Home Birth vs. Hospital Birth? What do you think?
It seems that the battle over birth continued with this a study led by OSU assistant professor and midwife Melissa Cheyney.
The study compared birth records in Oregon’s Jackson County from 1998 through 2003 to attempt to find whether a correlation existed between poor health outcomes and homebirths.
A link between the two factors was not found. It did however find ongoing conflicts between doctors and midwives with physicians asserting that only hospital births were safe. This finding is in line with a 2008 American Medical Association resolution (pdf), which stated:
The safest setting for labor, delivery and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital, or a birthing center within a hospital complex.
Personally, I couldn’t imagine having my baby at home. She was 10 lbs 02 ounces, measured 21 inches long and refused to come out naturally. After 3 hours of serious pushing, she had not dropped at all and refused to fit through my pelvis. I think her head circumference was 15 inches. On top of it all, I tested positive for strep, needed to be on antibiotics during birth and ran a fever. There is no way I would’ve done this at home. Why risk the life of my child or myself?
On top of it all, the day after she was born, at 2AM, the nurses rushed it to take her away because one of her blood tests showed signs of infection which indicated possible spinal meningitis. Birthing at home, for me? No thanks!
Have you given birth in a hospital or with the help of a midwife? What was your experience? Did you experience tension between doctors and midwives?
My OBGYN does crack
He must. Because that is the ONLY way to explain what he said to me today.
In my meeting with my high risk fetal doctor, I had the biggest laugh of my life. This is of course, a very nice change of pace since most of my appointments with him in the past have ending with crying, hysteria, and just plain madness. (And if that is how HE was acting imagine my reaction! ) Anyway, today he said the funniest thing I possibly even heard: He said “This is such great news…You are doing so well, everything is holding fine. I am so happy to see you can do this and you should be so happy to know you no longer need a surrogate next time.”
UM…wait what!? I don’t need a surrogate NEXT TIME!? Has this man seen one too many whoo-haas and gone insane!? He is very well aware we have three children at home, one that is less than two months away from birth… I am counting FOUR kids here people..did this guy fail math? Does he think that only adds up to one or two!?
So I told him ”Doc, if I am ever pregnant again, the only thing I am going to ask you for is a bullet, and the only stitches perform would be in my autopsy.”
UM we are done. DONE. YOU HEAR ME !???!
