Homebirth revisited

[Guest guest]

I checked with Jacquie before posting this.

I was disturbed from the homebirth discussion a few months back

(remember I was the one who was so dead set against the homebirth

because of the problems I experienced during labor with my

daughter). Well. I've done some research.

In the very complication that I had ..shoulder dystocia, I found this

article.

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/homebirth/homebirthsafety.htm

I must say, I'm quite displeased. First, because nobody ever tried

to get me to change positions...they went immediately for the

forceps..who knows, with other interventions maybe she could have

been repositioned with no harm to her shoulder as it turned out. Of

course, I will never know. She also had the cord wrapped around her

neck and no heartbeat so they may not have had time to reposition

me. And who's to say that she wouldn't have died had I had her at

home.

I Googled homebirth shoulder dystocia. Turns out, this is a very

real and serious danger in any birth hospital or home. There is

fetal mortality in hospital setting as well, and no c-section will

help it. True shoulder dystocia is very rare.

Here is another good article on it, telling a midwife's side of

shoulder dystocia.

http://www.havingababytoday.com/enews/enews0416.asp?q=herb*

The point of this post is...I totally discouraged homebirth based

upon my experience. There is no way to ever tell if someone will

have a complication such as mine, and considering that it IS so rare,

I must say I was wrong in saying it was safer to have a baby in a

hospital especially considering all of the other factors involved.

I feel it important to be aware of this risk. But also, to put the

information out there and ask your midwife if she knows how to deal

with such a situation beforehand.

[Guest guest]

Re: Homebirth revisited

>

> I feel it important to be aware of this risk. But also, to put the

> information out there and ask your midwife if she knows how to deal

> with such a situation beforehand.

>

>

Thanks for sharing this, , and, yes, it is probably among the many

questions that moms-to-be should ask. It sounds pretty scary. I'm glad

that your outcome was a live baby at least, and there is never any good in

second-guessing what health care professionals should have done. The cord

and the lack of heartbeat may well have encouraged them to use the more

aggressive intervention of the forceps in your case.

Clearly people should just avoid giving birth altogether! Very unsafe

activity!

Salli