Super sad story: Wren Jones (be wary of homebirth, homeopathy)

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Josh M

We had Calvin by homebirth, and our midwife made sure we were all over the GBS tests, amongst other traditional medical things. Not all homebirth people are homeopathic kooks.

Oh, also: our homebirth was far cheaper than a hospital birth, and was far less stressful than we’d imagined our experience would be, but that’s really idiosyncratic (the hospital is ~1mi from home, and is good, but not known for being fantastic).

Heh, you are opening up a firestorm by posting this. Personally, if I ever give birth, it will be at a hospital. I like all that medical-doctor-within-vicinity stuff.

Well I’ve never been a proponent of homeopathy, but I haven’t had much opinion about homebirth till now. I suppose like anything it comes with additional risks. The funny thing is, maybe I’m just being selfish, but I’d worry more about the health of the mother than the child in this situation. Given a choice, that’s the life I would not want to put at risk. But if folks want to go back to how childbirth was on the Oregon Trail, more power to them. However it probably also helps to have a more callous attitude towards life (than the average modern day American). Kind of like those tribes that don’t consider the baby human until after they reach a certain age (is that for real or am I just imaging it? I can’t find a reference). On the other hand, if the prospect of a dead baby is not going to be something you can easily shake off, then by all means, take advantage of everything that modern medicine (aka SCIENCE) has to offer.

Agreed. I don’t understand the militant home birth people. I think people can choose to have their babies any way they want, but there really are people who think it’s wrong to have a baby in a hospital, like you are giving in to the patriarchy or something. I like science and medicine. The fact that women don’t really die in childbirth anymore–or that it is extremely rare–when it used to be common part of life speaks to the success of medicine. Birth is a serious, traumatic thing. I’ve known quite a few women who have required medical intervention to save their lives and the lives of the babies (and one time the baby didn’t make it, and it was awful. I am definitely not callous about life). So yeah, I don’t need to do that in my bedroom–I will take a sterile environment with a doctor and operating room nearby.

Oh yeah, one last thing re: “sterile environment with a doctor”. I’m not sure how many people who choose homebirth are motivated by a general dislike/fear of hospitals, but back when I was in high school I volunteered at a newer medical center in Austin, and it’s obstetric ward was incredible. The delivery rooms had wood-paneling, pastel wallpaper, comfortable seating, floral accents, soft lighting. It seemed to be the beginning of trend to “humanize” those spaces. Not sure that’s the case everywhere, or in older hospitals, but it’s a positive sign.