Mervs Mum
Doula & Mum of 3!
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- Dec 29, 2007
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Becstar 
Great words from Gina!
Firstly PLEASE dont think that what you saw on One Born Every Min is representative of child birth in general. It's a TV show - for entertainment - and a quiet, calm, average birth with no complications doesnt make 'entertaining' TV - not to the masses any how. I didnt see one positive thing that I could really relate to in those births when thinking about my own experiences.
In the event of an emergency, every second DOES count but there are a few things to consider too.
1. In a HB you will find that the MWs are even more cautious than in a birth centre or hospital. Most problems come after some warning signs so there is almost always LOTS of time n advance to decide if a transfer is necessary and a MW would transfer sooner from home than they would intervene in a BC or hospital.
2. If something serious happens that required an emergency c section, even in hospital Drs need to be contacted to make decisons, the theatre staff need to scrub and prep and then you need prepping. All these things would still have to happen if you came from home and the MW would have rung ahead with her analysis of the situation so that they can get everything ready for your arrival. On average its 45 mins from a decision on intervention to actually sectioning a woman and with a HB this doesnt rise much at all as they factor your transfer in.
3. The things the can 'go wrong' are actually often as a result of interventions in the hospital. So for instance if labour isnt 'progressing' at the speed the hospital staff want ie you're taking up a bed for too long, then they may put you on a drip to speed your contractions up....this in turn makes you contract at an unnaturally painful rate so you opt for the epidural....which either doesnt work or works really well and then you end up (like me) unable to push and need an episiotomy because they need to 'help' (pull) your 'stuck' (not moving quick enough for their time scales) baby out with forceps....and if that doesnt work then you're off for a c section and people cry 'thank goodness you were in the hospital'.....and all of this started when THEY put you on some kind of child birth stop watch and hooked you up to that drip.....do you see what I mean?
Positivity is key. Home birth is more than just a location to have your child - it's a frame of mind. Something doesnt HAVE to go wrong - pregnancy is a normal healthy function, not an illness or a medical incident. You do to the hospital when you're ill - a healthy pregnancy isnt an illness and so doesnt require treatment in the way an illness does.
Your body was designed to do this! You trust your body to look after him and keep him safe during your pregnancy and, if allowed to just get on with it, your body will deliver your baby to you safely too
Great words from Gina!Firstly PLEASE dont think that what you saw on One Born Every Min is representative of child birth in general. It's a TV show - for entertainment - and a quiet, calm, average birth with no complications doesnt make 'entertaining' TV - not to the masses any how. I didnt see one positive thing that I could really relate to in those births when thinking about my own experiences.
In the event of an emergency, every second DOES count but there are a few things to consider too.
1. In a HB you will find that the MWs are even more cautious than in a birth centre or hospital. Most problems come after some warning signs so there is almost always LOTS of time n advance to decide if a transfer is necessary and a MW would transfer sooner from home than they would intervene in a BC or hospital.
2. If something serious happens that required an emergency c section, even in hospital Drs need to be contacted to make decisons, the theatre staff need to scrub and prep and then you need prepping. All these things would still have to happen if you came from home and the MW would have rung ahead with her analysis of the situation so that they can get everything ready for your arrival. On average its 45 mins from a decision on intervention to actually sectioning a woman and with a HB this doesnt rise much at all as they factor your transfer in.
3. The things the can 'go wrong' are actually often as a result of interventions in the hospital. So for instance if labour isnt 'progressing' at the speed the hospital staff want ie you're taking up a bed for too long, then they may put you on a drip to speed your contractions up....this in turn makes you contract at an unnaturally painful rate so you opt for the epidural....which either doesnt work or works really well and then you end up (like me) unable to push and need an episiotomy because they need to 'help' (pull) your 'stuck' (not moving quick enough for their time scales) baby out with forceps....and if that doesnt work then you're off for a c section and people cry 'thank goodness you were in the hospital'.....and all of this started when THEY put you on some kind of child birth stop watch and hooked you up to that drip.....do you see what I mean?
Positivity is key. Home birth is more than just a location to have your child - it's a frame of mind. Something doesnt HAVE to go wrong - pregnancy is a normal healthy function, not an illness or a medical incident. You do to the hospital when you're ill - a healthy pregnancy isnt an illness and so doesnt require treatment in the way an illness does.
Your body was designed to do this! You trust your body to look after him and keep him safe during your pregnancy and, if allowed to just get on with it, your body will deliver your baby to you safely too
I'm such a softy. Anyways, I'll be seeing her again at my next appointment, and she'll be coming for the home visit with my regular MW 
She said Bean was head down at that point, but she is still spinning around ALL THE TIME, so she was just showing off for the MW I think 
MW also said that she's not going to be a big baby 
