Unattended childbirth at home
By birthlady
@birthlady (5609)
United States
23 responses
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I am planning a home birth which will be attended by a very good friend who's a midwife. However, she lives in another state. Should it come to pass that she can't be at the birth, I will likely go unassisted. Perhaps with a doula, if I can find one comfortable working without a midwife or doctor.
2 people like this
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
6 Mar 07
My advise is to start practicing what you will do if you go unassisted.
1 person likes this
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
6 Mar 07
Well, I am also a student midwife- so I have a good idea of what I am getting myself into. lol.
For now (I'm only 6 weeks) I am doing my own care. Monitoring my diet & blood sugar very closely.I am type 2 diabetic but not on insulin or medication. As the pregnancy progresses I will decide if I should seek care from a local midwife or if I feel confident continuing on my own. I check in with my out-of-state midwife friend frequently to get her feedback on how I think things are going. I also have another good friend who's a nutritionist and she helps me with meal planning ideas.
I am going to ask my GP if she'll refer me for an ultrasound. I am just a little concerned about twins. This is my 4th baby, and I feel further along than I know I am. Once multiples are ruled out, I do not plan on having any ultrasounds, CVS, or any testing done. Low tech, no intervention, good old fashioned faith-in-my-body pregnancy & birth for me :)
2 people like this
@sexysilver (928)
• United States
25 Feb 07
No for the simple reason that I ahve had previous complications & should those or similar complications that need medical intervention arise I would like for a doctor to be present to assist.
But for anyone who hasn't had previous complications & opt for a home birth (assisted or unassissted) I see no problem with it.
2 people like this
@Jshean20 (14348)
• Canada
11 Mar 07
No, I would not have an unattended childbirth at home for the simple reason that I'd be too nervous to do such a thing. I think I would be so nervous about the whole situation both before and during the actual birth itself that my nerves could actually cause more complications.
1 person likes this
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
11 Mar 07
You have a good point, being nervous may cause complications during birthing.
@Clairec23 (136)
• Ireland
11 Mar 07
I had a baby at home a few weeks ago but it wasn't planned that way. Two paramedics arrived in time for the birth but they didn't really do anything so it felt like it was just me and my partner. It was scary. I felt really panicked that there wasn't a midwife telling me what to do (even though I'd done it before). Funnily enough, I had joked throughout my pregnancy that I would love to give birth at home and I even reminded my partner a few times what to do if that did actually happen. It was frightening even though it didn't last long so I don't think I would choose to do it at home if I ever had another baby.
1 person likes this
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
21 Mar 07
An unplanned homebirth is an unprepared for homebirth, which is just an accidental homebirth. Not at all the same.
@ryleesmama (560)
• United States
11 Mar 07
Personally I would be to afraid to have a baby without a midwife. My midwife was great, she sat in the other room and only came to me to check the fetal heart rate and my blood pressure or when I called for her. I think that unassisted childbirth is a great thing if you know enough about delivering babies.
@SlapItHigh (172)
• United States
23 Feb 07
Yes, I would have an unassited childbirth. I have been considering unassited birth for my next baby. I believe that the less interferece I have, the better I can bring my child into the world. I think midwives are wonderful and serve a great purpose. For some women though, UC is safer. If I end up with a midwife, it will be under the understanding that she is to be very hands off and only involve herself when I invite her too. I would love to have the support handy if I feel I need it.
@cajunmomma (624)
• United States
10 Apr 07
Nope..I am too afraid of me doing something wrong and too afraid of something going wrong.
@Justme2007 (1848)
• United States
5 Apr 07
I had my 2nd child at my grandmothers house and my mom delivered my daughter. The medics cut the cord and that was that I liked it better then going to the hospital all those people probing you yuck.
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
6 Apr 07
I bet your grandmother, mom, and daughter are especially close.
@jess368 (3368)
• United States
27 Mar 07
Never! What if something went wrong?
My aunt decided to have her last (4th) baby at home with a mid wife, and after 48 hours of labor they finally took her to the hospital. what if your baby were breach, or the umbillical cord was around the neck. OMG! that would be so scary!
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
6 Apr 07
I gave birth at home three times, I was not afraid.
1 person likes this
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
28 Mar 07
Thank you for responding! People who are fearful of birthing NEED to be in a hospital setting.
1 person likes this
@Bujoyseth (1684)
• Philippines
4 Jun 07
i won't.. i'm afraid for my baby...
my friend did it on her second baby... she gave birth at home without her midwife... and she did it!
@AmbiePam (92714)
• United States
3 Apr 07
My father's mother, who passed away just last year, had all of her 16 babies (none twins) at home. Only 3 of them were attended by a doctor. I don't know how she did it. I have a lot of physical problems, and the issues with my back would scare me from having natural child birth at home. But it sounds very appealing to me. If medical science comes up with a way to treat my back, I say bring it on - but maybe with a midwife. : )
@mememama (3076)
• United States
10 Apr 07
My husband and I go back and forth on having a water homebirth to begin with. If we did that, I'd have a midwife. I think you need to be confident to do that unassisted and I know I don't have that confidence. Maybe this is because my husband isn't the greatest coach and I have health issues of my own. I think that it's great and really powerful that women can do that.
@birthlady (5609)
• United States
10 Apr 07
Thank you for responding, my own three children were born at home, but I had midwives with me each time.
@magnet (2087)
• United States
21 Mar 07
No, I believe that it is safer the baby at the hospital. The last time I gave birth was 18 mths ago. I had a healthy pregnancy,but while the baby was about to come out the doctor told me to stop pushing, If I kept pushing the umbitical cord could have wrapped around her neck tighter and it could have killed my baby. The doctors and nurses were there to save my baby. They carefully cut the cord before it was too late. They also had to give me oxygen during delivery due to the pressure around my baby's neck.
@ladymoonstone143 (1507)
• United States
11 Mar 07
Sorry but not me. I am on the family way and I be in the hospital with epidural on. I guess different people have different tolerance with pain. My first baby, I had to go thru latent labor for 2 weeks and on actual labor for over 24 hours...so nobody can blame me if I just want to make sure everything will be fine with this next baby. I admire those women who will give birth at home, because giving birth is not that easy at all. Too much work.
@ragmama (536)
• United States
19 Mar 07
After an intervention-filled delivery with my daughter, I'm all for homebirth next time, but I know I would be a nervous wreck if there was no one nearby to help if I needed it - and, as someone else pointed out, that would likely slow things down at best. I do plan to ask the midwife to be as hands-off as possible, but I know I'll be more comfortable having her there.
@runner0369 (641)
• United States
14 Mar 08
I am not going to hire a midwife or doctor. My Baha'i mommy is a low-impact chiropractor and a BEST therapist so she can help me give birth with very little pain and then can check the baby to make sure that the baby is healthy. No need to go to the doctor's at all. If I did not know her than I would want a midwife to coach me and be there if something goes wrong but they are expensive so I can see why someone would not want to hire one but I think that if you can afford it it is much safer to have a midwife or doctor. Unless you have already had a lot of kids and never had any complications then you are probably all set.
@happy2bmommy (305)
• United States
21 Mar 07
no way. i am such a big chicken. i wouldnt even know how to tell when it is time to push! with my first, i never had that "urge" as i have heard of time and time again. i just felt nothing but pure pain. i would want a dr there for my peace of mind. i like to watch those birth story shows, and when i see a baby born and it isnt crying immediatley, i think i would panic if i was the mom. another thing, i would definitly need someone there to hold the baby right after it comes out of me, becuase with my first, i was so tired and drained, that i couldnt even keep my eyes open to look at him, much less hold him. they had to hold him on my chest for me, while i just smiled at him. even aftera few minutes, passed, i still felt very weak and shaky.
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
23 Mar 07
I don't think I could do a home birth. I'm all about having a natural childbirth at a birthing center. I think my childbirth with my daughter was the best experience of my life because I wasn't strapped to a bed in a hospital. But I just don't think I'm quite brave enough to have a home birth. I may change my mind when the time comes around to have another one. But right now no. But at the same time I highly applaud the women who are brave enough to do it. I've heard of some really great experiences from home births.
