Liesje:I would just personally prefer a hospital b/c
of other things that can go wrong. But I am not squeamish about
hospitals or medical equipment; tubes, wires, needls, monitors....that
stuff doesn't bother me. I can understand how that might upset other
people, and they'd be more comfortable at home.
Thanks
for replying Lies! It took a long time to write that, because I was so
concerned it might offend some people and I really don't want to do
that! But, since I am having another baby, and considering my options
again, this is something close to home for me.
I am not a
squeamish person either, and tubes and things don't "worry" me, as
such. I had William in a hospital last time, because I also wanted to
be in the "right place should anything go wrong". That was part of my
learning experience, that being in the "right place in case it goes
wrong", is also more LIKELY to make things go wrong. (the part about
being "prone" just about sums up the whole shebang actually.)
I
am more concerned about the physiological response of moving to a
different, less familiar place during labour, and also the
physiological response of having not-very-well-known people nearby/high
level of interference.
I don't agree with some of the
prophylactic measures taken by hospitals, and the best way to avoid
them is not to be there. It's HARD to fight your corner and have your
wishes obeyed when you are in labour, because you ARE vulnerable, and
you ARE consumed by something else being on your mind. It's very easy
to let the professionals take over, in the belief that they are
trained and want only the BEST for you and your baby. Not always true I'm afraid. Make it predictable. Prevent every problem imaginable. This CAUSES more problems, but if there is a lawsuit, they will be seen to be doing everythiong they can, right? Yeah that's right, my mother thought Cynical was a nice middle name for a girl. Drugs, by the way, only make it harder for many (dare I say
most?) women to remain lucid, in control and not-panicking, yet it's very hard to NOT have drugs in some hospitals.
Don't get me wrong; if you (general) genuinely feel that being
at home would FRIGHTEN you, because if it goes wrong you're up a
certain creek without a certain instrument, then maybe being in a
hospital is the best place, where you will be LESS frightened. Plus,
*IF* there is good breastfeeding support at the hospital, that is a
strong reason to take advantage of that facility and be in the right
place where you can have hands on assistance *immediately, should you
need it!
BUT, that said, I think it's important to make the
point that being at home does not equal unassisted birth - most women
who birth at home have a trained midwife with them. If everything goes
smoothly, then home is where they stay. If things do not go smoothly,
and the woman or baby are deemed to be at risk - off to hospital they
go. If I understand it correctly, your choices are far harder in the
US. If you have previously had a CS, many care givers insist that you
birth in hospital and don't try to have a home birth, otherwise you
can't use their services. Sometimes your insurance won't cover you if you choose a homebirth.
I absolutely agree that some
mothers have a glorified view of childbirth - whereas in reality it IS pretty raw, it can
be unpredictable. I get that totally and agree. In fact, I think it
contributes to a high level of intervention and CSs!! Many women think
it's all going to be magical, hurt a bit, a bit of dignified straining
and out pops a perfectly healthy baby, all prefectly predictable. It's
not like that, and as soon as that becomes apparent, the woman panics
and accepts all kinds of interventions, which in many cases only
complicate matters further.
Saying it's raw and not all fairies and rainbows is one thing but - and this is a big but - a labouring woman is not ill. Nor
is she automatically in a high risk category just because she is about
to give birth. I think I understand what you mean when you say "raw",
and I do agree, but that said it's important to note that the hysteria
that surrounds birth is not helpful.
"Give a man a fire and he is warm for a day, but set fire to him and he is warm for the rest of his life." - Pratchett, "Jingo"
