Hospital vs. Home Birth
Someone wrote me about home births and I'm at a loss. Both my kids were born in a hospital and I didn't even entertain the thought of not having a hospital birth with only a doctor. I was raised to believe that women give birth flat on their backs, in the safety of a hospital with a doctor that knows everything.
But the question of home births got me to thinking about what the benefits and drawbacks would be to having a hospital vs. home birth and here's what I came up with:
Hospital:
- No clean up. Even though I'm sure the midwife would clean up there's just not that same hose-it-down-or -burn-it-I-don't-give-a-crap mentality you have when you're not at home.
- The machine that goes 'ping' is within arms reach. This was the biggy for me because I was always terrified that something might go really off the rails and I wanted to be as close as possible to the machine that went 'ping'.
- Fewer nay sayers. Generally people expect you to give birth this way so you aren't going to catch a lot of flak for it.
- You're not home. If you already have other kids you can pretend to be delirious and they might bring you crappy food that you didn't even have to make while they try to figure out what's wrong with you.
- Safety in numbers. A billion people come in and 'check on you' so you're bound to have at least one competent person catch something that doesn't seem right. In my experience, most nurses are super human and can tell you how much your baby will weigh before they get in the room so that tends to instil confidence.
- The epidurals and all glorious drugs are there.
- It seems less scary because you're in a hospital where people do this everyday.
Home Birth:
- You're home. It's your stuff. You know where everything is and if you want to walk down the hall naked so you can stand in the shower, you can. You can give birth to thrash metal and burning White Castle burger candles if you want to and nobody can say boo.
- Clean(er). It's unlikely that your home is a festering hole of all things contagious like a hospital is. It wasn't until I was leaving the hospital with my perfect, little baby and some man started hacking up a lung in the elevator that it dawned on me – Hospitals are where sick people go! I don't care how many masked they have or how much they bleach the crap out of everything, hospitals are gross.
- You know your midwife. You will be dealing with somebody that had been with you throughout your pregnancy so they know what you're like and you know what they are like. I lucked out and got my actual doctor for both my deliveries but that's not always the case.
- You're the only one giving birth in your house. There were 12 other women giving birth the night I had my second son and my doctor was the only one on the floor at one point. I'm guessing it's harder to have things fall through the cracks.
- It seems less scary because you're not in a hospital where horrible things happen. I watch Grey's Anatomy!!
Really when I started thinking about it, I'm a big home birth fan. Everything about it sounds better yet I had two hospital births because drugs and that damn machine that goes ping were there and that trumped everything else. I think if I did it again I would have a midwife and give birth in a hospital but that's really easy for me to say because my fake baby, Flick, was pretty easy to deliver and I'm not having any more.
Please help me out here. What are you going to do? I know there are horror stories on both sides but it would be nice to know what you guys think the positives are to both routes.
44 Comments
Reader Comments (44)
I have a hospital horror story that just fills me with glee every time I think about it - a 56 hour failed induction with a doctor who turned the Pitocin up so high that the nurses were furious, hours of 15 minute long, off the chart contractions with no epidural....and a c-section for all my trouble. Baby number 2 was oh-so-comfy and had no intention of coming out on her own before the "now we're getting risky since you've had a previous c-section" time, so I had another stupid c-section. If I had it to do over, I'd try a midwife and maybe a homebirth (the 1st time). I'd love to experience that feeling of accomplishment from giving birth naturally. I do feel kind of cheated, since, looking back, I think the induction was more for my doctor's convenience than medical necessity, which makes me wish I'd listened to my crunchy granola birth class teachers about medical interventions. I have two gorgeous, perfect babes though, so I count my blessings and try not to dwell on it.
I had a horrible hospital birth that nearly killed me and caused my son to be in NICU for a week. I had wanted a HB but hubby wasn't comfortable with it and such so I complied with a hospital one. I am glad he got to see why I didn't want one and when we decided to have another one we went with a HB. It was the most wonderful thing we ever did. we did it all our own way. Once we had our secobd son i looked at my hubby and said let's do this again soon. =) we have had 4 of our 5 kids at home with daddy catching 2 of them. I became a HB doula and will go on to be a HB midwife when our children get a little older.
My VBAC birth was midwife-assisted but in a hospital. Kind of a fabulous compromise.
Well for myself I'm not giving birth in a hospital, it's going to be in a birthing center, so I don't have to really worry about all the sick people around, unless my husband or myeself is sick. I have never had the thought of a home birth cross my mind. My mom had 11 kids, number 7 she decided to try a home birth with. My brother's shoulders were so broad that he disloated one because he got stuck and he tore my mom real bad. After that she didn't ever want a home birth! She was able to have natural drug free births for the majority of them. So I guess I worry about big babies because of me being big myself so I will never have a home birth!
One good thing about a hospital birth is that they are prepared for unexpected occurrences and can respond quickly. I know there are some times when they seem to cause the problems. But in my last delivery (in Sept) every thing was just perfect for an induction with an epidural and my 9lb 10 oz son was born with no difficulty, but my placenta was abnormally attached, something there was no way to know beforehand. When it came out, I started to hemorrhage, but because I was in a hospital they got me down to surgery quickly and were able to stop the bleeding so that I "only" lost about half my blood volume. I think the idea of a home birth sounds nice, but after my latest experience I don't think I could ever do it.
I think the choice of home vs hospital is very personal. If you are comfortable then you are going to have a better experience. No one should be scared into either. Both should be "normal". I have a great and wonderful natural birth hospital and fantastic midwives and it is much more comfortable to be there for me. But if I were in a different place, or a different type of person I would be much more comfortable at home.
I often wonder how I would feel if I had had a home birth that had the same outcome as my first hospital birth had. My baby was born not breathing. It took a few passes of oxygen to get him to breath. I know that home birth midwives can and do the exact same thing. However, because of the terrible time he had getting out he was being constantly monitored and I know exactly how long he didn't have any oxygen. If it had been a home birth I wouldn't have known. I wonder if I would have a little panic and guilt attack every time he seemed extra uncoordinated or the like. It isn't anywhere near enough for me to think that home birth is not an option (though I am done having kids so this is totally moot). It depends on circumstances at the time.
I have experienced both births.
I have four wonderful creatures, also known as kids/children/urchins. With the birth and pregnancy of my first one, I was extremely young. I went to the same doctor for all of my visits, who told me that I should probably think about a diet for the pregnancy and after. At the tender age 16 I gave birth to my first son. At a hospital. With every drug under the sun available to me in me. Without the doctor that was there for most of my pregnancy. Everything went as well to be expected. I tore and required stitches. Other than that, it was fine. Fast forward 6 months, and I was pregnant again. Glorious. I was in a different state and so I was able to go do a different doctor, otherwise I probably would have gone to that same woman that made me feel miserable about myself. I carefully picked out a doctor’s office that had multiple doctors. There were 6 there. I was sure that I would have a familiar face deliver my new little one. I met everybody there a couple of times. When the time came, I delivered without any drugs, didn't tear, and had a brand new baby. A stranger "caught" my baby. I had no clue as to who this person was. I move again, get married to my wonderful husband and have another baby. I decided that I didn't want to have a doctor at all this time, but was still uneasy about giving birth at home. So, I opted for a midwife. When the time for delivery came, it was amusing to me. There was an intern that asked to stand by to watch. I had no problems with that, and a man in a white coat stood in the corner of my hospital room. My midwife was sitting on the bed next to me, helping me through the contractions that were slamming my body. He (intern) asked her (midwife) about an IV that I didn't have. Or pain medication that I didn't have. I started pushing and the water then broke, a little bit leaked out. Soon she was crowning and then she was out. Along with a GUSH of amniotic fluids. There was my midwife, sitting at the end of the bed covered in the tidal wave of water, waiting for me to push out the placenta and the poor intern still standing in the corner with his face as white as his coat.
We decided that three children were enough and opted not to have any more children. Three years later, I miss another period and discover that I am pregnant yet again. Rhythm method with an extra beat. :-) I opted for a midwife again. (Suffering from wanderlust, we had moved yet again). I called my old midwife and asked if she could suggest anyone that where I was. I met with the group of three women and they were amazing and wonderful. The baby in my tummy just never wanted to come out. She was 12 days overdue and I was going to be forced to give birth to her in a hospital if I didn't go into labor. After about three days of walking miles upon miles to help her settle down further, there was nothing. The midwives broke my water, and then I got to walk some more. Rather than walking the cold halls of a hospital with the too clean smell, I was wandering up and down the hall with carpeting, familiar pictures, warm air, and “normal” smells around me. Our bed was covered with a plastic sheet, just in case. The contractions were the roughest that I had ever experienced, so I got into the bathtub and immersed myself. When I felt that it was time to get the baby out, I got out of the bathtub and felt the weight of a thousand elephants on me. I remember that I didn’t want the water drained, because it felt so amazing to be in there, but I didn’t want to give birth in the tub. I never got to get back in that night, but the delivery of the newest one went smooth. And the three of us, the baby, her father, and I slept in the very bed that I gave birth on some hours earlier. I think that if I were to have another child, I would go with a water birth. Maybe.
I had wanted a birthing center or a home birth delievery, but my husband didn't feel comfortable with it at home. There was not a birthing center in operation so we used a midwife at a hospital. Unfortunatly after 16 hour after my water broke I developed a fever and my son's heart rate went from 120 bpm to over 180. I had to have an emergancy c-section. I'm glad we were at a hospital, but I always wonder "what if". I hope our future children can be vbac with a midwife, but we'll see.
I thought I was going to have something to add but it turns out there are a TON of women who think the way I do and who have had the same-ish things happen during their labour and deliveries. I had planned a home birth but as it turns out my little monkey was in upside down and backwards so off to the hospital we went. I had a great experience there even though I had to have a cesarean. My husband and I both really relaxed once we got there. It's so funny too because I was convinced I'd be happier at home but maybe the ping machine did it for me. Next time we'll have a midwife again and just plan to go to the hospital. Plus the whole VBAC thing freaks me out a bit too much to be at home. It's great to have all these awesome options!
I had a pitocin-assisted/ medicated, 33 hour long labor, hospital birth with my first. I had an intervention/med-free 10 hour labor hospital birth with my second. By far the second was better for me AND my baby! The next one I am really hoping for an intervention/med-free HOME birth! But that won't be until 2013.
I’m a professional photographer for a living and I specialize in photographing newborn babies but about once a month I also photograph a birth. So I have observed every type of birth hospital, birth center, and home birth. And now having witnessed hospital birth many times I would never ever choose it for myself. It’s brutal. I think it’s interesting that two of the things you listed as pros for hospital birth “The machine that goes 'ping'” and “Safety in numbers” are actually two of the things that I would consider the biggest draw backs to hospital birth. Continuous fetal monitoring (i.e. the machine they strap you to) has been shown by numerous studies to NOT improve fetal outcomes. In fact it is directly related to higher rates of intervention and a higher C-section rate. The machine was actually never approved for routine use by the FDA it just got grandfathered in. The belts are constantly slipping out of place and it severely restricts your movement. As far as the ever-rotating staff in the hospital and the constant interruptions and pelvic exams – I just don’t see how anyone could see that as a benefit. I would much prefer to know everyone who is going to be at my birth beforehand and have a good solid relationship with them. That’s why my son was born in an out-of-hospital birth center and my daughter was born at home. I honestly think our granddaughters will look back at birth in this time in history and shake their heads in disgust., the same way we fell pity for the women who had twilight sleep births. If you look at the statistics and studies birth center and home birth are as safe as hospital birth for low risk pregnancies. Midwives are trained medical professionals and can deal with emergencies the same as a dr. In fact statistically you are more likely to get into an auto accident on the drive to the hospital than something really go “off the rails” at home.
My birth was nearly identical to Crystal's third, except it was in a Birth Center with an OB (yes, a "big bad OB"). No meds, intermittent monitoring, no IV, and my OB sitting at the foot of the bed the entire time I was pushing.
I fully support home birth, but it is not my choice. I am more comfortable with a birth center birth (not freestanding though), and happen to live in an area that has a great one, as well as a wonderful number of naturally minded OB's and midwives in the local area.
Not sure how I would feel if my only choice were a hospital.
So far...
Hospital with doctor
Hospital with midwife
Birth center with doctor
Birth center with midwife
Home birth with midwife
I thought a midwife would be great, but couldn't get in with one. I even tried when I suspected I was pregnant, and still no dice :(
It depends on your area what is really available. In BC, there is one hospital with birthing suites! In AB, no such luck.
Personal choice - whatever YOU will feel the most comfortable doing is what you should do! :D
I had a horrible experience in a hospital giving birth to my daughter. The main problem was that I was on a tiny island where there was literally only one option, hospital birth. To add insult to injury, even when you got to the hospital any birth plan you had went out the window. They were going to do it there way no matter what. I mean, NO MATTER WHAT! I didn't have a clue who my practitioners were since I wasn't even allowed to get prenatal care at that hospital (care was provided at a medical clinic.) When I went into labor, they found I was severely preecclampic, but they continued with a monitored/medicated vaginal delivery. When she FINALLY came out, I went from preeclampsia to ecclampsia (seizures.) Fortunately, my daughter and I are in great health, but I would never what to repeat that experience again. I am pregnant again (and back in the good 'ol United States) and am seeking care through a birthing center. I am so excited for the experience of continually dealing with the women that will be delivering my baby. I have full confidence that if things were to turn south, either at the prenatal visits or at the delivery itself, that they would take care of us. The calm, homelike environment is so appealing to me, as well as knowing I will be listened to during every step of my pregnancy. To me, piece of mind is the deciding factor when it comes to my pregnancy and labor. After my first experience I don't think I would ever have that in a hospital setting. I fully support whatever the parents decide will make them the most comfortable and safe, be it hospital, birthing center, or home!
My first one was a hospital birth, and I am SO thankful that he was. Without any indications it was going to happen, he came out very sick and had to be rushed to the NICU. If we were at home, he wouldn't have made it.
My 2nd was also a hospital birth, thankfully no complications.
My 3rd will be a hospital birth as well.
Up front I will say: I have not yet given birth (not till June).
That said, my mom had such a terrible time with my birth that I just will not consider a home birth. So many things can go wrong so quickly. No one wants to need a doctor/surgeon/NICU, but when/if you do, I'd rather they be in the same building and not a drive away.
I think the choice is incredibly personal and you should do what seems right for your body/baby/situation, but I think the most important thing is being willing to change the plan if it's necessary. A small part of me thinks that home births are just mind-bogglingly irresponsible. (I want it to be clear that if you made this choice and it worked out well, I'm so happy for you, I just get the shakes thinking about what could've gone wrong.) I'm not advocating the "flat on your back all the meds you can pump in" approach, but I think a medical setting of some sort is a good idea.
But like I said, I haven't done it yet, so my opinion is probably not worth as much as an experienced mom's. :)
I have 5 children - All normal pregnancies, no real problems - 4 of them were born in hospitals at various locations in the United States and the 5th was born at home. I had so many bad experiences in hospitals - hateful nurses, not having any control, being confined to a bed due to constant fetal monitoring (not neccessary I might add as all of my labor and deliveries were low risk and normal), epidurals that left my back permanately damaged etc etc. When I became pregnant with my 5th child I couldn't bear the thought of another hospital birth and after MUCH research decided on a home water birth (there is a birthing center here but they are "C-section happy" and will transport you to the hospital at the first sign of discomfort - they also do not allow water births.)
I found a midwife and also utilized the services of the OB who delievered my 4th child - I made sure that everything was fine with the baby and took good care of myself (all the while reading anything I could get my hands on regarding homebirths and watching every homebirth video the internet had to offer). I purchased my birthing kit and anything I felt I might need or that might make me and my birthing team more comfortable. Now a few things to keep in mind, I am a COMPLETE chicken when it comes to pain - I hate it and will avoid it at all costs, also I was 1000 miles away from friends and family, my husband was deployed overseas and I was taking care of our 4 children (ages 16 to 3) bymyself. To prepare for the upcoming birth, I cooked tons of meals and froze them, I made sure there was back up food and drinks in case I were to go into labor and was unable to get to a store to get milk for the 3 year old (powdered milk is a wonderful thing lol). I had emergency information written down, a hospital bag packed "just in case", a full tank of gas and an emergency plan and clean sheets on the bed, covered by plastic sheeting, covered by another set of sheets for easy clean up. My neighbors were all aware of my intentions for a home birth and were willing to help with anything if needed. My mother (a registered nurse) made plans to come the week before my due date (as I am known to go into labor at least a week early). The homebirth midwife came to my home for my last few appointments and it was a very comfortable environment - we chatted sometimes for an hour and a half AFTER my "appointment". She became my friend and not just a person I saw once a week for 5 minutes of KY, crunchy paper and probing.
On the night of September 10th my water broke while at one of my afore mentioned neighbor's house so my mother, my friend and I walked across the driveway back to my house, waited until I had 2 contractions, called the midwife and told her to take a nap that I thought it would be a while. We found a Tyler Perry play on TV, watched it and laughed like hyenas - when a contraction would hit I would pause the movie wait for it to pass and go right back to laughing. When the contractions were 5 minutes apart (about an hour after my first call to the midwife) I called the midwife again and told her she should probably head out. By the time she got to my house I was in full blown labor (and dealing with it better than I had ever thought I could as I had NEVER had a completely natural, drug free birth). My mother had the birth pool filled and waiting and everything was set up in anticipation of the birth.
I waited until I was in transition (which went by beautifully) and then got into the birth pool, which felt AMAZING! I labored there for about 15 minutes and my son was born healthy and naturally. Not one time during my entire labor did I have to endure a check of my cervix, the fetal monitoring was done almost without my being aware of it. There was no time during my labor that I doubted the competance of my birth team or myself - I KNEW I could do this. I learned things about myself, my body and the miracle of birth that I never knew before! It was an experience I wouldnt have traded for the world - if I had it to do over I would have delievered all of my children at home. Yes I am aware of the safety concerns and took them all into considerations, weighing both the pros and the cons (there are statistically more fetal deaths in hospital deliveries than homebirth deliveries and things can go wrong anywhere) - one needs to educate oneself on any method of childbirth as it is certainly a personal choice (except in cases of emergencies) and not one to be taken lightly or disrespected by others. Is homebirth for everyone? No. But it was definately the birth experience I had been looking for and longing for and I am SO happy I could do it - I would love to become a certified doula and maybe one day become a homebirth midwife myself. The midwife I used was probably one of the most amazing women I have ever known - gentle, caring, respectful, just all around amazing!
And the best part was that I was in the comfort of my own home, surrounded by those I loved and felt comfortable with, I could walk around, squat, laugh (there was a LOT of laughter during my labor and delivery), I could cuss (if the pain was too intense lol), I could drink what I wanted, I could eat (which I didn't), I could pee in my own potty and not live under the threat of the waterhose sized cathaders they love to offer in hospitals, I could watch movies, talk on the phone, get on facebook etc. I was in MY element and *I* was in charge. Afterwards I wasnt subjected to lactation consultants that wanted to fondle my breasts, no nasty saltless hospital food, all of my children could be with me etc etc. I was in heaven. Sorry if I have been a bit long winded, I am still in awe of just how amazing this birth was - I would have another baby, at home of course, in a heartbeat if we didnt already have a housefull lol.
What a great and balanced post - thank you for sharing your opinions and thoughts about birth locations so honestly. Personally, I have had two homebirths. Like another commenter mentioned, I also believe the machine that goes "ping" (electronic fetal monitoring) is more likely to be a disadvantage than an advantage. Not only has it been shown not to improve fetal outcomes, the maternal restriction of movement means that (logically, I haven't seen studies on this) a labor is likely to be longer and more difficult/painful. The risk of unnecessary and potentially harmful medical interventions is the biggest reason I would not condition giving birth in a hospital after a normal and healthy pregnancy. While complications can and do happen, most natural complications (as in, ones that were not CAUSED by medical interventions) have warning signs and give plenty of time to transfer to a hospital. Because hospitals are of course wonderful, and can be life-saving, when you truly need them!
I loved giving birth at home. Being comfortable and in my own space was nice, but also more than that. Feeling at ease and not being surrounded by strangers (ie, a lack of fear) certainly means an easier labor as well, in my opinion.
Olivia
I'm planning a home birth. I trust that this is a normal process my body is meant to perform and I'll be much calmer with people around me who feel the same. We'll see what happens but I am thinking happy 'get that head down' thoughts and hoping for the best.
I had my first child in a hospital and the whole experience was really good.
It was so fast that I still can't believe I saw my son's face for the first time just 4 hours after I arrived to the hospital. I gave birth with no drugs and that makes me feel even prouder. The nurses were really nice to me and with all the other new moms that day.
I'm now five months pregnant with my second child and I'm definitely going to give birth at a hospital if everything goes according to the main plan, lol.
But I do respect the women that decide to have their babies at home. It is their choice.
Good Luck!
We had a hospital birth turned homebirth. I liked the idea of giving birth at home, but decided to go with the hospital because the "machine that goes ping", but wanted to avoid going in for as long as possible. My contractions were very irregular (like 5 minutes then 8 then 2 then 6 then 3). We talked to the midwife and my Bradley Method teacher on the phone multiple times each and they both thought I was constipated. Turned out I wasn't and my husband caught the baby then we got to take a nice trip to not-the-hospital-we-wanted in an ambulance then get treated like crap because I'm guessing they saw us as "high-risk". It turned out that my labor was like that because she was "sunny side up". I don't think anyone could have figured that out over the phone, but a homebirth midwife would have come to our house sooner than that to check up on me and someone would have been there to help us with the birth. That along with the treatment at the hospital made me decide that next time around it's homebirth for sure.
I had a hospital birth for my first because I wanted the machine that went ping and I wasn't sure how my asthma would be during the birth. It was uncomplicated and awesome so we're opting for home birth for my second pregnancy. We're lining up people to come and bring food and clean the house and watch my son for the first few days after since the being waited on after the birth was my favorite part of a hospital birth. I love my midwife and BONUS its going to be more affordable than a hospital birth, even if our insurance doesn't cover our midwife it will be cheaper than our deductible for the hospital.
I had 4 planned c-sections [for various medical reasons] delivering my 5 babies all in hospital & I couldn't be more content or more proud with my birthing experiences. I don't feel cheated or any less because of how my babies came into the world. They arrived safely. Everyone around me, [except my obstetrician who cared for me throughout all 4 pregnancies] I met on the day and couldn't have been more comforting, helpful, reassuring or nicer.
Comfortable surroundings, music, water, solid relationships with people in the room did not rate high on my priority list. I wanted resources available to my babies & me at our greatest time of need.
One of my babies had a complex congenital heart condition & required life saving intervention within the hour of being born. I had two low birth weight babies who also needed special care.
I would never consider putting my babies at any sort of risk no matter how minimal that risk might be. My grandmother 'in the olden days' had 14 pregnancies resulting in 10 live births. We've come along way since then & have resources available to help our babies & us at this special time. Why would we slam the use of them? I choose to believe that the primary concern of the medical institution is to help us. To save lives. To ensure our babies are delivered safely into this world.
If women choose to do this naturally, all the power to them and I don't doubt for a second they have a beautiful experience IF its a low risk situation. So home birth ladies, I applaud you. I do. You are lucky. I know you worked hard & probably without pain relief. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
For me though, I would worry too much that sometimes you can't tell if its going to be high risk down the track, for either you or your baby.
Bottom line for me was my comfort level was secondary to having every resource available for my babies entry to the world, should they require it. And they did.
Lastly, I worry about the negativity towards hospital births and the impact on some mothers who have a high risk situation and end up having a c-section, 'crushing their preconceived ideas about going all natural'. They often feel cheated. I think that is so unfair. They are no less a mother because of that situation. Obviously the most beautiful natural thing would be if we ALL had low risk situations and could deliver at home. Some of us can't and the way our babies come into the world, the hospitals and the medical staff, shouldn't be put down because we didn't achieve the 'perceived' optimum.
Damn it, we carried those babies, we were cut open and our babies came into the world alive! You do whatever you can to save your baby right? I reckon that should be applauded. I get so mad hearing that women feel cheated. In my eyes, I want to shake them and remind them just how wonderful they are!
I am pro delivering babies the safest way possible - whatever way that may be for the individual situation. And pro world peace... LOL
I have had three children and am pregnant with my fourth. I had an Ob/GYN with my first and had pre-eclampsia so I really would have had not choice but hospital and it was fine. My second baby was born in a freestanding birth center with midwives and I LOVED it and after that decided never to go back to an OB/GYN. (Was a normal, low risk, pregnancy). With my third we were in a different state and we went with a nurse midwife in a small hospital. It was a good experience, but I really just don't like hospitals. They really want to push their own agendas and it drove me batty how often the nurses wanted to check my nether regions in the stinking middle of the night. Also, as an experienced mom at that point, some of the nurses treated me like I was an idiot. I slept all night the first night and one of them was mad that I hadn't woken up the baby to feed her. I was like, "are you kidding me?" Why would I rob myself of sleep?
With this next one we are seeing the same midwives I saw with number 2 and it will be a birth center or home birth. I like the control I can have at home or in the birth center. No iv's or ice chips for me!
For my first two I had regular hospital births and an epidural for both. For my third, I used a freestanding birthing center (The Coastal Family Birth Retreat in NH). It was an awesome experience for us. The midwives did all the cleaning (including washing my clothes, they brought them for my first checkup), I got to use a real shower, there was no one else there (besides the people we invited) to disturb us, my kids got to play in the living room away from my room. Plus I had already brought my 'hospital' bags & food during my 37 week appointment, so it wasn't a big hassle heading there (great since my labor started at 11PM). They still do regular NB screening/shots/ointment (with permission), were able to administer an IV with antibiotics (for Strep B) and they had oxygen and other rescue equipment on hand. Also, the checkup visits for both me and the baby on the 1st and 3rd days after birth were at my house, which was really nice.
The downsides were that we had to leave about 4 hours after I gave birth (since I was already up and walking just fine) but I wouldn't have minded a nap first, and it could be a little scary for a first time parent to take home a baby that young (but we were fine).