Are you a good candidate for a homebirth?
I can't count the times I've been told "I would have had my babies at home but my Doctor/OBGYN said I had (insert just about anything you can think of here) and was high risk. So, it's really good that I had my babies at the hospital."
Perhaps often they are correct. Perhaps there's more to their story I don't know. It's hard when one is not present to offer an opinion. It sure seems like this statement comes out much much more often than one would anticipate.
When we talk about "high risk" there are a few things to hold in mind...One thoughtis that insurance can be billed more for a mother labeled "high risk," more testing and screenings can be done and will be accepted by insurance (and therefore billed) because of the "high risk" status, the mother and family is encouraged and reinforced to unwaveringly do whatever they are told by their physician, because of the "high risk" status. Informed consent somehow becomes a grey area. Be quiet, do what your doctor says and everything will be fine, subtly becomes the message.
Let me be clear here. I'm not saying "high risk" doesn't exist, or that there are not certain conditions that are, without a doubt "high risk." Because there are, and absolutely they should be monitored, screened and managed by high risk specialists. By in my experience, and what I have seen and heard from many ...many... women is that "high risk" is more the norm than not. Physicians are more motivated to find a reason to deem a woman "high risk" be it financial or legal (a whole other conversation).
And lets pause to talk for a minute about the homebirth question...well, when it comes to deeming a woman a good candidate for home birth, if you ask the right crowd you'll get a resounding "no" regardless of how healthy she may be.
Ponder this blatant analogy: Would you walk into Target and ask if you should purchase a set of plates at WalMart? Would Target tell you that's a good idea? If they think WalMart plates are as good of quality as Target plates? Or vis versa?
Ask! Please ASK! Just make sure you are asking the right questions at the right places. RESEARCH from the right places. Find studies that are non biased, scientific studies. Don't research from a blog, a doctor, or any human with an opinion. Find the right source. You don't go to Graco or Evenflo to do all your research on carseats. Spend as much time researching your birth options from good sources folks.
I would like to share with you a list of high risk reasons I have actually heard first hand why a woman thought she was not a good candidate for home birth. Actual women were actually told these things made them high risk.
You guys...really...and I'm going to rephrase this just to be clear...
Reasons your NOT high risk
(from women who were told couldn't even consider a Midwife let alone homebirth because):
You're too old. (advanced maternal age)
You've had miscarriages. (1,2 or 10)
You had assistance getting pregnant.
You're obese.
You're too thin.
It's your first baby.
You've had a lot of babies.
You had a cesarean before.
You had an abnormal pap smear.
Your uterus is tilted/retroverted/sideways or "just weird"
Your periods are heavy.
Your periods are light.
Your periods are inconsistent.
You don't have periods.
Yes, really
You had a UTI.
You're breastfeeding.
Your last baby was big.
You carry late.
You had to be induced.
You had gestational diabetes.
You had twins.
You had a breech baby.
You had a d&c.
You had more than one d&c.
You had an infection.
You hemorrhaged.
You have a history of sexual abuse.
You have a history of anorexia or bulimia.
You have a history of STDs.
Your mom had big babies.
Your sister had big babies.
Your cousins all had big babies.
Your baby's father had a big head.
Your baby's father's mother had a cesarean because he was big.
Can we just stop with all the big baby fear?! Calm down please.
Your ultrasound tech said the baby was huge.
Of course.
You weren't dilated at 36, 37, 38, 39 or 40 weeks.
They had to break your water.
There was meconium. Like a lot of meconium. Awful meconium.
Ugh.
My advice is this: if you're unsure, why not ask a Midwife? Most licensed Midwives are pretty protective of their licenses and not going to take on someone for a home birth that will put the mother, the baby or the Midwife at risk. No one wants a bad outcome at home! Especially the primary care provider responsible for the outcome!
In closing I suggest...
Go to WalMart and look at the plates.
Go to Target and look at the plates.
Don't ask WalMart about Targets plates.
Don't ask Target about WalMarts plates.
Find some studies from actual NON BIASED SCIENTISTS about said plates and get some factual, unopinionated information.
You get my point.
--Forgive my writing typos/style...it's not my first profession ;)--
Midwife Randi
Perhaps often they are correct. Perhaps there's more to their story I don't know. It's hard when one is not present to offer an opinion. It sure seems like this statement comes out much much more often than one would anticipate.
When we talk about "high risk" there are a few things to hold in mind...One thoughtis that insurance can be billed more for a mother labeled "high risk," more testing and screenings can be done and will be accepted by insurance (and therefore billed) because of the "high risk" status, the mother and family is encouraged and reinforced to unwaveringly do whatever they are told by their physician, because of the "high risk" status. Informed consent somehow becomes a grey area. Be quiet, do what your doctor says and everything will be fine, subtly becomes the message.
Let me be clear here. I'm not saying "high risk" doesn't exist, or that there are not certain conditions that are, without a doubt "high risk." Because there are, and absolutely they should be monitored, screened and managed by high risk specialists. By in my experience, and what I have seen and heard from many ...many... women is that "high risk" is more the norm than not. Physicians are more motivated to find a reason to deem a woman "high risk" be it financial or legal (a whole other conversation).
And lets pause to talk for a minute about the homebirth question...well, when it comes to deeming a woman a good candidate for home birth, if you ask the right crowd you'll get a resounding "no" regardless of how healthy she may be.
Ponder this blatant analogy: Would you walk into Target and ask if you should purchase a set of plates at WalMart? Would Target tell you that's a good idea? If they think WalMart plates are as good of quality as Target plates? Or vis versa?
Ask! Please ASK! Just make sure you are asking the right questions at the right places. RESEARCH from the right places. Find studies that are non biased, scientific studies. Don't research from a blog, a doctor, or any human with an opinion. Find the right source. You don't go to Graco or Evenflo to do all your research on carseats. Spend as much time researching your birth options from good sources folks.
I would like to share with you a list of high risk reasons I have actually heard first hand why a woman thought she was not a good candidate for home birth. Actual women were actually told these things made them high risk.
You guys...really...and I'm going to rephrase this just to be clear...
Reasons your NOT high risk
(from women who were told couldn't even consider a Midwife let alone homebirth because):
You're too old. (advanced maternal age)
You've had miscarriages. (1,2 or 10)
You had assistance getting pregnant.
You're obese.
You're too thin.
It's your first baby.
You've had a lot of babies.
You had a cesarean before.
You had an abnormal pap smear.
Your uterus is tilted/retroverted/sideways or "just weird"
Your periods are heavy.
Your periods are light.
Your periods are inconsistent.
You don't have periods.
Yes, really
You had a UTI.
You're breastfeeding.
Your last baby was big.
You carry late.
You had to be induced.
You had gestational diabetes.
You had twins.
You had a breech baby.
You had a d&c.
You had more than one d&c.
You had an infection.
You hemorrhaged.
You have a history of sexual abuse.
You have a history of anorexia or bulimia.
You have a history of STDs.
Your mom had big babies.
Your sister had big babies.
Your cousins all had big babies.
Your baby's father had a big head.
Your baby's father's mother had a cesarean because he was big.
Can we just stop with all the big baby fear?! Calm down please.
Your ultrasound tech said the baby was huge.
Of course.
You weren't dilated at 36, 37, 38, 39 or 40 weeks.
They had to break your water.
There was meconium. Like a lot of meconium. Awful meconium.
Ugh.
My advice is this: if you're unsure, why not ask a Midwife? Most licensed Midwives are pretty protective of their licenses and not going to take on someone for a home birth that will put the mother, the baby or the Midwife at risk. No one wants a bad outcome at home! Especially the primary care provider responsible for the outcome!
In closing I suggest...
Go to WalMart and look at the plates.
Go to Target and look at the plates.
Don't ask WalMart about Targets plates.
Don't ask Target about WalMarts plates.
Find some studies from actual NON BIASED SCIENTISTS about said plates and get some factual, unopinionated information.
You get my point.
--Forgive my writing typos/style...it's not my first profession ;)--
Midwife Randi
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