Giving Birth In a Hospital

This week I have babies on the brain!

Cameron born October, 2007. Best labor ever.
Look how dark her hair looks!
If I have another blondie, we won't know right away! 

Hi, my name is Vanessa and I will always have my babies in a hospital. GULP. Is that even ok to say anymore?

Oh, I have so, so many reasons for this:

• My home ain’t no place to have a baby. Why hello dogs, dog hair and the fact that my dogs really get under my skin (the poor things) towards the end of my pregnancy. Oh no, giving birth in my house would never work. Nope it wouldn’t.
• I have had very good, calm peaceful feelings about and full faith in the two doctors I have used. I can listen to my “Mommy Voice” and know with my heart that they are good men, honest men, hard working men and men who I trust.
• With no advanced signs or warnings ahead of time, both of my babies needed immediate help after being born. Nope, and not by things you could blame on a hospital. Could someone have done that in my home? I don’t know. Would we have had time to rush them to a hospital? I don’t know. Would they have survived? I don’t know. See? Too many ‘I don’t knows’ for me and my babies and my personal situation.
• I need painkillers. Oh sure, women did it for thousands of years without painkillers. Well, guess what? Times have changed and maybe that’s one of the reasons I was born in this time. I need…I want…those painkillers. It makes birth less scary for me, it makes birth doable for me, it makes the birth more special to me. And yes, I can say that. With baby #1 that sweet epidural wore off at the end and, honest to goodness, my mind has blocked that. And with baby #2 I was so numb, it was the best experience ever.
• I get time to BREATHE. I wouldn’t have time to breathe at home…with the dogs, my husband running companies from the home, having a 4 and 3 year old and worrying about keeping up on the house. I wouldn’t be able to breathe. At least for a couple of days at the hospital, I do breathe.
• Perfect experience? Nah. I swear, nurses make or break it for you and mostly I have had wonderful nurses, except for two. Now that I am more of a loudmouth, this time around I won’t deal with it. So was a hospital experience PERFECT for me? No, but pretty, pretty wonderful.
• It’s what *I* feel is right for me and my baby and my family. And that is my decision that I get to make. When I feel like I have done research on it, prayed and feel at peace, then it’s the right decision.

One of my most favorite newborn experiences? Holding my daughter Cameron, completely relaxed and at peace in a hospital bed. Cradling her in my arm and falling sleep with her by me…worrying or thinking about nothing but her. Oh, and how unbelievably good it felt to have that kid out of me and to finally meet her.

Yes, in a hospital.

What are your reasons for home birth? Or your reasons for working with a doctor or doula or midwife? Or your reasons for giving birth in a hospital?

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