Promoting Homebirth

Our film project is on hold for now, but I want to keep Project Homebirth alive and kicking. I want to share homebirth with others. What do you do to promote homebirth as a viable option to pregnant women?

I admit I had a friend touting the joys of homebirth when I was pregnant with my first and I didn't believe a word of it. I had no frame of reference for what birth would be like... I had only heard of the pain. I wasn't sure what I would do about the pain. I read a lot, and decided to go for a natural birth. I signed up for birth classes not affiliated with the hospital. But we still went to the hospital. I was ready to try homebirth by the time I was pregnant with baby number three... but it took until baby number five to convince my husband that it was a safe option.

When he took hold of his third daughter as she was being born and felt her take her first breath... he was converted for life.

How do we make this transition in people's minds before they are subjected to hospital protocols and possible cesareans? I think the great films that are out now like "Business of Being Born" and "Orgasmic Birth" really do help let people know there are other options. The recent studies promoting the safety of homebirth also help... if people have access to them.

C'mon... join the cause. Promote homebirth. Homebirth is an excellent way for moms and babies to start their lives together.

Sharing

Here is a recent homebirth story that has arrived in our inbox. It is a wonderful tale of patience, fortitude and empowerment. :) We thank Saskia for sharing her journey of empowerment. :) http://reclaimingmypower.blogspot.com/

This is only the beginning... watch for more updates on Project Homebirth as we continue on this journey.

Why Choose a Home Birth?

There is a lot of talk about home birth these days. The American Medical Association is up in arms about it to the point that they are willing to support legislation preventing women from birthing at home. Why? Only about 1 -2% of women birth at home. Yet this 1-2% seems to threaten the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. They still get the vast majority of birthing women… even if you add in the amount of women birthing in hospitals with certified nurse-midwives. Let's get at the crux of the issue… why does a woman choose to birth at home?

For me, birthing at home meant no interventions. My midwife did not give me an IV or do electronic fetal monitoring. She listened to the baby using a fetoscope and at times, a Doppler. I was not invaded for vaginal exams. She could tell what stage of labor I was in by my behavior. When it was time for the baby to be born, no one counted to ten yelling at me to push. Instead, I was encouraged to push when I felt like it, and encouraged to breathe through the contractions when my body told me it needed time to stretch around the baby. If you've ever felt that famous "ring of fire" they talk about in childbirth classes… that is your body telling you to give it a little time to stretch.

Birthing at home meant that my other children were there if they chose to be. It meant my husband could catch the baby if he chose to. It meant my oldest daughter usually cut the cord. It meant after the birth we were all tucked in together to marvel at the newest family member.

At the hospital, I got filled with pitocin I didn't want. They were always in a rush to break my water. I got talked into medications I didn't want because they managed to take away all the confidence I had in myself. Oh, and I wasn't allowed to make noise. I wasn't allowed to eat. I ended up with a cesarean. Managed birth at its finest.

Don't get me wrong… if something is wrong, I would go to the hospital and get the care I needed. For example, if the cord prolapsed, or if the placenta was covering my cervix, or if the baby was transverse, the hospital is the first place I would go. However, I discovered it was not the best choice to get a normal birth.

How does this impact anyone but myself? Well, the majority of women at the majority of hospitals get fed the same line I got. And today, even more of them end up induced and/or sectioned. Why? Certainly a third or more of all birthing women can't be incapable of having a baby on their own. If that were true, we never would have survived as a species. Luckily, there are some great sources of information available today that women can access to let them know of their options. I know that a large portion of women will still choose to birth in the hospital. It has come to be expected in our culture, even though we've only been doing it regularly for 60 or 70 years. Birthing at home has been accepted and is accepted the world over for thousands of years. But really, at this very vulnerable, emotional time… is it really necessary to bully women into unneeded interventions? The hospitals believe it is, because the more women that can pass through their doors, the more it helps their bottom line. Managed birth has become the norm. Assembly line birth. Is that how you want your baby to enter the world? I've been there, done that. I wouldn't want to do it again unless there was a true, medical reason. Give me home birth in any other circumstance.

If you haven't had a homebirth... think about it. If you have, tell us about it. :)

Speak Up!

Did you know that maternity care is one of the most costly areas of medical care? It's true. All the ultrasounds, amniocentesis tests, electronic fetal monitoring, inductions and cesareans cost a LOT. It has become the norm to just recommend all tests for every pregnant woman.

They don't even tell you the pros and cons of each test. Did you know that amniocentesis increases your chance of miscarriage? Granted, it isn't by a huge percentage, but if you're the woman who loses her baby, the risk is 100%.

Every woman deserves to get both sides for every test and intervention. What are the benefits? What are the problems? What if you choose to do nothing? We could all make better choices if we got true informed consent.

If more women opted for midwifery care and homebirth, maternity care costs would drop to a more reasonable level. This is just one, practical reason to think about homebirth. If you opted for a homebirth due to financial reasons or because you didn't get informed consent for a previous birth, let us know. Share your story. Project Homebirth.

One Voice Becomes Many

You may not think that your story matters. You're just one person. Your opinion is only one opinion. But that is not true.

Think of a choir. Each part, whether it is soprano, alto, tenor or bass is a blending of voices. Yet, without those individual voices, there is no blending.

Your voice counts. We want to help you to be heard. Why did you choose homebirth? What was it like? Did you have trouble with family and friends when you told them you wanted to have your baby at home? Did it make a difference in your babymoon? How did your older children react to the new baby? Were they present for the birth?

There are so many things you can share! Please don't be shy... send us a video clip, an audio clip or a written account of anything you want to share. It only has to be a few sentences... let your voice be heard.

Project Homebirth Update

Just posting a little update on the project...

We are working on the outline for the film. If you want to be a part of it, please contact us! We will send you submission guidelines.

If you want to share a written account about how homebirth has affected you and your family, please check out the submission form on the bottom of the page located at http://organic-birth.com/project_homebirth.html. Some written material will be used in the film and the rest will be published in the companion book for Project Homebirth. We believe everyone's voice should be heard.

With only 1-2% of American births occurring at home, every voice is important. This is an option that should be accessible to anyone, not just a few. Join the movement.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! As the year has turned once again to this sunny day in May, I want to thank all the mothers out there. You know who you are. Those unafraid of wiping snotty noses, changing diapers that could double as nuclear waste, and will hold a sick, feverish child close for hours to make them feel better.

We mothers come in all shapes and sizes; from all walks of life. Some of us work outside the home; some work within it; and others spend all their waking hours chasing children and cleaning up after them. Some of us have older children who attend twenty activities a day. Some of us have grown children with babies of their own. Some of us are still awaiting that miraculous change, when that big baby bump transforms magically into a baby in our arms... and the transformation takes a lot of work on our part.

So have a wondrous, marvelous day... take a few moments to look upon your children and marvel at their existence. They have helped make you who you are today. Happy Mother's Day!

Take a few moments to think about what you may want to share with Project Homebirth. We are so excited to hear from all of you!

International Day of the Midwife

Today, May 5, is the International Day of the Midwife.

As we honor those who have the calling to help us bring our babies into this world, I want to take a moment and reflect on what they truly do for us.

I have worked with many midwives during my pregnancies. I am honored to know many more that I won't be lucky enough to have as my personal midwife. All of these ladies are very special.

As they run out into the night at a moment's notice to attend a birth, they must make the difficult decision to leave their families. Maybe they have small children of their own, or possibly there was a family celebration planned. They make the sacrifice to set this all aside to ensure that another baby is brought into the world in the gentlest manner possible.

I have studied midwifery myself for a long time. There is a lot to learn. Midwives must learn about everything that can go wrong so they know that what is happening is right. Those who are truly at peace with their calling can attend a birth and know when to sit on their hands and just let things unfold. It is difficult for many to just sit and not do anything, but this skill is invaluable.

At this point I don't know if I will ever be one of these special women... but I certainly know that I will do all that I can to support them and keep them available for birthing women everywhere.

Project Homebirth will show some of these wonderful midwives and you'll be able to hear their voices speak the truth about homebirth.

Join the project.

What This Project Means

Project Homebirth is near and dear to our hearts. Our first homebirth took place in 1999 with our fifth child. Our home burned down in the middle of the pregnancy. Luckily, we all got out safe and sound. Our home, however, was a loss. We moved into an apartment while our house was rebuilt.

Looking forward to our homebirth kept us focused on the future. The other children were involved at all the prenatals, and our youngest at the time (almost 2) loved to try out the midwife's fetoscope.

When our fifth child was born (a girl!) into her daddy's waiting arms, it seemed like we had managed to overcome the adversity the fire had sent our way. It was a magical event that brought us all closer together.

We want to share this feeling with the world. We know that other families have felt the same way about homebirth. To counteract the atmosphere of fear that the media and the medical community insist on spreading about homebirth, we want to make Project Homebirth a true labor of love.

Please consider participating and sharing your story.

What Made You Birth at Home?

What made you decide to birth your baby at home? Did you have a bad experience at a hospital for a previous birth? Did you just have an inner knowing that birthing at home would be best for you?

Was it easy for you to find a midwife? What was challenging for you? What did you like best? Did you find it easier to bond with your baby and recover after the birth?

These and other questions are just a few you could answer on video or audio tape to appear in our film, "Project Homebirth."

Let your voice be heard.

Looking for Participants!

Ever want to be in a movie? Now is your chance! Send us a short video or audio clip of you talking about your homebirth, why you chose to birth at home, or how it made an impact on your family. :) We want YOUR voice to be heard!

We will have a short release for you to sign, and your recording may be used for promotional needs as well as in the film. We want to create a montage of voices speaking out for homebirth.

The AMA issued a statement last year against homebirth as a safe option for women and babies. ACOG has long been against homebirth. They would love for the only choice for birthing women to be the hospitals and affiliated birth centers, with their climbing cesarean rates. At this point in the United States, a woman walking into a hospital to give birth as a one in three chance of having her baby surgically. At some hospitals it is a one in two chance.

The latest homebirth study shows how safe homebirth is in most cases. Please join us in showing the world (especially the United States and Australia... the rest of the world seems to get it for the most part) how safe and beautiful homebirth can be.

Join Project Homebirth!

The Start of a New Project!

Welcome to Project Homebirth!

With all the press that homebirth has been getting lately (both good and bad), we feel very strongly that it is time for someone to compile a collection of homebirth experiences to share with the world at large.

We would like to invite anyone with a homebirth experience to share with us. Mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, midwives, doulas or anyone else who has a story to share are welcome to contact us.

We would love video clips if possible... if you don't, write or record your feelings down and share them with us. Contact us at projecthomebirth @ organic-birth.com (remove the spaces) to find out details on how to send files.

We want to create an amazing collage of homebirth... what it is like, thoughts about it, your fears, your joys... how did it impact your family? Did it bring them closer together? Would you do it again?

Everyone who contributes will be listed in the credits, and anyone who wants to help support the project financially will also be given credit.

Our goal is to create a film that will show what homebirth truly means to so many families. Please join us and be a part of this amazing project.