Reading about Home Birthing

I'm so excited. I found a midwife not too far from here through a midwife directory online. She has a very informative website, and I emailed her with some questions and she responded in just a few hours!

At first the idea of a home birth scared me to death. First of all, you don't get all the pain relieving drugs that a hospital would give you. Plus, you don't have all the modern technology there to help you. But the funny thing is, epidurals and hospital beds and all those things hooked up to a woman when giving birth have ALWAYS freaked me out. Those things make it look scary to have a baby. Not to mention, the crazy nurses that some women have had to deal with. And having a male doctor. Those are things I'm not a fan of.

Here's why I'm thrilled about the home birth idea. First, it's actually the best place to have a baby. The mother and child get to bond instantly in their home. The mother can choose to have just her husband and the midwife there, providing privacy and a stress-free environment. The midwife becomes your friend, and is there to support you through the whole process. Most home births are water births, so the baby doesn't actually take his first breath until he is placed on his mother's chest above the water. The birthing pool full of warm water is relaxing and helps relieve the pain of labor as the mother gives birth. The last thing, but not least, is that a home birth is WAY cheaper than a hospital birth. The midwife I talked to charges less than $2000 for the whole thing... from the beginning of pregnancy all the way till the baby is delivered, and all the visits in between. Besides, if something DOES go wrong (like if it's a high risk pregnancy, the midwife can tell before it's too late to switch to a hospital birth), the baby can be born in a hospital if necessary. It's unlikely that something like that would happen though because a home birthing mom is taught what to eat and do to prepare for a safe delivery.

Just so you know, I'm not saying that it's wrong for a woman to have a baby at a hospital. If that's what she's chosen to do, it doesn't make her a bad mom at all. I understand that a lot of people feel "safer" being surrounded by technology and doctor's and nurses 24/7. If you had a baby in a hospital, and you're reading this post, please don't get offended. It's only intended to inform the readers of the reasons I'm interested in home birthing.