It's all about safety.

Are you interested in birth Safety?

For me, homebirth is all about safety. What could be safer than having your primary care giver stay with you during labor to monitor for problems, offer support, and prevent problems that may occur? All this in an environment that does not fight drug-resistant, contagious illnesses and that you feel safe and comfortable to be in. Reduce the stress, and reduce the risk to you and your baby! Plus, prenatal care with a Midwife is more intensive and thorough--focusing not just on physical health, but mental health, emotional health, nutritional counciling, preparing for motherhood, just about anything that you need to grow a healthy baby pre- and post-nataly.

I am all about using the medical advances to balance safety for my children. Legitamate research, and the more than 20 countries that have a lower infant death rate than the U.S., show that Midwives are a safer choice for low risk women than obstetricians. Some mothers do need to see doctors, either throughout pregnancy or if problems arrise during labor, but these women and low risk women all deserve the extra special care a Midwife provides.

Why home, and not a free-standing birthing center?

Well, I had my first child at a free-standing birth center. Although it was safe, I was not completely satisfied by that experience. The main problem is that with a birthing center, the midwives are usually on a rotating on-call system. This means that you do not know which midwife will attend your birth until you are actually in labor. I was lucky not to get the midwife that I didn't really care for, but some friends weren't. Also, the midwives on staff are the ones who can get along with the owner, not nessesarily the best midwife for you. Finally, a forty-five minute car ride was involved to get to the birth center. Boy was that a mistake! My contractions started double peaking during the drive, and my hot-packs cooled off long before we reached the center. Then there was the forty-five minute drive home that evening. The last thing I wanted to do after giving birth was to get all dressed again.

Birthing Centers can offer some positive services. They usually have built-in jacuzzi birthing tubs. I enjoyed the time spent in the tub! Plus they offer a good "crutch" for those, like my husband, who have a mental block against homebirth. We, as a culture, have been brainwashed to believe that giving birth at home is crazy. When you look at the facts, though, it has been less than 100 years since birth moved out of the home. Planned home births have a lower infant and maternal mortality rate than low-risk births in hospitals, with a higher family satisfaction rating. Overall, I am not against free-standing birthing centers. They definitely have their role to play in making birth safer for everyone. Better customer satisfaction comes with more competition, so when there are a few birthing centers in a city, instead of just one, you are more likely to find one that suits your needs.

Obstetricians to avoid in Austin, TX

Souhail Asfouri, M.D., Austin Southwest Ob./Gyn: Does not trust clients to make their own decisions about family planning.

Guy Blumhagen, M.D., Austin Regional Clinic Seton Northwest: Can't tell the difference between a transverse baby and a vertical baby without an utlrasound. Recommends immediate C-section for a transverse baby instead of trying to externally rotate it.

Michelle Gooch, M.D., Austin Regional Clinic South OB: When I mentioned homebirth she gave me a dirty look and was no longer friendly.

My Personal Birthing Experiences

Why we can't always get what we want

There is a reason things work out a certain way. Everyday I am reminded how true that is. There is no better example than the births of my two children and the different experiences of those births. You have probably read above how I was dissatisfied with some of the handling of my pregnancy and birth at the free-standing birthing center. The birth of my daughter was so powerful and fast that there was little time to mishandle the actual birth. Everything was smooth and perfect. This was the birth I wished to repeat, only at home. No such luck. My son's birth was long, slow in parts, and could have easily led to unnecasary medical interventions. This time, with an experienced homebirth midwife, everything was smooth and perfect again. Our midwife added no addition stress to my stalled labor. She was comforting and reassured me that what I needed most was sleep. Boy, was she right!

I think the biggest difference, besides the ease and comfort of just being at home, was what frustrated me during the birth. At the birthing center I felt more was done for the midwife's convenience than my own. A big thing was that I was on thier turf instead of my own. Also, I probably could have pushed my baby out in the tub if the midwife had let me stay squating instead of leaning back. The midwife "needed" to see what was happening. Watching other water births, I realize that that wasn't really necessary.

At the homebirth I was mostly frustrated by my family and the stress of our situation. We were moving the next week. Our date of departure hinged on the baby coming. It is no wonder I had a month of prodromal labor! The stress of the uncertainty of when we were moving was more than I needed. On top of that, there had been family drama about my father. And I had apparently NOT made it clear that I wanted to be the center of attention on the birth day. Sometimes I wonder if my family actually ever listens to me. Because of that stress, I was more vulnrable to suggestion. When my labor stopped just as it was getting strong, I would have done anything to start it again. Everything could have been so mishandled by my primary care provider had it not been a person I hand-picked and knew well. Basically, I am so lucky that there wasn't a chance to mishandle my first birth and there was no suggestion to mishandle my second. I can truely say that I enjoyed both birth experiences--for different reasons--just as I enjoy both of my children for different reasons.