Homebirth "on the rise" article in today's AJC

[Buzzard]

http://blogs.ajc.com/momania/2011/07/07 ... -the-rise/

Some of the comments are hysterical (until the ajc takes them down).

[Shoobydoo]

Wow, it's amazing the difference in tone of the first handful of comments there as compared to the ones from when this article (or one damn near like it) was posted on yahoo. Are all the crunchy ones being deleted or is it just that kind of community?

[Caxpax]

Oh geez. I love the man posting about how he was just as good as a doula for his wife. Um. NEXT. I love my husband, and he was great during our son's birth, but if I had to choose between my husband or my doula at my birth, hubs would have been out in the hallway.

[Buzzard]

I think Atlanta is a very socially liberal city but still conservative in some senses. So you have "strong" business women who still have a lot of trust in the medical establishment. If I have kids it will most certainly be in a hospital with an epidural!

[samithemage]

Many women in the hospital are afraid to assert their rights, but unless there is some sort of court order, you may refuse ANY medical treatment, and I'm fairly certain that you can insist that your baby sleep in the room with you. You may have to put up a bit of a stink, but as soon as you say "it is within my rights" most places will back off. I honestly think that most people aren't aware of their medical rights. If you say no, there is nothing they can do with out a court order. No one can force medical intervention on you unless you are declared unfit for some reason.

[emmiedahl]

I think it's really important to know that you can assert your rights in hospitals and also to choose a doctor who is aware of that. My doctors have all been really nice, caring people who are concerned about my rights and want to do what is medically best for me with my permission. If I didn't get that vibe from them from the beginning, I would drop'em like a hot biscuit. In labor, I definitely defer to the experienced professionals as to whether I need intervention, but so far I have not had professionals that push me to do things I am uncomfortable with. My current doctor is totally like, "This is what I think we should do and here's why. What do you think?" Things happen really fast in childbirth, so if he took quick action and did not ask, I would assume it was absolutely necessary.

My husband has always been my 'doula' and he was damn good at it.

[Deleted05]

Oh geez. I love the man posting about how he was just as good as a doula for his wife. Um. NEXT. I love my husband, and he was great during our son's birth, but if I had to choose between my husband or my doula at my birth, hubs would have been out in the hallway.

If he breaks his arm I hope his wife comes on a posts about how she was just as good as an orthopedic surgeon for him.

[emmiedahl]

Am I wrong in thinking that a doula does not have the specialized knowledge of an orthopedic surgeon? I know someone training to be one and it is nowhere near eight years of school and five or more years of on-the-job training.

Not to pick on the field, I just don't think it's a good analogy. A doula is supposed to be knowledgeable support in labor and a good advocate, right?

[Buzzard]

Most hospitals (atleast in atlanta) keep the baby in the room. Everyone I know who has given birth hasnt had the infant out of their sight at any point. You can request that the baby go to the nursery if you want a break, but they wont take him/her from you unless you expressly ask.

They've also been better about cord cutting and will allow the parent to do it whenever they want - unless there's something wrong with the baby and they HAVE to take him somewhere fast.

[emmiedahl]

Ditto here. Our hospital wouldn't take the baby even if you asked them. I was freaking exhausted and needed to sleep... instead, I was walking a fussy newborn all night.