( posted as a reply on the homebirth debacle site - my point is that measuring natural birth outcomes can't happen in a hospital, they aren't set up for a natural birth, only medical.)
Whoops, I put the wrong name on the principle. Must not have been Heisenburg. I am sure my instrumentation (how meters work) class hammered it. You cannot measure without disturbing. Can anyone remember the name?
I'd like to hear more about sailing, that was very refreshing.
I still maintain there is no evidence that homebirths are significantly more dangerous. All data presented so far was either flawed or indeterminate. Where indeterminate was translated to unsafe.
The Quantum Physics bit can be greatly applied to homebirth. If I feel I have the power within me to birth, I am likely to do so. If I am looking to the allmighty medico to rescue my baby from my uterus, I am likely to receive. (For reference watch the recent Movie, What the bleep do I know)
For my first I fell for the "break your water or go home" ultimatum. He said it would not not effect my natural birth plans, and induced labor that way. I did managed to birth vaginally, but much trauma, including a 300 pound nurse pushing on my belly, even as I told her to stop.
For my second, I was given the same ultimatum. After being told I was at 6cm, they said, not fast enough, break your water or go home. I chose to leave, and Viola, suddenly I was declared 4cm. I transitioned at home after a pizza and a good night's rest. I would have pushed that baby out unattended, if the Ex hadn't piled me into the car. 15 minutes from front door to baby, and I had to fight every minute.
My natural Birth in the hospital.
Walk in front door, in bathrobe, sweating, pushy. They tried to put me in a wheelchair, I refused saying that the baby's head was to far down to sit, and insisted on walking.
After pushing elevator button, nurse wants to do a vaginal exam in the elavator. I refused.
The nurse would not break down the bed, and refused to allow me into a position to push, until a doctor arrived from ER. (I had called maternity, and said I was on the way. I made it clear I was pushy.)
ER doc arrives, and orders Lactated wringers. I yell, I'm not a traffic accident, and argue, until they are distracted. The bleeping fetal monitor has moved, the rates are now the same, mine and the baby's. They yell the baby's heartrate dropped and force oxygen onto me. I resist and tell them I am hyperventilating, and that the heart rates are the same.
I push the oxygen aside, and yell its burning. The assistant doula says, from her corner behind the equipment, "that is good, it should you're almost there." I accepted her advice to push through it, it was a good thing, a sign we were progressing. And out came V, she literally pushed off my rib cage and came out with a splash. Suprised ER doc catches, barely, and I start telling him not to clamp the cord. Fortunately he listened to me, for a little while. The sOb I had, made it clear he would be clamping right away. At least the ER doc did wait a little.
After clamp and cut, the doc starting pulling on my cord. I repeatedly told him to stop, it may cause hemmorage. When I pushed out the placenta, he wasn't paying close atttention, to me or the bowl of fluid full on the floor. Yep, I hit a bowl full of fluids and it splashed all over the doc, and covered under the bed too. (by accident.) Quite a mess.
Minutes later I was out of bed, and the nurse was requesting a bath so she could handle the baby without gloves. I said I preffered that she wear gloves.
My mom washed up the baby while I had a quick shower. (My Mom, and doula were stuck in the hall for the birth. They were denied entrance, even though permitted on my birthplan.)
Right after my support staff left, so I could rest. Another nurse came in and said they needed the room, I needed to pack and move down the hall. I refused to pack, and pleaded for her to do it, pointing out that if she had asked minutes sooner, my support staff would have been happy to help me.
She said they were full, and since I was now considered super healthy low risk, they were putting me in the private super clean room since I wouldn't contaminate it like (techno) deliveries might. She may have said something like more difficult instead of techno. The room was usually keep empty for those with compromised immune systems who needed an almost germ free isolation.
I wanted to go home right away, but no one would take me home until I ws released. 22 hours later I left, with a huge rash covering my buttocks and thighs caused by an allergic reaction to their sheets.
How's that for an unintendeded complication. It was real fun trying to heal that rash while nursing a newborn.
