(This has been posted all over the place around here, so I apologize for the duplicates you are getting on your friends list!)
My name is Desiree and I am a graduate student in the Human Sexuality Studies program at San Francisco State University. I am conducting a research study on women who chose to birth at home during 1997-2007. I am looking for women aged 21 and over who chose to birth at home in that ten-year period and who would like to talk about their choice.
To participate, you need to fit into the following requirements:
1. You gave birth between 1997 and 2007. 2. You were 21 years or older when you gave birth. 3. You chose to birth at your home or another person’s home. 4. There were no doctors, nurses or medical staff called to help with the birth in any way.
If you fit these requirements, I would like to interview you. The one-time interview will last 60 to 90 minutes. You will also be asked to fill out a 10 minute demographic survey at the end of the interview. The interview will be at a time and private location convenient to you. I can also conduct your interview over the phone, if that would be convenient for you. Your confidentiality will be kept at all times and your name will not be linked to this study. Interviews will be recorded for research purposes only and the recordings will be erased at the end of the study. I will only keep the typed-up version of the interviews. At the end of the interview, you will get a gift card for your time.
This study will allow you to share your birth story and add to the information that is building about homebirth in the United States.
If you are interested in participating in this study and setting up an interview time or have any questions, please contact me at:
Does anyone on here have experience with going over there (supposed) due date like over 42 weeks, and had to deal with Medicaid, and avoiding transfer of care and inductions? and what did you do?
Right now I'm in a weird predicament and major time crunch for decision making, and trying to really figure out my options and what is the best course, and figured it couldn't hurt to inquire in here. (apologize for the cross post) ( Collapse )
i'm pregnant!!!!! anyone have any suggestions for good books? i just finished "belly laughs" by jenny mccarthy (hilarious), and i'm starting on "guide to childbirth" by ina may gaskin.
I realize that homebirth isn't for everyone, however, I feel this is important because the AMA wants to legislate how and where a woman gives birth...period.
hey all, i'm new here - not pregnant (yet), but... ok, so while we aren't actively trying to have a baby, aren't really not trying either... anyways i've been thinking lately about what kind of birth i want when i do get pregnant... and i want natural... ideally i want a midwife or doula (or both, not sure how that works)... but my insurance only covers 1 and she's in jackson, tn - so i gotta find our how much that's gonna cost... but why does it seem like there's some stigma attached to wanting/having a natural birth? everyone says, oh the pain will make it too much to bear, you'll have to have something. no i won't, at least that's my plan. i am a woman, women were made to give birth, our bodies can handle it - you don't give any other animal an epidural or the option to have a c-section... the idea of knowing that i gave birth without some doctor forcing it before its time is an amazing idea... and one that i would love to make a reality... when the time comes :) did anyone else that's had natural childbirth run into this problem with their friends and/or family that they weren't very supportive of your decision to have natural birth? it's like the people i thought would be most supportive (my friends i mean. i haven't even brought this up to the husband yet since i'm not pregnant) just seem to think i'm stupid or that there's no way i could handle the pain. i don't know anyone that's had natural birth, so everyone i know thinks it's just this stupid passing idea from a woman that's never had a kid so "she doesn't know what's it's like". it's actually really disappointing to know that i have no support here (IRL i mean). a real let down.
We have just discovered we are expecting baby number two. I want a lot of things different this time. So, I have been doing my research. I am hoping some things go differently this time around. I think that I have to do some more research and more soul-searching to decide what really matters in the end (besides a healthy baby of course!). One thing I already know for sure; if I have a boy, I am not circumcising. From everything I have read, there really seems to be no edge for circumcising. And since I can't find any conclusive evidence to circ, then I don't see the need for putting the baby through unnecessary pain. I'm still doing my research on VBACs. My first, Kea, was born via emergency C-section after 41 hours of induced labor. Upon doing my research, so far I have found that the chance of uterine rupture is fairly low, but that the ACOG and the RCOG and several other doc groups all recommed fetal hearttone monitoring during labor to determine uterine rupture. I really had a dream of laboring at home as long as possible, but it seems that with a VBAC it is not recommended. I am terrified of laboring while strapped to a bed; I want to walk around. At least, though, the risks are higher of rupture if labor is artificially induced. So no induction for me! Woot! Any thoughts, links or helpful advice on VBAC is appreciated. My first appointment is May 16th. According to the due date calendars, the baby is due December 25th. Hehe; poor Christmas baby. Here's the deal. I am going to military docs, so I feel that my rights are pretty much going to be run all over. They do have midwives here, but with the hospital being such as it is, I have this feeling they are going to do an automatic C-section. I don't think, because of my "high-risk" category, that they won't let me see a midwife. Since John will be deployed, I am seriously considering a doula. I'm going to need someone to be my voice; do they speak for the child too? If I have to have a C-section, what function does the doula play then? I think that my bottom line, at this point, is this: I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want them to feed the child, even if I DO have a C-section. The ONLY thing I will allow is if the baby's glucose drops too low, is to DIP a nipple in sugar-water and let the baby suck on it. When I was in recovery with Kea, I'm sure they fed her, and we never established a nursing relationship. I DO NOT want that with this child. I need a strong advocate for the baby in case I'm in recovery. I think the biggest thing is that I want to TRY natural labor. I want to see if I can do it, without harm to me or the child. P.S. If anyone has any good links for and against the Glucose Tolerance Test, I would like to read them. Thanks for letting me ramble!!!
Hey all, I hope this is ok. I'm writing a pregnancy planner and am compiling all the information I saved from when I was pregnant and looking over all the great advice I got from LJ communities like this one. I'm wondering if any of you lovelies would like to give me your best advice. I don't want to miss something that was crucial in getting you through your pregnancy, birth or those first newborn months. Also, any resources that you found really helpful would be great to know! I have a ton of links, but I'm trying to get a good set. Thanks so much for any input. It'll be appreciated by many!
Since finding out in September that I was pregnant, I have seen an OB recommended by one of my co-workers. The office facilities are nice and the office staff is great, but I am very disappointed in my OB. I guess I had unrealistic expectations because I have basically been ignored when I ask questions about my birthplan, etc. I have also heard that this OB (from a midwife who worked as her L and D nurse at the hospital) that the OB basically decides what to do, leaving the mother out of it and not even really following the birthplan.
My insurance does not cover midwives, but I'm seriously considering it, at this point. I have always wanted an unmedicated, homebirth and only contacted an OB because it was expected of me. Now, I'm regretting that decision. One of the midwives I've spoken with tries to work out payment arrangements so the whole fee isn't due up front and I'm thinking about calling her and setting up a consultation.
Does anyone know what reasonable fees for a midwife are? The one I'm considering charges $50 for prenatal visits and the birth and all post-natal care is $1800. That includes taking care of the birth certificate and three post-natal checkups and baby care.
Does this sound ok? Or is it too much? I've heard that in some places in CA a homebirth with a midwife can cost upwards of $4000.
Hi everyone. I just joined this community because I like the philosophy of being non-judgemental. My husband and I aren't pregnant yet, but we are set to start trying at the end of this year. I've already pretty much decided that I want an elective c-section, and my husband is totally supportive of that, but I feel like other women, especially ones who have babies, act like I can't possibly know what I'm talking about. They try to talk me out of it, and I get kind of offended by that. I am a grown woman and I know myself and my body and I really think that this is the right decision for me. This weekend I finally bought a bunch of books off amazon.com about c-sections, including, "Deliver This! Make The Childbirth Choice That's Right For You...No Matter What Everyone Else Thinks," "Just Take It Out! : The Ethics and Economics of Cesarean Section and Hysterectomy," and "Cesarean Section: Understanding and Celebrating Your Baby's Birth (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)." I think that they will help me understand my choice so that I feel better about it and not ashamed or guilty. (I also bought "My Boys Can Swim!: The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy" for my hubby because it looks funny.)
Anyway, I didn't mean to sound quite so angry and defensive, I just wanted to say hello and that I'm glad I found this community. I'm really looking forward to everyone's posts as I get ready to start trying to conceive.
hopeful