Updated December, 2020
A lot of individuals have asked me about my home birth experience and the details leading up to my confidence in birthing at home. Here are some of the more common questions I have been asked.
How did you decide on your midwives?
I looked at a lot of midwives before deciding on the team that I did. I had certain criteria to begin with, including somewhat close by, certified, and experienced. I interviewed a handful of individuals, asking questions and getting a feel for their personalities. It was important to me that I feel comfortable and supported by my midwife. I had narrowed it down to two midwives before I made my final decision. I got along with one particularly well, but ultimately didn’t feel safe with her because she had never had to transfer anyone and had never really dealt with an emergency before. I needed a combination of competence, friendliness, and experience.
What type of care did you receive?
To start, I saw my midwives once every month. In the last few months, I saw them every two weeks, and for the last month, we were scheduled to meet every week. At each check up they asked me about diet, my health, and overall how I was doing. They took my blood pressure and heart rate. They measured my stomach (technically I’m pretty sure they were checking my uterus), and made sure everything was great with me physically. They also checked Monster’s heart rate at every check up, including letting me listen. The best part was that I spent probably 30 minutes of every appointment getting answers to questions I had.
They also took blood tests and offered me information about every screening available to me. Some I got, and others I opted out of. At each check up I had to pee in a cup and check it for certain nutrients to ensure my body was still functioning well (I only remember protein and glucose, but there were like six things they monitored). They sent me handouts and articles to read to help me make informed decisions for my health and the health of my child.
After the birth, they also came back to my house twice to complete Monster’s 24 hour and 4 day checkups. At two weeks I went to them (I was feeling well enough. Had I not, they would have come to me). They also offered a four week check up, which I declined, and a six week check up. All of this was included in their care.
What did you do to prepare?
Physically speaking, I stayed pretty active all the way through my pregnancy (barring the first 20 weeks when I was throwing up and nauseous all day every day). Even in my third trimester I was still getting 8,000 steps every day, swimming as often as possible, and going to yoga at least once per week. My midwives prepared me early on different ways I should move to avoid damaging my abdominal muscles (no more crunches or crazy abdominal twists).
Emotionally speaking, I read a lot of books, did a lot of journaling, and took a decent amount of time for self reflection. I sorted things out at home and at work so that when I did go into labor, I wouldn’t feel like unfinished business was still lingering over me. Honestly, I think I was about 36 or 37 weeks before I felt ready on an emotional level. I woke up one day and just decided if Monster wanted to arrive, they could do so whenever they wanted. I don’t know that there was any specific thing that helped me feel that way.
I also had to gather a handful of supplies, a list of which was provided to me by my midwives. Everything was gathered and put into one place for easy access during the birth. I had set up Monster’s room as well. Basically, my house felt ready.
What would have happened in an emergency?
My midwives and I had three plans for my birth. Plan A was a home birth. Happy, healthy, this was the ideal birth. Plan B was transfer in a non-emergent situation. This would be if something small went wrong and we had to go to a hospital (say I hadn’t gone into active labor within 24 hours of my water breaking). This was a hospital of my choice, where I could likely have my midwives attend my birth still, even if they were more of a Doula roll than actually delivering. Plan C was an emergency transfer. It was literally call an ambulance and take me to the closest hospital. We talked about each of these plans and decided on the best course of action well in advance of my labor.
Did you see any doctors?
I consider my midwives to be doctors, but no, I didn’t see any doctors. Everything that needed to be checked to ensure my pregnancy was on point was checked by them at regular visits.
Did you get an ultrasound?
I elected to get two ultrasounds. The first was a dating ultrasound around 6 weeks. We were able to see Monster’s heart beat and received an estimated due date based on Monster’s size. The second one was at 20 weeks. This was really unnecessary, but we (I) really wanted it anyway. We could have found out the sex of our baby at that point, although we elected not to. Measurements were taken to ensure Monster was growing properly and we were able to see our little bitty.
What types of coping mechanisms did you use during labor?
Our midwives gave us a birthing class and we explored coping mechanisms at that. We practiced partner massage and finding things that distracted us from discomfort. I found personally that talking with my partner, and specifically laughing with him, distracted me a lot. I had also made a fun little bingo sheet for myself (have a baby was the middle tile) and I crossed at least some items off it.
Honestly though, when I was in active labor, I don’t think I managed to use a single coping mechanism. My partner and my best friend reminded me to breathe a lot (I think I listened to them about ¼ of the time) and I squeezed their hands through contractions. I think what really helped me was the freedom to change positions any time I needed to, ensuring I was laboring in the most comfortable position I could find at all times.
How soon after the birth did you have to take the baby to a doctor?
I had chosen a family doctor for after Monster’s birth around 30 weeks. I called them up about a week after Monster was born and let them know of my little one’s arrival. We scheduled Monster’s first visit with our family doctor at eight weeks. Note that I had intentionally chosen a doctor who was supportive of my decision to have a home birth, knew what kind of care my midwives offered, and was willing to be flexible with me.
Was it really expensive?
I don’t know how much it costs to have a baby in a hospital these days, but I’m pretty sure my home birth was cheaper. The big thing is that most insurance companies will not cover a home birth, so I had to pay for everything out of pocket up front and work a little harder to have parts of the care reimbursed to me, such as the tests that I elected to run.
Update since my hospital birth, no, a home birth is very cheap in comparison, even without insurance.
Would you give birth at home again?
Absolutely.
Have more questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability!
