Midwives/Doulas

I used a Doula, Linda Cameron, with both of my babies - Cole was a 24 hour induced labor @42w6d, who was followed by a c-section because the baby stayed at a -3 - when he went into distress, I found the decision made for me. Jason ended up being a planned c-section. The first time, Linda was a perfect birth coach. The second, she was an amazing babysitter for my 2 year old.

With Jason, originally, I wanted to use a midwife - but the insurance didn't cover it, and their fee wouldn't count towards the deductible if I ended up needing a physician. There is, however, a birthing center or two located in Dallas - they are close to the hospitals and partnered with 'real' OBGYNs if you need a doctor at any point. That would likely make your husband feel much better about the idea of 'not using a doctor'. On the other hand, if your 12 year old and 17mth old were both 'easy' deliveries - maybe meeting with a midwife who does home births would put your husband's mind at ease.

S.

I would go over all of the questions/concerns that your husband has and if you have any also- write it all down ... and then call a midwife you are interested in and have a consultation (which are always free) with her. I promise they are more than willing to give you and your husband ALL the facts about homebirth. I am sure your husband will walk away much more confident in the homebirth process.

I have used two midwives for my two pregnancies and have even apprenticed with one- My goal is to become a midwife when my girls are a little older.

I HIGHLY, VERY HIGHLY reccomend June Lamphier. You can find her at www.texasmidwives.com She lives in Blanco and has an office there and in Austin. She works with women in San Antonio (which is where I live)and many surrounding areas. She would love to visit with you and your husband- tell her your husband has his doubts and she will answer any and all questions to help reassure him.

I used her with my second baby and she is above and beyond amazing. She is warm and sweet, very smart, always takes and returns calls (my baby is 8 months old and I still call her for advice) she is super organized and on the ball... I just love her- she is the best!!!

I used a different midwife for my first pregnancy and I would not be as willing to reccomend her... if you have more questions- I would love to talk with you about any of them! Feel free to message me :-)

Good Luck- Home birth is a very wonderful thing!

I had a home birth with my son and the group of midwives (3 INCREDIBLE WOMEN) were with me for the last 18 hours of it, then they actually cleaned my house, dishes and laundry before they left! IT was the most wonderful and holy experience of my life. Did I mention it was a V-BAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and would have been a c-section for sure in a hospital?

The Birth Experience Midwives are here in San Antonio OR in Boerne. They are truely called to do this. They were willing to meet our parents and talk to them about their fears of my vbacing at home and even won our parents over. My mom has said over and over how proud she is of me!

Call them. They also teach the Birthing From WIthin childbirth prep classes. I had studied bradley with my first, and while I liked it, I found BFW classes to be a lot more informative and non-preachy, a lot more respectful of a woman than the bradley method. Maybe if you get him into classes that Alisa Voss teaches, he'll get to know her and see how absolutely incredible she is at her job.

I wish you tons of peace and love in this journey! Good luck!
Umber

Get the facts. There have been many studies done comparing home birth with midwives to hospital births with doctors. I looked at a ton of them when considering home birth, and NOT A SINGLE ONE showed hospital birth to be safer. The statistics are very much on your side.

Find and call a midwife. In addition to giving you the up-to-date info on the safety of home birth vs. hospital birth, they can help you find child birth classes, help you talk to your spouse, and help you begin your prenatal care, if you haven't already.

Only you know where you will be the most comfortable giving birth, and as you are the pregnant mother, your wishes should be respected in this area.

Point out to your husband that should you choose a home birth, and something were to go wrong, you can be transported to the hospital at that time. It isn't like if something goes wrong you MUST stay at home. On the other hand, midwives are highly trained and incredibly skilled; when my son was born, there were complications and the midwives handled it beautifully with efficiency and grace I have never seen in a hospital setting.

I have had two midwife-assisted births, and I HIGHLY recommend it. The quality of care and the birth assistance are unmatched.

There are some wonderful resources on the web that provide you with statistics that prove birthing at home is safer than at a hospital. Dads are concerned about the safety and well-being of their wives and children. You can go to http://midwiferyservices.org/about-homebirth.htm#CPMsumma...
to get the facts. And you can also go to www.sanantoniomidwives.org to find out more information about the licensed, certified-professional midwives serving the san antonio area.
good luck and happy birthing,
T. Schiebel
apprentice midwife

Midwives rock! If you are in El Paso I have one you should use and she can provide info for your hubby.

I would recommend The Bradley Method childbirth classes. This will prepare both of you for a natural birth and once he learns the material in class he will be on board with you. It is important to have your husband be supportive of your choice. The point of the Bradley method is to have a husband coached childbirth.
Visit the website at www.bradleybirth.com
Feel free to contact me for any questions you may have about it. I had two "Bradley Babies"!

Have you thought about a birthing center? If you husband is concerned about something going wrong during delivery, he may be ok with a birthing center. It's much more intimate than a hospital delivery. Maybe you could check it out with your husband.