Support Thread for Free Birthers!

[Guppy051708]

I just wanted to create a thread for those of us who are thinking about having an UCB, have had one, or who is having one. I do NOT want this to be a negative thread about why it should not be done Lets utilize this as a support thread to grow and learn with one another

About me:

Im 23, I had one in 2009 , I had a hospital water birth with my son (who is 13 months old). He was born face up after 30 hours of labor and 6 hours of pushing, all intervention free! I am pregnant again with another bump. Due to my insurance negative beliefs about homebirth (im in the USA), they refuse to cover a HB MW. With premiums/deductible/coinsurance, paying out of pocket for a lay MW is out of the question. I am currently seeing two MWs at a Free Standing Birth Center (FSBC). I will remain in their care for the duration, however, the FSBC is one hour from my house, and February is THE WORST winter month of the year, and Im not sure if i want to do the drive, so I am considering an UCB...I am not firm on this yet, however, I do have my husbands full and 100% support as he sees child birth as an inherently safe, natural process (not that things can't go wrong, but in general they dont). I am not scared of the one hour drive and giving birth before i get there that doesn't scare me one bit to give birth in the car, but i am scared the car will slow my labor down....which is a fear of mine due to the long labor i had with my son. Every time i picture giving birth it is in my own home with my son and my husband and no one else. As I said before, i am not decided for certain if i will go to the FSBC or having an UCB, as i will decide whilist in labor, but just wanted to be prepared if i dont end up going!

 

[lesbianlove]

i can totaly understand where your coming from, iv never had a really hard labour like yours, but mine were very quick, so even tho im in the uk and arranged mw to come to me when in labour me and my partner have decided if im really quick and it happens, then it happens so wev looked up all the things to expect delivering ourselves just incase mw doesnt get here in time as we do want t be alone for most of the duration of labour and mw just there to observe really and intervene if she sees something wrong or to check babys hb, so wont be foning til just bout to deliver anwyays its a shame bout ur insureance and stuff makes it more expensive to have a hb than a hospital birth when hb is supose to be the easy cheap option

 

[EarthMama]

I'm also considering an unassisted homebirth, for many of the same reasons. I live 2 hours 30 minutes away from my birthing center where I am getting prenatal care. They have a great birth unit to have the baby in but frankly I dunno, I think I either want to have a midwife at home or do it myself. I'm nervous about the risk but am doing my research. Whether or not my house is finished by March will be the determining factor in where I give birth.

 

[Guppy051708]

Thanks so much ladies

Earthmama, have you checked out the born free website?

There is an awesome forum with LOADS of info about free birthing and i have found it quite helpful!
this is the forum: https://www.bornfreeforum.com/
and if you go here: https://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ you can get other info. You can also join the yahoo group Both have been fabulous!

Im still not sure what i want to do....im scared about driving in the winter one hour away to get the birth center...its a one hour drive when its a nice summer day, free of construction...dont know what the bad roads would be like though...

 

[silver_penny]

I had an UC with my second, here to answer any questions, and give my support where needed.

 

[Guppy051708]

I had an UC with my second, here to answer any questions, and give my support where needed.

What are you recommendation on reading to be prepared for the "what ifs?" Do you have a list of books or anything like that. I still havn't decided what i want to do. my heart is split.
I did read this and see these suggestions:
https://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2011/10/13/preparing-for-unassisted-childbirth/
Anything you would add to the list?

Also, was your signifcant other well educated on the matter? I know a ton (im a child birth educator and a birth doula), but when i labor i am "in the zone" and im not confident i would be "here" enough to realize something was wrong. My husband fully supports freebirth and believes its a natural and inherently safe thing to do. He is open to learning, but sometimes he shuts down under stress. Advice?

Also, what is your opinion on free birthing a posterior baby? I know, sometimes, fetal distress can happen with that. But I did have DS 100% intervention free and he was posterior. I know i could do it again, but Ive also known ladies whose baby's couldn't handle it. I have another anterior placenta, and ive been doing all things in the name of optimal fetal positioning, but this baby just does not want to go anterior!

 

[mamawannabee]

I had really wanted to do this, researched and researched, then found out baby has kidney disease and pregnancy is high risk and we decided the risk was too much with this pregnancy. OH and I are both trained in childbirth, as well as 2 friends who live right down the street and family who live 10 mins away so I felt totally comfortable with the decision. I think it is a wonderful option for women who have an uncomplicated pregnancy and are not high risk. Childbirth is something women have been doing since the beginning of time long before hospitals were even an option and hospitals make interventions more likely, as well as infection to you or LO. So long as you have researched what to do in case something goes wrong, you will be as prepared as possible and it is good to have that info on hand for the birth. Print things out, get books and mark important pages, ect. They may not be necessary, but could save your or LO's life.

 

[ellemonkey]

I want to have a homebirth but am not in a area that will willingly do them, I live 5 mins away from a birthing centre but due to a previous forceps delivery I must go 45 mins away tot he next city and deliver.

That's great but this is baby number 4, you literally have to beg to be allowed in to the unit and if your not 4-5cms, they send you home.

Plus points are my house backs on to the towns ambulance station, they are less than a minute away if I feel I need them.