So, it was brought to my attn today that an anti-homebirth website out there has linked to mine-as a consequence of homebirth. It was suggested I password protect my blog. Obviously if you are reading this, it is not password protected. Here is my response...
This will be the only post regarding this subject and judgemental or rude comments for or against will be deleted.
I would however love to discuss my personal reasons for chosing this homebirth or answer any questions by private email only. See link to the left on the homepage.
This blog is not about defending or opposing homebirth. It is about our story-good or bad- just our story for what it is. No matter how you got to this website, I welcome you. I hope you leave here with a little more strength and a little more knowledge and a little more faith! This is about having the faith and strength to pull through one of lifes most difficult situations.
I have been reassured by four different neonatologists as well as a neurologist that there was absolutly nothing I could have done differently during my pregnancy or labor and birth to prevent what happened to my son. I have been told by one neonatologist that it was a good thing I had an all natural homebirth, because of the fact my son was born with no medications in his system for medical staff to have to fight against. I was also told that a hospital birth would have prolonged my labor and delivery and chances are that Oliver would have died before birth.
He arrived in the hands of medical professionals the moment he was born. Midwives are not hippies from the woods with no education that arrive equipped with only a stick to chew on for the pain. They are highly trained. He arrived in the hands of specialists with 8 year degrees in assisting infants in his situation within minutes of birth. I am not against hospital birth. My three other sons were born in the hospital. I am for the right to chose. I have the right to educate myself and make decisions that I believe are best for my family based on what I have learned and what I desire. I have the right and responsibility to take care of my body and my baby 100% for myself, and that is what I did. Anyone else has equal rights, and I do not judge their decisions no matter what the result.
Of the 62 infants in ICU where we are, ONE is a homebirth baby. One. Mine. Of the hundreds of infants that come through this ICU a year-only 8 are homebirth. Eight. According to the doctor who created this NICU himself. I stand by my choice. It was right for me. I thought about it, I discussed it, I questioned it once as any mom would, and I will never question it again.
I do not regret my homebirth. It was beautiful. And if I have more children, I will not hesitate to chose the same exact care providers. They gave me the birth of my dreams, and saved my childs life. Why would I ever chose anything less?
I would like to end in this: This is Olivers story. This is our story. It includes a homebirth-but it is not all about a homebirth. It's just part of the story. If there must be an underlying message in this blog it will be this:
Faith, hope, and love. And above all else: love never fails. Today I have faith, today I have hope. I do not doubt the decisions the Lord guided me to. I can see firsthand how my choices made a difference in my sons life and still are. Oliver is one loved little boy-and I want for him what any mama wants-nothing but the best! And I believe he has always had that...
4 comments:
It's been suggested to me I do the same when I post the birth story. I've chosen, as you have, to keep the blog open. Anti-home birth bloggers are welcome to link to it and hold it up and talk amongst themselves about how dangerous, uneducated, and deluded I am and I'll go on my merry way knowing that I made the right choice. No impact on my life and from what I've read their so self-righteous and smug what I might have to say doesn't really matter.
Whatever I might have 'heard' from a certain site ended the moment she took a story from someone I actually know IRL and distorted it to fit her own purposes. She had obviously done no fact checking and it cast doubt on every single post she's ever made in my mind. :(
Whatever I might have 'heard' from a certain site ended the moment she took a story from someone I actually know IRL and distorted it to fit her own purposes. She had obviously done no fact checking and it cast doubt on every single post she's ever made in my mind.
I think that about sums it up right there.
Well, we will all be sure to pray hard for them. God can do amazing things to hardened hearts. What a wonderful time in my life to have all this come up-without God's strength this "anti" website would surely have knocked me off my balance. But He is bigger than this petty stuff. Love surmounts all. And I sure do love my baby boy-and I am very much proud of the choices I made for us and the love that surrounds us now. I wish everyone could experience this. It's truly life changing and amazing! I think we are an example of the "worse case" scenerio that everyone worries about when they hear "homebirth" and a beautiful example of how safe it is...even in an life threatening emergency-my baby had prompt medical care exactly as he would have had in a hospital. I don't want to attack or have to defend anything...and I hope the link brings much traffic to my baby's site. There is so much strength and love here that I would so enjoy sharing :)
I have never experienced a "homebirth", Randi was nearly born in the car because I waited too long. I did not want to spend hours and hours in the hospital to hear a nurse say my Physician was at a poker game. I had no drugs with Randi and was alert and so was she, I loved it. Watching the 3 midwives and Randi deliver Oliver was a beautiful experience, even though Oliver was in trouble. I am sure delivering him fast at home drug free was a huge factor in saving his life. Thank you midwives!! Your excellent training and quick acting made all the difference.
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