For Those Who Choose Hospital over Home

Ultimately wherever you feel the most comfortable is the best place! As for home vs hospital, home IS safer than hospital, studies show. I would suggest not watching those "Baby Stories" on TV-they almost always end in c-sections, and birth takes longer than a half-an-hour ;)

Also look for a good Childbirth Education class, but keep in mind that hospital classes teach you how to birth in a hospital - they will not be homebirth friendly!

As a Childbirth Educator myself, good books to read are the following:
'Mind Over Labor,' by Carl Jones
'Spiritual Midwifery,' by Ina May Gaskin
'The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth,' by Henci Goer

and as for magazines,
Mothering Magazine is both online and in print and gives thoroughly researched material an every subject from pregnancy to older kids and anything in between!
http://www.mothering.com/

I myself had a hospital birth because I developed preeclampsia and had to be induced at 31 weeks, but my next one - whenever that may be ;o) - I would like to be at home.

1 mom found this helpful

When I had my first I had a hospital birth because that is all I knew about. Not one of the nurse that were taken "care" of me would listen to anything I had to say. I think there was like 4 different ones coming in and out of my room. I was mintues from having the baby and they kept telling me I had hours to go. I was doing this with no pain meds and they didnt support me at all. The birth was very tramatic and afterwards I said I would never do it again. Well time passed and number two was coming along. I read "A thinking women's guide to a better birth" this got me thinking to go to a birth center. However I had all the "what if's" so at about 7 months pregnant I finally went to the birth center to take the tour and get some info. Well by the time I left I knew thats the kind of birth I want. If anything where to happen they have things there to help both mom and baby. PLus most things that are going to go wrong don't come out of nowhere. There are signs and there is also time to get you to the hospital if any where to come up. So I had baby number 2 at the birth center and it was the most amazing experience in my life. I did have a water birth and I also was able to "catch" my own baby as I birthed him. Moments after I had him both my husband and I thought this was the best thing ever and even were like when can we do this again! After having a baby at a birth center I would definitly think about a homebirth but the birth center in my opinion is best thing! My son is now 4 months old and I still get a smile from ear to ear thinking about my labor and birth. Do what makes you feel the best and don't let others scare you or try to talk you out of it. Alls I have to say is research research research!

1 mom found this helpful

I thought about both alternatives and decided to have both of my daughters naturally but in a hospital. I chose no medication i.e. epidural because I didn't want to expose my baby to that. I chose the hospital for safety. If my babies heart beat dropped and I had to have an emergency c-section the time saved by being in the hospital could mean life or death to my child. The minutes it would take to get to the hospital from a birthing center or from home could result in a lack of oxygen sufficent enough to result in disabilities for my child. If the baby came out with other complications I know she would get the best care possible and the qickest in the hospital. In emergency situations seconds count. You can never forsee whether an emergency will happen so I want to be prepared to ensure not only I am safe but so would be my child. I am expecting my third in June and although I would love to give birth at home and have already had 2 perfect births I still plan on having the baby in the hospital for its safety as well as mine.

1 mom found this helpful

I had my first two daughters in a hospital and the third in a birthing center. I wish I could have had all three girls at a birthing center or at home. At the hospital, the epidurals did not take well on either birth and recovering from the epidural was weird and difficult to explain. I didn't feel like myself until days later. During labor, the nurses checked my vitals from the computers at the nursing desk and didn't come in often. They were distant and it felt I had my daughters according to their schedules.

On the other hand, the birthing center was great from the beginning. The midwives were so in tune with my needs. The routine exams during my pregnancy were in bedroom style exam rooms without the stirrups and bright lights. They gave me an option for all the tests and fully explained each of them. (With the OBGYNs, I felt like I was breaking the law or something if I declined any of their blood tests)

I hear a lot of fear coming from other mothers that have responded about emergency situations. The birthing centers have very strict protocols about emergency situations. I almost had to go to a hospital because my daughter's heart rate kept dropping. The cord was wrapped around her neck, waist and wrist. Luckily she was ready to come out by then and was fine. There was a midwife there for me and one for her along with other midwives to help out. I was never worried about our safety.

I had freedom to walk around during labor and do what I felt comfortable. Well as comfortable as I could be in labor. Many people ask me about the pain. But I promise you, I felt more pain and way more stress doing it the hospital way with pain meds. It hurt pushing her out, but it was a different kind of pain that I can't explain. It was like a relief to get her out and welcome her to the world more than typical pain.

If you contact the midwifery near you, I'm sure they can recommend books that give pros and cons of each birthing style.

Thank you for aksing the question. It seems like a lot of us have been able to share our birth stories. Good luck to you in whatever method you choose.

1 mom found this helpful

Both of my births were with Certified Nurse Midwives. One in the hospital, one at a birthing center. If I were to have a third I would definitely have it at home now that I'm more educated and more confident in my ability to birth naturally.

I had my first at a hospital, second at a Birth Center, and am planning to have my third (due Jan) at home. There was such a huge difference between having a baby in a home-like environment! The best part for me was being handed my baby right after he came out, he wasn't taken right to a table, he had no blinding lights in his eyes, he was just held and nursed and welcomed by our family. Then later as he was sleeping they took him for an exam and cleaning. I really wish I had done it that way the first time!! It was so peaceful and beautiful and natural.

When I was pregnant with my first, I did not personally know anybody that did it. So it really wasn't even a thought. I ended up with an emergency c-section so I would have ended up at the hospital anyway. At that time though, I thought people were crazy to even consider it. The "what ifs" were enough for me. But, I thought I'd share a close friend of mine's experience.

She did 5 home births. She loved it. In fact, when she went into labor, they called all of their friends and family over for the "party." LOL She and her mom had cooked tons of food and had that set up. So while she and her dh were in the other room bringing a baby into the world, everybody else was having a party. She loved it. After she had her first son, her first words were, "I want to do that again." One of her daughters was born in a hospital. It was just a cautionary thing and everything worked out fine. Now her daughters are going on to have home births. She said her husband worried more about everything than she did.

If I hadn't had any csections and had to do over, I would consider it. Some of it would depend on how close I am to a hospital in case of complications. I wouldn't want to be too far away just in case. I would also have to have a very healthy pregnancy. If there were issues with me or the baby, I would prefer a hospital. I'd do lots of research on home births. What kinds of complications can come up that would be a danger to the mom or baby? I'd do some searches for message boards and want to know other's experiences. I'd probably look for people who had bad experiences so I could learn from those. What were the complications with those? I'd also do lots of research and find somebody highly recommended. Most of all I'd pray a lot to see where God is leading me.

I also knew another lady who had a bad experience. SHe lost her baby and tortured herself about whether it was her fault for doing a home birth. She ended up at the hospital, but it was too late. The doctor reassured her over and over that even if she had been at the hospital, the baby would not have made it. I didn't know her that well, but those close to her said she was having a really hard time with that one.

In the end, I'd have to be completely, 100% confident in the decision to home birth. If not, I would lose sleep and stress about it. I'm one of those who can "what if" anything to death. So I would have to be sure of it to really enjoy it.

L.

Women who deliver at home or in birth centers usually have fewer complications than women who deliver in hospitals. The primary reason is their risk low-risk status (which decreases the likelihood of complications). In addition, these women have fewer interventions and they undergo fewer procedures/augmentations of labor (which further decreases the likelihood of complications). Moreover, there is no "one size fits all" standard of care: Each woman is given personal individualized care.(It should be noted that women who deliver at home or in birth centers are allowed to eat during labor.)...Another advantage of out-of-hospital birth for low-risk women is cost. Women who deliver at home or in birth centers sometimes pay a third of the cost of hospital delivery and physician-assisted births....Finally, it should be noted that women who choose hospital over home/birth center birth do so because they want the very best for their babies. However, they fail to realize that birth is a normal and natural process BECAUSE of the problems associate with hospital births. Therefore, even if a woman is low-risk, if she is uncomfortable with NOT being in the hospital, this woman would not be a good candidate to deliver outside of a hospital setting. But, keep in mind that a woman can still deliver in a hospital and have the good outcomes that women have at home or in birth centers. The key for this to happen is to stay low-risk by eating right, exercising, and having healthy life-style habits. Then, when it is time for labor, forego inductions, pain medicines, or any procedure that would artificially augment labor....I hope this helps!!!

i gave birth in a hospital for both of my children. i never liked the idea of making a "mess" in my own home, and i had a friend who tried and ended up having to go to the hospital because of complications. but, i do like the idea of a birth center...something more homey and relaxing, but not having to be in my own home. i like the idea of all the medical stuff to be over with, then i can leave it all, then go find peace in my own home when that is all over with. i do wish i had a birth center around me at the time, as i did try the whole natural approach and do like all the thoughts behind it, so i'm not opposed to it all...i just wanted to be in the hospital for the medical attention if i needed it, rather than stress about if something goes wrong, then we'd have to go anyway! but, again, ideal situation: birth center and water birth! (actual situation: hospital and epidural;)

HI-
I chose to birth at home with my son (who's now 5 1/2 mos). We were initially going to birth at the birthing center, but after several visits, we agreed that we both felt comfortable enough to give it a try at home. I had a perfect pregnancy, so there was no reason to think that I would need to be transferred to a hospital. It is a very personal preference, so while taking advice is good, you have to have a good feeling about it & ask all your questions. It takes a lot of preparation on your behalf if you should choose home, a little less if you are choosing a birthing center & even less for hospital.

In my case, we birthed at home & I progressed very rapidly, by the time the midwife was here I was at 10 cm already & she checked me before I got in the tub, only to find out that he was footling breech! So, I had to be transferred by ambulance (since I was fully dilated) to the nearest hospital. I had to have an emergency c-section & that was devastatig to me & my husband.

My husband is from Holland & over there like 90% of women birth at home with a midwife. They only go to the hospital if there is a problem; people don't choose to birth in the hospital there, it's seen as unnecessary & extra costly. There is a new documentary out about this, which is very interesting. It is called "Pregnant In America" & you can see a snipit on You Tube. The full length version is complete now.
It talks about the overuse of hospitals & the amount of c-sections which are done in comparison to other countries & thereby the high # of infant/mother mortalities in our country.

Good luck to you & if you haven't met with a midwife yet or chosen a center, I can refer you to the one I used, if you are in my general area.

I gave birth 4 times in the hospital. My first was cesaerian and the following 3 were VBACs. I went to the hospital for the safety factor. Luckily I had no complications but I had a friend who had a uterine rupture during a VBAC. For me the knowledge that I was mere seconds away from surgical assistance if necessary helped make the experience less stressful.

Having said that, I must point out that the hospital facility has more of a birthing center vibe. The staff was very accomodating to my wishes. (3 non medicated VBACs, baby handed to me right away, breast feeding support, etc.) The facility had a water birth room as well.

Personally, if I had no other risk factors I would have considered home birth but I think my hubby would have been freaked out with the what-ifs.

I don't want to scare anyone but definitely wanted to be honest. My child was born with a major heart defect (she is doing great now after several surgeries out of state). We were very blessed to find out about the defect when I was pregnant and we had time to plan. However, through this process I have met other "heart" parents and many of them did not know of their child's defect until their child was born. But fortunately they were in a hospital setting so the child could get immediate assistance. When a child is born with major health problems that have not been detected by ultrasound, it is very important that they get immediate assistance in the hospital. Seconds/Minutes count. Had we had our child at home, the situation would be much different. Hopefully your child we be born healthy and this will not be an issue for you. Good for you to ask and try to make an informed decision! Take care!

I always thought military hospitals were awful until I read some of these hospital horror stories. I had both of my children at a military hospital, and both experiences were great. I had c-sections with both, and I still got to see them and touch them right away. The nurses were super friendly and helpful, and I had breastfeeding support. I got to help with their first baths. I would never have done it any other way. Like some people here have said, you never know what might go wrong, and even if the hospital is close it might not be close enough. Good luck, I may be wrong but your question sounds like you're trying to convince someone else, not like it's a choice for you. If I'm wrong, good luck on your decision.

I chose a hospital for my first as I had heard so many "horror stories" about births that was my choice. I had what I term a negative experience with the hospital and opted for a birthing center or at least a midwife with my next child. To sum up, I did not do pain meds with any of my 4 labors. I had 3 with a nurse/midwife, doula, best friend and my husband to help. Only one actually was at the birthing center as with the other 3 (hospital) births I needed pitocin. There were no complication with me or the babies. We had a back up plan in case I did need to go to a hospital. The transition was easy as there was already an agreement between them and my midwife's practice. Basically, you never know what might happen, but if you think possitive, that's how it will be. I was under a lot of stress during the pregancies of numbers 1,2 and 4, but not with 3. His birth was beautiful and how I always wanted it to be. The end result in all was a healthy baby.

Take care!

http://www.gentlebirth.org/ronnie/homesafe.html

:0)

I've never gotten the chance to birth at home, tho, I would have loved to. The money just wasn't there for us, and ins. wouldn't cover a home birth.

I didn't get a choice with my first because of placental abruption. I had to have an emergency c-section. The second I chose hospital because of the risk for uterine rupture during labor and delivery. I had a VBAC that time. The third I also had VBAC, but was very difficult. The fourth was another c-section. I really wish I would have had a more comfortable, home-like environment. And the ability to move around or get in water. I hated having the monitors attached at all times. You're basicly confined to a bed the entire labor. If you do get the epidural you are more alert and able to handle the situation, but you can become bored easily. But I'd rather be bored than have the kind of pain that comes from birthing an almost 10 pound baby. (The third was 9lb 9oz. - Fourth was 9lb 6oz) The epidural didn't work for the third and I felt it all. So the birthing center or home would have been a nice alternative, but for my particular situation, it would have been a bad choice. The risks were too great to attempt it and have something go wrong. But if my first would have gone smoothly, I believe I would have chosen a birth center for the second. I ended up staying at home for a long time before going in with that one. But, most importantly it's about bringing the child into the world safely. Whatever means you go through to get to that point... that is the main goal. And all 4 are beautiful and healthy so I don't waste time with the "if" factor.

Hi J.,

We had our daughter in a hospital, and (if I get pregnant again) we'll probably have our second in a birthing center.

I had as much control over the process at the hospital as I dared, no pain meds and had a doula at my side along with my husband. The doula made it a great experience, as she was my advocate and helped me focus, gave me tips on what might help manage the pain etc. She was exceptional.

The down side to the hospital was the fact that some nurses would accommodate me and cheer me on, while others made disparaging remarks about the fact I chose to go without pain meds - while I was having pitocin-induced contractions! Not a help. :)

In my one-time experience, I found that if you don't have some trust built with each one of the people around you at the birth, it can suddenly be intrusive/rude/awkward/unnecessarily painful. The doctor forgot I had no pain meds and started working on stitching me up. I had to remind him!

All this being said, I would (of course) opt for a hospital birth if there were foreseeable complications. I believe most births just don't need all the extras. Having a birthing center located very near a hospital would probably be the best of both worlds.

My sister had both her sons @ a birth center with great success.
However, I was unable to b/c I had gestational diabetes. Prior to being diagnosed I did consider it and I probably would have still chosen a hospital b/c your really don't know what can happen during delivery and if there was a problem the time it would take to get to hospital could make a real difference. But that was my choice, if you have had an uneventful pregnancy w/ no problems it most certainly is a viable option. Just do what makes you most comfortable.

Good luck!

If you have a low risk pregnancy, and the birthing center is very close to the hospital, then I think a birthing center would be a great choice. The fact is, women having birth in hospitals have more episiotomies, more forecep and suction deliveries, and more c-sections. Hospitals, even good ones with homey birthing rooms, tend to medicalize birth.

I decided I couldn't stand most of the doctors in my OB/GYN group around 35 weeks, but it was too late to switch to another group. (The doctors all started telling me that it was always better to cut than to tear - which is completely false - and I would have to have continuous fetal monitoring even though I was low risk because "that's just our procedure.") So I looked into birthing centers. The problem was, even though I wanted to have a natural birth, I was not ruling out an epidural. But at a birthing center, I would be ruling it out since they simply can't provide an epidural. So I decided to stick with my stupid OB/GYN group -- but I had a GREAT doula who would also be my advocate, along with my husband. In the end, I ended up laboring 34 hours -- including 9 hours on pitocin -- without any pain medicine, and then I had to have a c-section. So I would have ended up in the hospital anyway.

Since I've had a c-section, my next baby would be born in the hospital, since there's always a chance of a uterine rupture with a VBAC. But I would pick a different set of doctors and one that does water births. That's really what I would have liked!

Hi J., there isn't anything that would change my view about hospital vs. anywhere else. I believe that its safest for you and the baby to deliver at a hospital, where they can react quickly to any emergency situation that may arise. Why take risks with your baby's life - or your own? Better to be safe than sorry!! thanks!

As an RN that works in a women's center...seeing all that I see..I would always chose a hospital. I have read most of the responses and alot of people seem to think that if there is going to be a complication that you would know it...and that is not always the case.

I have had 2 c-sections....my first was due to a failed induction... I had preterm labor from 30 weeks on and recv'd weekly, sometime 3x weekly doses of tributaline to stop the contractions...I went in to the hospital for my BP...babies heart rate was in the 80's...oxygen and laying on my right side fixed it....and then 19 hours later I was still 4 cm dilated...contactions had stopped and pitocin was at the max...so a c-section was preformed because if I moved anyway but on my right side the baby's heart was still decelerating...he had the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times...

fast forward almost 2 years....baby # 2 was a planned csection....turned blue 12 hours after birth...if I had not been in the hospital setting I don't know what would have happened....he ended up with a short stay in the NICU and reflux for 11 months...he stopped breathing due to the reflux....

none of my complications were forseen...a bab;s most critical time when things can go wrong are the 1st 24 hours....

Everyone does what they do for a reason and you have to be comfortable enough with your choice to do it....

Safety is my #1 concern...and being a RN make the hospital a choice I would have made even with normal healthy pregnancys...

sorry about the typo's my 20 month old is trying to help me type

Bring a doula to the hospital if you must go who knows what your vision is for your birth. The birthing center was a definite happy middle for me and my husband between safety and comfort level for the birth.

Know the statistics of what happens at hospitals and how much of that can be avoided if women just knew and trusted their bodies more. Birth does not have to be so horrible.

My daughters birth at a birthing center was amazing and I felt a connection with her immediately that I did not find with my other births due to all the distraction and lack of bonding allowed.

As other mothers have mentioned it is a very personal choice and you have to know what you want and what you are comfortable with.

Best of luck!
A.

Hi J.,

It's such a personal decision, but I can't help but be on the side of the "what ifs". My daughter (my first) had a pneumothorax (sp?)(hole in her lung) which collapsed the lung and needed immediate attention, she also had a seizure and two different colored eyes which the doctor's originally thought was a cateract. I held her for 30 seconds and then she was wisked off to the NICU and we didn't get to see her for five hours. She is absolutely fine now with no repercussions other than one light and one dark brown eye. So, I am forever thankful that we were in the hospital with a renowned children's hospital right across the street and access to some of the best pediatric specialists. My son's birth ten years later was completely different with absolutely no problems. I was extremely nervous that we were not in a big hospital and the nearest children's hospital was a ways away, but it all turned out well. So, I would personally err on the side of caution especially knowing what I know.

K. G

Wow. I don’t think I’m currently opposed to birthing at home or in a birthing center, but I definitely didn’t consider it an option during my first pregnancy. I think I was just very afraid of the unknown, and after having experienced chaos and an inexperienced nuisance of a nurse in the hospital, I was more open to other options. But, life had different plans for me as my subsequent two pregnancies were c-sections. To try and answer your question, I think if my doctor’s office (or midwifery) had presented a birthing center as an option, I would have been more likely to explore it. Also, when my husband and I took our birthing class during my first pregnancy, we saw video of three different women giving birth in hospitals. In retrospect, it would have been nice to see different settings. It’s not like the footage isn’t available—I’ve seen it on the Discovery Channel since then. I also think people tend to go with tradition, and do what their mothers did. I’ve definitely noticed that trend when it comes to breastfeeding, so it seems reasonable to assume that if my mom gave birth to me in a hospital I’d be more likely to do the same. Who is it we turn to for mothering advice if not our own mothers?