F.A.Q.

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”~William Arthur

As I tell my children, “We don’t live in What-If world.”   You could spend hours, even days coming up with scary scenarios that can stress you into a panic.  This thought process is normal… to a certain extent.  Many of the fears we have surronding birth come from the media’s ridiculous portrayals of birth shows or sitcoms where moms are screaming at their husbands, demanding drugs and writhing in pain.  While this is good for TV show ratings, it is FAR from what happens at homebirths.  Having a baby at home may not be an idea that you grew up with.  Your friends and family might tell you that you are crazy.  (Mine sure did!)  But, I am here to tell you that you are certainly NOT crazy and I applaud your efforts to find a loving and caring midwife who will support you.  However, I have come up with a few questions to ease the minds of those who still question homebirth safety.  You can also check out the resource page for links that address homebirth and safety concerns.  If there is a specific concern or question that you or your partner wish to discuss, you can contact me directly.

#1:  “What if” something goes wrong during my labor?
I’ll preface this by saying: Homebirth is not for high-risk moms.  
Since our moms take such good care of their own health, it is very rare if something comes up that we are not expecting or that we can’t handle.  During your prenatal visits, many issues can be addressed with diet.  However, in the rare instance that we do not feel comfortable with the way prenatal appointments are going, we may risk you out.   Midwives know when something doesn’t look or sound right during labor and immediately postpartum.  Listening to the baby’s heart rate is a good indication of how he/she is tollerating labor.  Because midwives are trained in natural and low-risk births, we can easily identify when something is out of the realm of normal.  At that point I will discuss my concerns with you and together we will come up with a plan.  This plan could involve a transport to the hospital.

#2:  “What if” something goes wrong with the baby?
Another valid question.  Most midwives are trained in Neonatal Resuscitation.  (Make sure you ask to see your midwife’s current and valid certification.)  As I learned in my classes, only 10% of babies need some sort gentle help when they are born.  This help is in the form of stimulation (rubbing the back or suctioning) if they are not breathing on their own.  Only 1% of babies will need more invasive interventions.  911 will be contacted during resuscitation for extra back up.

#3:  “What if” I want pain meds.
Birth is painful.  This is no secret.  Many women surprise themselves at how well they are able to cope with contractions.  There are many ways you can deal with the pain and you should explore all options.  Some women take a hypnobirthing class while others hire a doula.  Most just need some counter-pressure on their backs from a loving partner or a nice warm shower.   Homebirth is natural birth.  We can suggest all kinds of natural pain relief techniques but we do not carry drugs.  If you are looking for birth with an epidural or narcotics, a hospital may be the best place for you to have your baby.  (Please research how those methods will affect you and your baby.)

“There is not a single report in the scientific literature that shows obstetricians to be safer than midwives for low risk or normal pregnancy and birth. So if you are among the over seventy-five percent of all women with a normal pregnancy, the safest birth attendant for you is not a doctor but a midwife.”  ~ Dr Marsden Wagner

Now, let me ask YOU some questions:

What if moms weren’t told to push for 10 seconds during each contraction?  Would babies still come out?   What if moms were able to move around during labor instead of laying flat on their backs?  Would there be less episiotomies and a shorter pushing stage?    What if we let babies come out on their own time instead of forcing them out with inductions?  Would there be a decline in cesarean sections? (Right now, the rate around 34%....you have a 1 in 3 chance of having a surgical birth if you are in the hospital.)  What if mothers birth in the comfort of their own home around familiar people?  Would there be less fear surrounding birth?   What if there were less ultrasound, amniocentesis, GBS, glucose tolerance, vaginal exams and other tests?  Would there be a decrease of worry and anxiety in moms who were told falsely that something is wrong with their baby?   What if moms were only told GOOD birth stories instead of horrible ones?  Would there be more positive birthing experiences with less Fear, Tension and Pain?     What if moms were given the real risks of:  epidurals, pain medications, cesarean sections, inductions, pitocin, cytotec, multiple vaginal exams by different people, continual electrical fetal monitoring, being denied food during labor and artificial rupture of waters?  Would moms still choose to have these interventions done? What about coming into the hospital on a Friday night and the doctor on-call has plans for Saturday morning?  

Check out the resource page for more information.