Coping with a Hospital Birth When You Wanted a Homebirth

Sometimes it is Not an Option to Have the Homebirth that You Wanted

Once you find out that you are pregnant or begin to try to conceive a baby you will began to think about the kind of birth that you would like to have. A main factor that is going to affect your choice of the kind of birth that you want is the location that you live in.

You may decide that you would like to have your baby at home, either unassisted or with the assistance of a midwife. Homebirths, both unassisted childbirths and births assisted by a midwife, are becoming more common in the United States. However sometimes when a homebirth is the option
 that you want and there are no midwives in your area then the only option of a homebirth is to have an unassisted childbirth and if this is something that you are not comfortable with you will have to have a hospital birth or have your baby at a birthing center.

You may feel disappointed because on a general scale hospitals have the reputation of being very impersonal in births and routine about labors and births. Some things of course that you should remember is that not at all hospitals are pushy and mainstream, not all birthing centers are open minded, not all midwives are passive and not controlling and not all unassisted childbirths are perfect. When the area that you live in doesn't have a birthing center either you will be having your baby at a hospital. There are some things that you can do to cope with the situation.

Accept the Fact
As soon as you accept the fact that you will be having your baby at a hospital you can begin to prepare to make it the best birth that it can be.

Visualize Your Birth the Way You Want It
Just because your baby is going to born in a hospital doesn't mean that you can't have a beautiful and wonderful birth. Start to visualize how you would like your labor and birth to happen.

Find an OB/GYN That You Like
You will have nine months before you give birth and that should give you plenty of time to make sure that you and your OB/GYN are going to see eye to eye. If you begin to discuss what you would like in your birth and you can tell that you are going to be disagreeing, change your OB/GYN.

Related information
  • Find an OB/GYN that you like.
  • Hospitals have the reputation being very impersonal in births and routine about the labor and birth.
  • Just because your baby is going to born in a hospital doesn't mean that you can't have a great birth
 
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Thank you for writing this. I also am afraid of something like this happening. I'm planning an unassited birth in March, but I'm always afraid of having to go into the hospital. I think a c-section is my biggest fear and I wonder how I'd ever be able to live after having one. Most of all, I don't know how I would face friends and family afterward who all tell me that I won't be able to have the baby alone and that I'll wimp out or something will happen. I just don't want them to be "right," y'know?

Posted on 11/23/2007 at 1:11:00 PM

Hugs Heather, I suggest that you make an emergency birth plan that you can give to the hospital staff that is assisting your birth. Good luck!!!

Posted on 05/15/2007 at 9:05:00 AM

I worry about this, because I know if something goes wrong or baby comes early, I'll have to go in. And Corey may not be there with me, depending on when she comes, so who wil be my advocate?? I have only one choice of hospital unless it's an emergency. :/

Posted on 05/15/2007 at 9:05:00 AM

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