Ila was born in a hospital and although it was a beautiful experience, I know it could have been better. I feel like I spent a lot of my time saying no. No, I don't want an epidural, no, I don't want pitocin, no, don't take my baby yet, no, we don't want any shots, no, I don't want my baby to sleep in the nursery so I can get more sleep. Most of the nurses were very supported although they didn't understand why we wouldn't want to do some of these things. The worst part was being stuck in the hospital for thirty some hours after giving birth. I just know I could be in a more supportive, encouraging atmosphere.
We explored our options and thought about doing a homebirth. For one thing, we do not know where our home is going to be. Our house is on the market (shoot me) so we don't know if we will still be living here, an in between apartment, or a new house. Another thing is the price. Although a homebirth is the cheapest option, most insurances don't cover it. Our insurance isn't the best and I have had trouble figuring out exactly what they would cover. I have friends that had to pay for it out of their own pockets and their insurance companies have taken up to a year to reimburse them. I would love to be in the comfort of my own home and completely believe in the benefits of a homebirth, it's just not going to happen this time. Maybe someday.
The birth center is a wonderful option when you want a natural experience but homebirth is not an option. When I experienced my miscarriage, they were very supportive and I felt very comfortable there. With this pregnancy, they have been very supportive and understanding. They are very natural minded and there is not even an option for an epidural. What surprised me, were all of the natural pain relief options. The hospital has narcotics and an epidural. The birth center has many options that don't have side effects. One of these options is what really sold us on the birth center. The birth tub. It is a big beautiful tub with candles and soft lights all around it. They say the baby should enter the world in the same loving atmosphere in which it was conceived.
Dru can't wait to get into the tub and be more involved in the labor and delivery. He has the option to catch the baby and place him/her on my chest or he can be behind me and the first thing the baby sees are both of the people that love him/her more than anything. We'll see what happens in the moment.
Another great thing is that we can leave within hours after the birth. Dru won't have to sleep on some pathetic chair-turned-bed and Ila won't have to be away from us for days. We can all sleep in our bed at our home.
I know what you're thinking. What if something bad happens? For one thing, in a healthy, normal pregnancy the hospital is actually one of the most dangerous places you can go. When you go against nature and try to intervene constantly, you are way more likely to end up with a c-section or just a terrible, traumatic birth experience. The hospital is where people go that are sick. The birth center doesn't have emergency situations. They know well ahead of time if a trip to the hospital is needed and head over there. The hospital is only about a mile away and the hospital works with the birth center to make sure everything goes well. The midwife doesn't just drop you off and leave. She stays with you at the hospital for support.
I am very much looking forward to the birth of our sweet baby. I am not afraid of birth. It is a beautiful, amazing, empowering experience. I am so glad we found a place that is not only supportive of the experience we want but actually encourages it.
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