Rising Moon Midwifery

I had planned a home birth for my son, Declan who was delivered in a hospital in July 2007. I had done my research and my husband and I decided we felt safer with midwives at home. Unfortunately, after a week of prodromal labor and 10 hours of active labor, my husband, midwives, and I decided to head for the hospital. Two hours later, my son was born. I thank God that we did for one reason, my son needed to be in the hospital and stayed in the NICU for four days before being released to go home due to a hole in his lung. Other than that one reason, I still wish I delivered at home. The experience I had at the hospital was horrible. The people there acted as if my husband and I were trying to harm our son in some way by trying to deliver at home. They treated us like we were unethical. The thing is we planned to do what was completely normal, give birth to our son at home and with love. If we ever get pregnant again, you can bet that we will be having another planned home birth. My story just goes to show you that if you plan a home birth, you can still have a safe birth. The midwives are trained to help assess the situation and determine if going to the hospital is best. Because of my midwives and the support of my husband, I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy, naturally... without medication or intervention. You see, if I planned a hospital birth, I would have been in the hospital on the first day of my labor and they would have induced me, interfered with my natural body and I would have had everything gone the opposite of what I wanted. It would not have prevented my son from being in the NICU, it probably would have made him stay longer. He had a hole in his lung and anyone that knows the development of a baby inside a womb knows that the lungs are the last to develop, so it could have been worse. Also, I might have had to have a cesarean inside of a vaginal birth. That would have been completely the opposite of what is natural and right with giving birth. If you look at the other countries with giving birth, a lot of them don't even have an OB doctor deliver, except for emergency situations or high-risk pregnancies. The traditional way of giving birth, is naturally and in your own home with whomever you want there by your side to support you, not in a hospital. Hospital delivers are just protocol now there is nothing traditional about it.

Although I did not have a home birth, I feel that if I did not plan the home birth, things would have been much worse. You guys have such an awesome service that you provide to pregnant women, it was an honor to have you at my birth. Thanks Kate!!!

-Jeannette