My first random rambling. Homebirth is a VALID CHOICE!

2011-05-22 12:00
Mountain Standard Time

I have been reading a lot about homebirths.   I am a strong supporter of informed choices and the accountability that inevitably goes along with those choices. I am wondering why is it when you see something about homebirth, the headline is in one of three perspectives: 1) you’re a crunchy, granola hippie from who knows when (or you were raised in a commune by hippies and called your parents by their first names, of which were Star Gazer and Moon Beam. or 2) You’re flat-out crazy. You’re crazy, crazy, crazy. Who cares about birth on the rest of the planet or since the dawn of human kind (they do it at home). You. Are. Crazy for birthing at home. Crazy. Cray. Zee. The end. Got it. Or 3) It’s criminal. It’s illegal.   Or definitely frowned upon and you will be fought on it every step of the way.  You’re not allowed to birth your offspring from your vagina in your home.   Who are these women who would even want to DO such a thing?  You must enter a hospital (or you’re breaking the law if you don’t). Or, you are not allowed to hire a certified professional midwife to attend your birth (cuz that makes sense). Criminal. Shame on you! You outlaw, you!

Why is this how homebirth is viewed?

Why are women being systematically beaten and poked and shoved into "making choices" when just about ALL of their choices have been eliminated.  The woman who wants a natural birth without drugs, on their body's own timing is a hard headed problem, but the mother who "willingly submits herself" over for c-section is the "ideal" patient.

I mean, homebirth was my last choice, a few years ago I was on the same bandwagon of "as long as you have a healthy baby, that's all that matters".   After having a c-section forced upon me with the understanding that it was my choice and that failing to progress was really my fault and that I should want the c-section so I don't end up killing my baby or myself in the process.  "Sweetie, you have been in labor 12 yours and are only at a 7 with a cervical lip.....it's time to cut."   SERIOUSLY!  I had birthed 2 babies vaginally before that. They both came out when they were ready to, without drugs but somehow my body forgot how to labor? It's ok, you can have more babies vaginally.  People do it all the time.

I was cut, nearly bled out because they nicked a sinus in my uterus. Ended up staying 13 days in the hospital because I got an infection.

Yeah moving on.

3 years later

We found ourselves pregnant again.

I wanted a VBAC, I had delivered naturally before the c-section.  I had a tried uterus and know it is possible.

My wants could not be found in any nearby hospitals.  "They" did not "allow".....due to their policy....uterine rupture....let me scare you.....dead baby~your fault, selfish blah blah blah.

So yeah, I thought no.  I will not do that, there has got to be a better way to do this.  I looked into alternative birth ideas and discovered that there wasn't any free-standing birth centers near my home.  There was one but closed recently, after fighting with the county.  There was one other but it wasn't a free standing birth center.  It's in a hospital, wasn't covered by our health insurance due to liability.....really...in a hospital?. That left my head a swirl, realizing, “I am having a baby at home. Huh. If someone had told me this is the way I would do things 5 years ago I'd have said they were crazy.”  And yet there we were.

And the reason for this choice?  Sadly, because there really was no choice. I would not be railroaded in to laying down and letting them cut me, AGAIN.

Not because my mother’s name is Moon Beam or my father’s is Star Gazer. Not because I grew up in a commune on a gozillion acres in a place called Wayward Soul (not that there is anything wrong with any of this). And certainly not because I consider myself crazed, although the thought of a routine episiotomy sorta had me crazed though, as I visited half a dozen OBs who offered episiotomies as routine standard of care  Or ROUTINE c-sections, because somehow surgery is now safer than vaginally birthing ones baby?  No. Thank. You. OUCHIE!!!

And criminal? Well, let’s just say, who knows? Utah is more of a police state than most others with all of the rules and regulations.  It kind of does their own thing, unfortunately in some areas and not so much in others, at least it's how I view it (although many are pushing for all to be licensed), and leave well enough alone. And I’m okay with that.

Maybe my problem is trust. I have too much trust in the entire process of birth.

I have too much trust in in Female God, The God of mother's or Mother Nature’s design, and in whose image we have been beautifully created.  I have too much trust in my unborn children I carried in my womb. I have too much trust in women and their glorious bodies and their wonderful workings.

I just trust. And I believe.

I believe babies know when to be born.

I believe women birth at home for a reason.

And I flat-out trust what I believe…no matter how many blogs, websites and debates I read.