The idea of having a home birth can be a little bit scary, but in the latest episode of Birth Stories on CafeMom Studios, a mom named Darci shared her story about having two babies at home -- and how it felt more like a party to her than an ordeal.
Darci was dead set on having a home birth because she always associated hospitals with people who are sick and/or dying, and she didn't want those feelings to ruin her experience while she brought her first baby into the world.
Watch this video to hear Darci share her home birth journey. Her positivity about the experience is pretty contagious.
I have to admit, when I first heard her compare getting ready for her birth to having a party, I wanted to roll my eyes a little bit and say, "Yeah, right." But after hearing her describe how her house felt full of life at that moment, I honestly couldn't think of a more appropriate way to describe the anticipation of meeting your child for the first time.
I love how she went right into labor and delivery with such a calm demeanor instead of being fearful and stressed out. And I can't help but wonder if her positive attitude is what made her experience so flawless -- and allowed her to have another successful home birth with her second child. Maybe our emotions and inner strengths really are more powerful than we ever thought.
Have you considered having a home birth?
Don't miss hearing more amazing birth stories from other moms -- subscribe to CafeMom Studios on YouTube today!
Image via CafeMomStudios/YouTube
Ashley Is a Widow Who Stays Strong...
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
Comments 20
I have had 2 hospital births & 2 homebirths. The homebirths had a party feel. Especially my last one because it was during the day. I am so glad I got to have my homebirths. My only regret is that I didn't have homebirths w/ my first 2 children. It's an amazing experience.
she always associated hospitals with people who are sick and/or dying
Um....yeah. Maybe thats because hospitals are equipped to deal with emergencies, which you know, can happen during child birth too.
Stacey, I encourage you to do a bit of research into what goes into making a decision to have a home birth. Look at the stats, look at the experiences, and compare them to hospital births. You might be surprised! A good movie to watch to get good insight into this is "The business of being born". The producer of the movie was considering a home birth, and it ended up that the baby was in distress and so they transfered her to the hospital with more than enough time to get an emergency C-section. Trust me, if the pregnancy is high-risk or the child shows signs of distress that can't be controlled in a home environment, the woman is transferred.
I do wish more women considered natural and home-births. We need to start thinking differently about child labour - after all, we've been going through this ever since we've been monkeys, our bodies are programmed to do it properly.
producer of the movie was considering a home birth, and it ended up that the baby was in distress and so they transfered her to the hospital with more than enough time to get an emergency C-section
Thats great, not every emergency has "more than enough" time to get to the hospital. No matter how much someone prepares for the home birth, they will never be more equipped than a hospital with specialists and equipment. Sure hospitals fuck up too, but so can midwives, thats human error, and not the point Im making.
Not just us. Millions of women give birth in huts, fields, homes all over the world. Many complications in hospital births are *caused* by hospitals. Also, midwives are equipped to deal with emergencies for home deliveries.
Finally, don't like home birth? Don't have one. Do not assume because you can't/won't that no one else should.
I had a hospital birth with an OB with my first (never again!), a birth center birth with my second (wonderful!) and a home waterbirth with my third (most amazing experience EVER!).
Stacey--when you start doing the research, you will see that almost ALL of the so-called "emergencies" that happen in labor and birth are actually CAUSED by all the needless interventions done to laboring women for the sake of the convenience of the hospital staff and OBs! It is actually VERY rare for a true emergency to pop up out of nowhere in the labor of a healthy mom. There are always warning signs and because a homebirth midwife is there with the mom (and not practicing office hours and popping in every 6 hours or so like most OBs do), they are MUCH quicker to spot potential problems and fix them or make decisions to lessen their effects!
we've been monkeys, our bodies are programmed to do it properly.
For the most part yes. But again, when it comes to a life possibly being in jeopardy, even a small risk of not being close enough to the hospital in an emergency is not one I am willing to take. Most people have no issues, but someone has to make up the small percent that does, and you wont know if you're in that percent until it does. Stats aer great for info, but again, you never know which side of the stat you will be on.
@shannon, women in developing countries still die frequently from child birth, kind of a moot point. Also, a midwife at home can only be so prepared, but will not ever be as prepared as a hosiptal. If they were, women like the one Vernoique wrote about wouldnt have to go to the hospital anyway, because the midwife would have been prepared to handle it. This obviously will not ever happen. Situations will still arise that need to be treated elsewhere. Again, some people may not mind this risk because according to stats its low, but again you never know which side of the stat you will be on.