Home birthing hippies

[Crimsonking]

Okay, I have to hear more from the home-birthing subculture in the tree world. (Arbor-birthing, Reg?) Stories, please.

Ours: my wife wanted a doula for our second, and found a midwife in her search. I hate saying no when my wife is willing to step out of her comfort zone. So we had our second at home without a hitch, and we were hooked. My wife then began working on her doula cert. with the end goal of becoming a midwife herself. Then we got pregnant again, and she wanted to go unassisted. I was terrified, so I put off learning my role till 40 weeks. Then, at 41 weeks I was going to drop out of the Charlotte comp, but MY WIFE said I should go. A week later our daughter arrived in less than an hour of labor.

 

[KYAPLE]

I don't have much to add, but I'm one of 5. Myself and 3 other siblings were born at home, with plans on my younger brother being born at home. He needed to be delivered in the hospital due to complications. I think I turned out alright.....(depends who u ask hahah) congrats on your daughter too!

Kieran

 

[macswan]

My wife and I had our first at home when we were twenty three and twenty two respectively. She was three weeks "early" and labor was three hours. Totally wild. No time to panic. Couple years later we had a miscarriage, and the midwife was such a rock through the whole horrible experience. They are totally unflappable, kind, and caring. A different species of human. We had our second at home as well. Also three hours, but three weeks late. My wife also studied to be a doula, and attended six or so (correction: 10, sorry honey) births. Also learned a bunch of herbalist stuff from out first midwife. I could go on for days

 

[Crimsonking]

I don't have much to add, but I'm one of 5. Myself and 3 other siblings were born at home, with plans on my younger brother being born at home. He needed to be delivered in the hospital due to complications. I think I turned out alright.....(depends who u ask hahah) congrats on your daughter too!

Kieran

Ha! Thanks. She had me wrapped in seconds.

Mac, this is getting weird, we gotta get that beer. Sorry to hear about the miscarriage, though. My mom had one when I was a teen, but my wife and I haven't gone through that.

 

[BRT]

My wife had our 4 & 7 yr old all natural. Our 3rd is due in June and she is all set up to do the homebirth thing. I'm behind her 100%

 

[Crimsonking]

Cool. Have you guys discussed using a birth pool?

 

[BRT]

She's back an forth on that--at the moment I think it's a no-go.

She's got a good midwife, (they get along really well) so I think things will go pretty smooth.

 

[Crimsonking]

Nice. Our pool was night and day for my wife. She won't go without it, but like anything, it's what works best for the individual.

 

[JontreeHI]

We've got baby number two coming any day, trying for a vbac. The care in portland is way better than Hawaii (Oahu at least), we have a team of midwifes and doulas, lots of freedom and choice in labor and after. Labor in the tub but not for birth. Homebirth not advisable for vbac though.

 

[Mangoes]

On the 8th day God made epidurals.

Hats off to those who don't need/want.

 

[oldoakman]

Mine came long before midwives really came into vogue. First turned into a c-section, just too big to come out. Second was a vback jon, one of the first done at the hospital he was born in. BTW, he is 33 now.

 

[macswan]

We've got baby number two coming any day, trying for a vbac. The care in portland is way better than Hawaii (Oahu at least), we have a team of midwifes and doulas, lots of freedom and choice in labor and after. Labor in the tub but not for birth. Homebirth not advisable for vbac though.

My wife attended a home vbac. Inadvisability depends on who you talk to. Good luck Jon. I wish you and yours the best, where ever you have the thing. Let us know how it goes.

 

[JontreeHI]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. Mac It seems like birth is not unlike tree care/preservation-what is an acceptable level of risk?
Always great to hear vbac success stories, really important to my wife for her to go for it.
My boy was breach, none of the drs in Hawaii would touch it, so c section. She took the epidural, and then nothing, not even a Motrin for the entire recovery. Tough broad.
Ill keep you guys posted!

 

[Crimsonking]

Blessings, John. I hope it's timely and without complication. Do you know if it's a boy or girl? Maybe a monkey beaver?

 

[JontreeHI]

Haha were cheaters, daughter Paloma Rose. Female monkey beaver with an iron grip hopefully.

 

[wyoclimber]

We had both of ours at home, the second one just a month ago. Amazing experience. My wife also has looked into becoming a midwife because she loved it so much. Sadly, with our tree service being so young, we don't really have time for her to go to school at the moment. It's crazy when you really start looking into the statistics on birth how abysmal the U.S. ranks in terms of infant and maternal mortality. The countries that do the best, 70% of births are attended by midwives. Of course, in those countries, midwives are also welcome in hospitals. Our midwife has been doing it for 30 years, was a nurse practitioner, good friends with Ina May Gaskin. She's all for VBAC's. She's also very cautious during prenatal to determine if home birth will work for you. You're lucky to be on Portland Jon, a lot if great midwives there. Good luck to you and your wife!

 

[macswan]

Ina may is a fuckin boss

 

[Crimsonking]

Ina May? Time to research. Which means ask my wife.

 

[JontreeHI]

Ina may wrote the bible(s)!

 

[bwktreeserv]

All four of ours at home! Same midwife! Our 2 older girls (my step daughters) who are now 13 and 17 and my two young ones, 3 1/2 and 17 months. My wife is amazing! All 4 births were different (from what Ive heard after only being part of two of them) but all went flawless and fairly quick. Pretty crazy the first time you experience it in person. Its nice to relax when its all over and be in your own bedroom and just lay around exhausted with your new little one! -BEN