home or hospital? Why not try both (Home Birth Versus Hospital Birth)

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	Home Birth Versus Hospital Birth
Date:	07/04/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: both have pluses

Disadvantages: both have minuses

Ok, this is from the man's perspective, and I appreciate I didn't have to do the hard work, but it's still valid! We had our first son in the hospital, and were well cared for, although occasionally spent long periods of time alone not quite knowing what was going on. The labour lasted a few days, and when our son was born I was sent home (no choice) in the evening. I had a great night's sleep and zoomed up to the hospital, only to find my wife on the verge of collapse from her 4th night in a row with no sleep. It seemed unfair I couldn't be there to help, so with baby number two we had a home-birth.

The home-birth was so chilled out it was amazing. Claire was so confident and happy, I just made drinks and food, and the mid-wife chatted away. I felt like I was part of a hippy commune it was so chilled. Near delivery time, a second midwife came, and the baby came out with no problems. Within two hours, the midwifes went, and we went to bed and slept: perfect.

From the two vastly different experiences, I've learnt a lot. A hospital birth is all about the hospital - fitting you into their schedule and their rules. This is fine in some ways, because they aren't bad people, but it can leave you left out, ignored and alone at worst. You do have the added bonus of being near the operating room if you need it, and having pretty much every drug and medical profession standing by.

The home-birth is more about you, and you get to choose what to do. We played music, chatted and relaxed, and were just in control. The midwife came when we decided to call her, and she just fitted into what we were doing. So, a home-birth is more about the mid-wives fitting around you and your plans. You legally have to have 2 midwives there, so you're not doing it alone, but of course you're not so close to the doctors or surgery if you should need it.

All in all, the second birth was powered along by the confidence and knowledge of my wife, who took control and did it her way. If you're confident and strong willed like that, then home-birth is probably for you, but if you're worried and need to feel you're doing absolutely everything you can to make sure it all goes fine if something goes wrong, the hospital may be a better choice.

Our advice to others, is to at least have baby number one in the hospital, and then you can make your own informed decision about the rest!

Summary: do them both I say