling to go to the hospital if needed. We had the hospital numbers ready to go, keys ready and driveway cleared in case we needed to leave quickly. Just because a woman chooses to birth at home doesn't mean she's willing to put her life, or baby's life, at risk.

I wouldn't change a thing. Homebirth allowed me to put faith over fear.

I'm in the uk where the majority of prenatal care is undertaken by midwives. You only have a doctor if you are high risk. They are currently trying to increase dramatically the number of women having home births because the outcomes are better for both mum and baby. Hospitals have birthing centres in them which are run by midwives not doctors. Midwives are highly trained professional medical staff who can tell very quickly if something is going wrong. They are trained in how to support the natural process of giving birth. It seems to me (and this is my opinion so please take it as such) that it is when we medicalise a natural process that we cause more problems than we solve. Interfering with the natural birthing process can lead to the medical emergencies you hear about on these forums everyday. Midwives can help to turn babies that are not in totally the right position, they can deal with a cord wrapped around a babies neck. You can still have all the drugs except epidural if you're at home but usually you don't need them. It's the constant checking for dilation, membrane sweeps and inductions which seem to lead to more and more interventions.

For a doctor to go on tv and use it as a platform to scare people out of something which is proven to be a good thing for most people is irresponsible. Every women should be able to choose the care they feel is best for them(within reason) without having to justify and defend their decisions to others.

I watched the drs today, and I must have missed it. I only saw a short segment on a lotus birth. Is that the episode ur talking about??

I wanted a water birth but my area doesn't do those. Nor home births. I was induced for low fluid anyways so I doubt I'll ever qualify. Plus i Idk if I could handle the pain. I tried going natural and have in and got the epi at 6 or 7 cm.

Edit: just saw ur comment. It was the same episode lol.

Boooooo! Total bait and switch. It was about Lotus Birth....but yay Dr Sears. He grew some balls!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's the day, it's waiting on my TiVo. Ill be watching it when I get home from picking the kiddos up. I'm anxious to see what crap Dr Lisa spews this time. Come on Dr sears. Do me proud!

I'm not talking about comparing, I just would like the %.

I think it's a great option, I however will be in the hospital BC I know nothing and this is my first child. I'm terrified!!! Excited, but terrified.

Well even Homebirth now and Homebirth back in the day is completely different. BIRTH in general way back when was quite dangerous....especially in the hospital.

I had hospital births both times. No problems, whatever

I will say HOW DID OUR ANCESTORS SURVIVE?!? :O

Most of my aunts and uncles and grandparents and so forth were born in their parents' homes.

I say go for it if you want to. If you really want to, you'll research it, find out the risks/benefits. You'll know if it's right for you or not. :)

I actually met a doula last week at work. I told her that I was 8 months pregnant. She told me "your body knows how to conceive, your body knows how to nurture and grow a baby from a single cell. The body doesn't forget how to birth. Your body knows how to birth and you just have to trust it"

She literally held my hands and looked in my eyes while she said it and it made me feel so much better.

My boss was looking at us like "wtf, are they talking about?" ?

It's not just Africa. It's every continent. Most babies in the world are birthed by midwives. The US is actually kinda rare in that most births here are assisted by OBs.

I don't think the rest of the world sees birth as dangerous as we do

That wouldn't be accurate at all cybernet. Birth in 3rd world countries cannot be compared to Homebirth in industrialized nations. I've worked in Africa...it's not even close to being comparable.

That's also very true Sharon. Take the Netherlands for example...who have something like a 60% Homebirth rate (compared to our 1%) and they are at the top of the charts for favorable morbidity and mortality surrounding birth (while the US is ranked like 32 or something).

The best study would be to look at the African tribes. How do you think they give birth? How many die...that's what I want to know.

Actually, you could study home births vs hospital births if you looked at the planet as a whole. Like, if you took the entire human race into consideration.

The way we do prenatal and labor and delivery in the United States is actually not the norm when you compare it to the rest of the world

I would've killed to do a water home birth. Unfortunately the nearest midwife is 6 hours away, and I had to be induced for medical reasons which ended up in a csection. So no home births for me.

It seems like an amazing experience. The one thing I always wanted while in the hospital was to be at home. Imagine never even leaving home?

it's not really apples to oranges...

bc it's still a percentage. I get that it's mostly low risk ppl so it's different... but that's exactly my point. it's safe partly bc of the ppl that are even allowed to do it, and of the ppl who choose home birth, very few are harmed bc of it.

and considering that, you can hardly say it's "dangerous" to do it outside of a hospital.

but again, I'm not anti hospitals... I had a great birth in one. but it just seems really silly to say that home birth is dangerous considering how rarely it goes wrong to where a woman or baby dies.

The studies (specifically the BMJ CPM 2000 study) was apples to apples. It compares low risk Homebirth women to low risk hospital birth women (same sample size). Outcomes were the same. Also birthing on a bed sounds horrific ;). I do that shiznit in a tub!

ilove, sorry only the first part was in response to your questions. The rest was a general statement.

@op where did I state that I believe its like that.

I had to have an emergency c section.

My dd was at the wrong angle, her heart rate kept dropping dangerously low, and my blood pressure sky rocketed.

I wasn't even awake to welcome my dd into the world.

Instead of finding things that maybe the hospital did and why I had a terrible experience, I was just glad I left safely with my dd.

That is just ny experience.

If someone wants a home birth go for it, I really don't care.

I believe its a wonderful idea as long as you're not far from a hospital in case something went wrong

Midwives don't just walk in with Birkenstocks and a leather strap to bite on lol....do you think birth centers are dangerous? The EXACT same care and equipment is brought to a birth at home as is available in the birth center.

I absolutely believe only people who BELIEVE in Homebirth should have them. I have had 3 hospital births and walked out of the last one with PTSD...and then had 2 home births. 99% of the births I attend are hospital births and I support a women right to give birth where she chooses and where she feels most safe. *I* absolutely unequivocally 100% DO NOT feel safe giving birth to my babies in a hospital and the evidence supports my choice.

Well, it's good that its an option for some. Babies all over the world are born at home with midwives, safely. The statistics actually speak for themselves. Either way, it's good that there's a choice

Yes but how many hospital birth vs home births are there?

If its majority low risk then I'm sure there are less issues.

While at a hospital they are accounting for high risk, low risk, and everything.

It's comparing apples to oranges.

but that doesn't really happen bc midwives ARE medical personnel. and they know what to do. a higher percentage of women and babies die in hospitals compared to home births.

I had a hospital birth as well. I loved it, wouldn't change a thing. but I don't see anything wrong with doing it at home instead.

Yes but a "low risk" pregnancy can become a "high risk" birth in the blink of an eye.

You never know what can happen.

Would you be able to live with yourself if something was wrong yet didn't show up in any ultrasound?

If your child was having a hard time breathing and you had to wait the drive to the hospital?

There are positive and negative to both sides.

I would rather have a medical staff aside from my bed and home comforts.

My dd was born in a hospital and is just fine.

I believe home birth is completely safe and rather amazing to give birth in pne of the places you are the most comfortable.

However I had a hospital birth because I was too late to get a midwife :(

I did have an amazing hospital birth though. My nurses were very supportive of my desire to go with out meds. And my pp nurses were beyond amazing during our stay.

Next one I really want a midwife. I think if I could've had a water birth it would've been a little bit less stressful on me. I would've been more comfortable.

ppl don't even realize, that LOTS of women plan for home birth and don't get to have it... why? bc they need medical intervention. midwives know when it's necessary to get a woman to the hospital.

and a lot of midwives and birthing centers, won't even agree to do home births unless the woman is a low risk, healthy candidate.

I just want to deliver in a hospital so I can be pampered lol

In many cases...states and Drs themselves make it dangerous. In states where Homebirth midwives cannot legally practice, the medical community has created a hostile environment that makes transfers horrendous and delays the care of moms and babies.

I was watching a documentary about home birth vs. hospital birth. What some of the doctors said was ridiculous.

Home births aren't always dangerous.

there are opinions and there are facts...

you can't say something is "horribly dangerous" without facts to back it up, which in this case would be impossible as it's just not true.

I cannot have the birth I desire in a hospital...because its a hospital lol. The evidence does not support that "Homebirth is dangerous". It may not be FOR YOU just like hospital birth is not for me (anymore), but the evidence shows that for low risk women...with a qualified attendant the outcomes are the same at home as they are in the hospital. Some studies even suggest that Homebirth has better outcomes for the neonates vs hospital birth.

I urge those of you who think home birth is dangerous to research the rate of uterine rupture and maternal death in the hospital vs at home. You may be surprised.

In my opinion a home birth is horribly dangerous. Things can change in the blink of an eye and you could lose mom and baby if medical intervention is not recieved quickly. There is no reason a mom can not have the birth she desires in a medical setting where medical attention is available if the need arises. At the hospital I birth at they go above and beyond to ensure women get the birthing experience they want!

Nubian

I think if you believe in something, it shows a lack of integrity not to speak up when you're given a platform like a TV show to do so

On a TV show that is supposed to be about facts? Absolutely.

I only agree with homebirth if you are within driving distance to a hospital.

Sometimes things can happen and really quickly.

If something happened to my.baby because I was so adamant about a homebirth I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

Yes many things can go wrong in a hospital but if my dd needed actual medical help and it wasn't available is feel like I harmed ny child.

I'm also 99% certain at least 1 if not all of HIS kids were born at home too. #headdesk

that's crazy to me...

I want to watch just to see.

I had a hospital birth bc I hated my s*** ty apt, plus my insurance... but I think home birth is f*** ing awesome and I hate that it's stigmatized!!

you'd think Dr. Sears of all ppl would at least give his real opinion, Wtf?

I don't get it, he just sat there last time while Dr Lisa went OFF about how "dangerous Homebirth is". It's like, DUDE you...and YOUR 6 SIBLINGS WERE BORN AT HOME

Yeah he definitely didn't do much to defend AP when it was getting bashed on Dr.Phil, which I found confusing...