hey, do i need to go to hospital to give birth?

Question

i have just found out im pregnaunt and i am very frightened of hospitals since MRSA. is it really essential that i go.....i am not scared of labour and think i will cope pretty well.

Answer 1

Pros and Cons of Hospital, Birth Center and Homebirth

Since the options are all very different, let's take each birth place and discuss the various advantages to each:

I. Hospital

Pros

Anesthesia (for surgery) and analgesia (pain relief) is readily available.
Helpful for many women and/or babies with high-risk health issues.
Additional help in recovery.
Cons

Medical interventions are harder to avoid.
Medical staff (for the most part) are strangers to mother.
Lack of privacy.
Environment can be stressful and less relaxing.
Highest chance of infection for mother and baby.
Cannot eat or drink.
II. Birth Center

Pros

Fewer medical interventions.
Medical staff are more familiar to mother and family.
Often have many natural pain relief options such as jacuzzis.
Better freedom of movement during labor and birth of baby (little or no restrictions on mother's choice of positioning)
Mother can eat and drink as she desires.
Cons

No anesthesia available.
Transfer required for complications with mother or baby.
May not be available to all women due to insurance or lack of birth centers in their area.
Typically must leave within about 6-10 hours after birth.
III. Homebirth

Pros

Environment is more relaxing.
Medical staff and helpers are well-known to mother and family.
Little to no medical intervention.
No restriction on eating.
No restriction on positioning.
No limits placed on length of labor.
Lowest risk of infection.
Cons

No analgesia or anesthesia available.
Transfer required for complications of mother or baby.
Expertise and training of homebirth support/medical team varies.
Mother and labor partners may have to provide their own pain relief options such as a tub rental.
Not covered by all insurance.
Parents may need to arrange for their own postpartum help if needed.
While hospitals may be an excellent option for some women, many birth experts agree that the majority of women can safely give birth in either birth centers or at home.

Answer 2

You can have a home birth or go to a birthing centre instead of a hospital.

I've just had my first baby in a birthing centre, it was really nice and small, warm and cosy, I had my own little room and plenty of TLC from the midwives.

My pregnancy and birth were uncomplicated though. If there are any problems with your pregnancy you wouold need to go to a hospital for the emergency facilties. But if everything is straight forward you can enquire about a homebirth or birth centre birth.

The only thing is that if you have a birth at home or in a birth centre you won't be able to have an epidural and your care will be provided by midwives rather than a doctor (in the UK at least) so as I said, you would need to have a straightforward pregnancy with no complications and if things don't go well in labour you'd need to be transferred to hospital.

But I'm 34 and just had my first baby in a birth centre and didn't need a hospital!

Answer 3

Well, lots and lots of women give birth at home in the UK. The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates midwives, issued a statement earlier this year supporting women who wish to exercise this choice. If your pregnancy is straightforward, there is no reason you shouldn't consider homebirth. Many women really enjoy the experience of giving birth in familiar, non-clinical surroundings, and there is research that says labour may go better because the woman is more relaxed.

However, there are some medical conditions which could arise during pregnancy or labour which really cannot be safely managed at home. When you inform your GP of your pregnancy, if you have not yet done so, s/he will pass your details onto the community midwifery team. In many areas, your community midwife will come to your home to "book" you - work out your due date, discuss tests and find out what sort of birth you want. If you would like a home birth, you can say so right away and discuss this with the midwife.

If you'd like to find out more about homebirth, there are loads of really helpful sites on the web, such as:
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/homebirth1.htm
http://www.sheilakitzinger.com/Homebirth.htm
http://www.aims.org.uk/hbchoose.htm

If you have any difficulty obtaining a homebirth in your area, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) can offer advice and support and may have a Homebirth Support Group near you. http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ukhb.htm

Answer 4

No, you don't. You need to speak to your community midwife who will help you think about different options. As it's your first time, and if you have any complications in your pregnancy, you may be pressurised into having a hospital birth, but no-one can make you. Bear in mind though, that even if you opt for a home birth, you will have to get to hospital very quickly if things srart to go wrong during your labour.

Once you've talked things over with your midwife, you might decide that even with the MRSA risk, it might be safer for you and your baby to be in hospital.

You have plenty of time to make your decision, but it sounds like it's preying on your mind, so you should ask for a consultation with a midwife soon.

Good luck

Answer 5

if you can find a midwife to support you go for it. i had 2 babies in hospital and 2 at home the home births were so much better, i hope # 5 is born at home as well.
no one can tell you what labour is going to be like or how you will cope, my doctor has told me I'm safer at home because the hospitals are full of MRSA and CDIFF now. great advice just what i wanted to hear after all if at Any time things don't look good I'm off to hospital !!!!!
the midwife will go through everything with you before hand and they don't take silly risks if you need to go to hospital they get an ambulance and off you go, remember things go wrong in hospital as well so don't think your more of a risk at home!!!

Answer 6

There might be a "birthing center" near you, which is not quite the same as a hospital. From what I understand, they're geared more toward the women who don't quite want the unpredictability of a home birth, but like you don't want to be in a hospital.

I'd talk to your prenatal care provider, bring up why you don't want to be in a hospital, and see what your options are. Only s/he can tell you whether or not your situation would be safe enough to possibly do a home birth!

Answer 7

There are great alternatives to the hospital. I had my daughter at a birth center. They only take low risk births, but they have all the emergency equipment hidden so if it is needed it is there. It was a nice compromise. If you are ok with being in labor and are sure you can go without pain medication, don't go to the hospital.

Answer 8

HI,yes you can ,speak to your midwife you might find her very supportive the midwives in my area for the past year or so are all for it,Iwanted one with my son but my family wern't supportive they thought i'd be safer in a hospital,But my friend had a home birth with her second and said its much more relaxing and you have also at least one midwife with you.Were as in the hospital the were back and forth.If you really want it and your not at risk then go for it.GOODLUCK and Merry Xmas

Answer 9

Not at all 5% of women choose to have homebirths and studies have shown that if you have a low risk pregnancy then it is just as safe to give birth there. I am planning a home birth this time as my last birth in hospital was not a pleasant experience.
If giving birth at home doesn't appeal to you then you could research what birthing centres are in your area, they are a cross between home and hospital and are more warm and friendly.
Good luck whatever you choose and remember noone can force you to give birth in hospital, they can only advise you.

Answer 10

My suggestion is to have an interview with the pinnacle nurse of the maternity unit you assume to be in. locate out what tactics are set in stone and what's adjustable. in case you have not have been given an epidural, there's no reason you won't be in a position to pass around. besides the undeniable fact that, they could ask you to place in mattress to do a heart strip on the toddler for 15-20 minutes each hour. you additionally can verify which you do not prefer to be nagged approximately drugs. you will ask in case you prefer them. additionally, it varies with the help of the wellness facility you're in. we've 3 hospitals that help one yet another. At one wellness facility, they even have doulas to assist mothers (diminished the c-area value). At yet another, they have 2 rooms that permit for water births. the two of those hospitals are incredibly supportive of organic delivery, yet they are additionally competing with homebirth midwives right here as nicely.