All three of my siblings were born at home in my parents bed. I imagine rubber sheets were involved.

(I was born in a hospital because my parents' apartment at the time was on Staten Island and approximately the size of a minivan.)

I might try a VBAC, I might schedule another C-section. We'll see how I feel at the time.

This is where I am. My OB asked if I wanted a VBAC and I said "I think so?" I really have no idea at this point - ask me again in a year.

I think a birthing center/water birth next door to a hospital would be just about perfect. That way I get the hot tub and the machine that goes ping.

(Plus, in a hospital, the massive amounts of bodily fluids involved happen to someone else's bed. I don't think this factor can possibly be overstated. Giving birth is messy.)

Argh - where a person chooses to give birth is NOT a decision that should carry moral weight. Don't pregnant women and mothers have to deal with enough judginess and unwanted advice without heaping guilt upon ourselves too?

I totally agree with both of these statements. The midwife asked daily "You have all the rubber sheets and such, right? RIGHT?"

We have a great action-shot photo, whitefonted for the squeamy: of the amniotic fluid in a stream shooting roughly 4 feet across the room.

I have to say though, while there was blood, I was prepared for much more. Since it was part of my job to keep things peaceful (and clean) I was a bit overzealous with the non-chemical scrubbing supplies as a result.

Also, I am as mystified by the rejection of ANY choice where birth is concerned...except of course for the doctors of old who put the mother out, took the baby away and never then understood why they didn't have a connection.

It is as personal a choice as the act of conception.

Easy birth~ma for SiL of Vortex!

omnis, that was Prissy (played by Butterfly McQueen). Mammy knew lots about birthing babies.

I think Stephanie had a good home birth experience with Frisco. I'm happy for everyone who can get what they want out of the experience. I got two healthy babies and so am happy with both my hospital births.

The wheres whens and hows of giving birth is as personal decision as the wheres whens and hows of making the baby in the first place.

One of my employees had a water birth and her mother said it was awesome. That sounded appealing to me too, particularly the part of being weightless in water when big as a house. I loved swimming when preggers. Then just a few weeks later the baby had Salmonella likely from her dad handling both the pet snake and the baby. Poor noodle.

Oh, and easy-delivery~ma for your SiL, Vortex!

where we lived in ct the birthing center was across the street from the er. It worked well for a lot of people.

The wheres whens and hows of giving birth is as personal decision as the wheres whens and hows of making the baby in the first place.

Also, both are sometimes taped for later viewing!

I really wanted to try a natural water birth, but my myomectomy last December has ensured that I'm looking at a c-section. Ah well.

I got icky results from my first trimester screening and am now bummed out. I've heard many many people have that happen and baby is just fine, but it is still waking me at night worrying about whether I'll actually get to a baby come December. Amnio is scheduled for 7/15.

My sister tried to have her first baby at home but had to go into the hospital, midwife's orders, and the emergency birth experience was pretty much the opposite of what she wanted, so second birth was planned to happen in a more medical setting than home, though I think she still ended up with not quite what she planned, somehow. And then she decided that if they want more kids they'll adopt, no more birthing for her.

But both kids got born just fine and are growing up to be lovely people.