I had a home birth and my baby’s Apgar scores were very high. I think being five minutes away from a major medical center gave me confidence. American home birth is safe. Besides, it’s almost the only way to have a vaginal birth—so many of hospital-birth friends delivered their babies by unplanned c-section. My now 16-year old daughter confirms that her three best friends were all c-section babies. Come on, there are good home birth practitioners out there and emergency transport is always part of the birth plan. I personally know of no maternal or neonatal deaths in home births in my city, where the practice is popular. Even if you plan a hospital birth, you should study home birth to know your options during labor and delivery. It’s a fascinating subject area.
I didn’t know that about c-sections.
That’s really sad. I read Robert Mendelsohn’s book about doctors years ago, and he was very anti-doctor, though he was one himself (he later died from a heart attack, I believe, that some claimed he could have survived had he been a steady patient of a cardiologist) and some of his points made sense.
I can see doing this if you’re close to a hospital. My friends James and Jacqueline weren’t, they were about twenty minutes away.
Ed
I didn’t know that about c-sections.
That’s really sad. I read Robert Mendelsohn’s book about doctors years ago, and he was very anti-doctor, though he was one himself (he later died from a heart attack, I believe, that some claimed he could have survived had he been a steady patient of a cardiologist) and some of his points made sense.
I can see doing this if you’re close to a hospital. My friends James and Jacqueline weren’t, they were about twenty minutes away.
Ed