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So I just did it, googled "Ina Gaskin Farm Statistics" and this is what I got: The statistics for the Farm, but done in 2000. So of 2028 births only 1.4% ended in c-section which is 28. If you apply the same original number of births to the current near 30% c-section rate in the USA, that would be 608 c-sections! Oh if you read further, the first c-section came after 220 births and was because the baby was lying transverse. The midwives knew this and hoped the baby would turn, when they saw he didn't they went to hospital and a healthy baby was delivered via c-section...

Lunamoo - I agree with you about the risks of an epidural and personally would not have one if I gave birth again (only had one for 30 mins in first birth, no pain meds in 2nd). I just think its up to every woman to make her own mind up and if she chooses one thats her right and it doesn't make her ignorant/not "empowered" etc. Here we are told of all the risks and given the option of whether we want one or not - no woman here is forced to have an epidural. You have to sign to get one and before you sign all the risks are explained to you. I also don't know why some people are implying all doctors are bad and male - how "empowering" is to a__sume a doctor will be male - none of mine where either time. Doctors have done a great deal to reduce stillborn rates and deaths in early infancy - a century ago 1 in 3 children died before 1, now its extremely rare. So I have a great deal of respect for doctors and medicine and I would always trust a doctor, might double check first though and argue it. I can see what you are saying about there being too many interventions though and agree with that - the trouble is when your told your baby is in danger as I was its hard to know with certainty if its true or not and I wouldn't care to take the risk I was wrong. I would never have forgiven myself nor would anyone else if I'ld got it wrong. In this country people say there are too many C-sections - I think WHO recommends 10 % to 15% though memory is a bit fuzzy on that so we need to cut our 20ish rate back. Trouble is our C-section rate is high due to a shortage of medical staff and thats the real problem here. I think in the US it may because people sue when things go wrong so doctors try to control it by intervening but not sure about that. Hardly anyone sues here. We have free healthcare so that may make a difference - a few things you pay for (IVF, water birth at home but not the home birth itself but not much).

Franny thanks for telling me there isn't much mess, that was worrying me a little, the thought of extra work or ruining the bed ect lol. Do you plan on having any of your dd's there this time? My dd will be almost 4 when this one is born & my ds will be 19mths & if I do have a home birth am worried that they will be more of a distraction then a help. DD is very helpful & loves helping out with her brother, but she also gets upset when something is being done to me like blood tests, blood pressure or even the midwife using the doppler on my tummy, so I'm not sure if she'll be ok seeing me in discomfort & making lots of noise. Any thoughts?

I will have my daughter here (she will be exactly 4) unless she is in daycare...BUT I will also have my mother in law or a very dear friend here as well to be able to take her IF I or she is uncomfortable. My last birth was so fast no one had time for anything! As far as your 19 month old....hmmm that is more touchy, but just make sure you have someone other than your husband to whisk them off in need be. Did you google Ina May Gaskin, I would recommend you order from Amazon, she is so so so great! I am sure you will love the reading. xx

I have a question . . . and know this is not a condescending question. I would truly like honest and sincere opinions. I went into pre-labor at 37 weeks 5 days. By 37 weeks 6 days I was contracting regularly. Nothing too painful though. I was checked by nurses in the hospital and was only 1-2cm. My water had broken the day before but the nurses had said it tested negative (even though I KNEW my water had broken) they sent me home. That night I started contracting every 30seconds - 1minute and was in so much pain I couldn't sleep, and eventually lost consciousness from the pain. The next morning when I went to the hospital because that was when I was advised to come back I was convulsing from the pain. Come to find out when my doctor arrived and checked me, my water had indeed broken 36 hours earlier and there wasn't even any sac left. But I was still only at about 2cm. My baby was at risk, I was at risk and I was in ma__sive pain. You ladies who promote home births. What would you have done in my situation, removing all intervention and visits to the hospital. ie: If your water broke but your dilation/effacement was not progressing and your pain was so intense you were losing consciousness. What would you do?

krissy2006 OF COURSE there are times when intervention is necessary we have NEVER said otherwise, what we have been discussing is the fact that the majority of interventions are unnecessarily done just to speed up labour, or because certain pain meds were used which have caused problems of there own - like epidurals. No one wants to put there baby at risk & if any of us thought for a second that something was wrong we wouldn't hesitate to go to hospital. ejmeskan I can't speak for the other women who want or have had home births, but personally if I knew for a fact that my baby wasn't in a good position to be born like transverse or breech, I would never attempt a home birth. For all those who are asking such obvious questions, try reading everything posted - we are talking about home birthing with low risk pregnancies, NOT pregnancies that are high risk or have obvious problems that could cause serious complications to the mother or baby.

Hi Ejmescan, Sadly very few (if any in some places) doctors or midwives with deliver breech or twins v____ally. I was born breech back in the day when it was normal for v____ally delivery, but now days docs and midwives literally have no practice, you can say its a lost art. If a baby is laying traverse thats a different story and unless they can turn the baby, it would be impossible to deliver v____ally, but a midwife by feeling your baby can tell you the exact position your baby is in, and in my experience and hearing from friends they are more accurate at estimating weight than u/s!

Krissy2006 what would I have done?!?! I would have trusted any advice my midwife said and if she said go to the hospital then of course I would go. NOW in your case the nurses were STUPID to send you home if your water had broken! This is why I do not like hospitals personally, you said yourself you KNEW your water had broken but they "always know better," and didn't believe you and sent you home! The risk of infection if a baby is not delivered within 18 (thats a bit conservative) hours after the water breaks hightens. This would have never happened with my midwife. She knew my body inside and out, she knew exactly where and how my baby was, she could feel animoitic fluid and know when it is too high or too low. I was very in tune with my body and when my water broke (just a few squirts) I called her and she came immediately. She had prepared me for all scenarios for the onset of labor, something doctors do not do because they don't have the time/interest! Where I live and in many many places that have midwife care, each appointment is ONE HOUR LONG! Imagine that! All the time to discuss physical, emotional and all other changes during such a wonderful time in ones life. I was very very prepared for labor and birth thank God. With my 1st dd, my doctor spent less than 5 minutes each appointment talking/listening to me and never once touched me to see how the baby was. Oh no!!! Only u/s sound for that man. Sorry this happened to you, but your example is a perfect reason why I prefer the care of a midwife and a home birth over a hospital.

Krissy2006 my midwife taught me how to taste and see if the water is pee or from ruptured membranes, I guess your doctor did not "teach" you that. Your convulsions could very well be from an infection, were you tested for GBS?! I know you want to pin this like if you were at home it would have been worse, but I tell you this would not have happened with a good midwife. Your story is a typical hospital story.

Krissy2006, I think your story just shows how much it is engrained in women to not trust themselves and therefore we ourselves do not go beyond and educate further ourselves. We are satisfied and trust what ever the doctor tells us. The hospital basically treated you like you don't know your OWN body and sent you on your way. And then look what happened. I am now pregnant with #3 and I have a midwife and I tell you the care/treatment is 100% better than I ever had or even imagined. It's true that each appointment is very long and only ends, when I am ready. My midwife will also do the last appointments from week 35 on at home! Which I think is great! I feel very close to her and I am learning things about my body, pregnancy, fetal development that I never had any idea of. I really feel (sadly enough) that I missed so much during my first 2 pregnancies and births! Oh well, can roll back the clock, by I am so happy with my decision. Even my husband is so inspired and interested in everything, much more so than ever!

Yummy! Taste your amniotic fluid Franny!?!? Sounds strange but it makes sense, actually I too have heard that. I am going to do a little research on that. Krissy2006 your story sounds unfortunate. I agree with Franny. It is experience which is the best teacher and midwives have that. Doctors need to memorize a lot to become a "doctor." Then they can wear a white robe and give you their "text book" advice. I know not all are bad, but I have had so many lousy doctors in my life, not just OBGYNs.

PS majalis, your midwife sounds ideal! I love the idea of home visits the last weeks before birth! It sounds so normal, natural and comfortable. Good luck with your home birth!

Yes my situation was unfortunate but LUCKILY my DOCTOR knew what she was doing and when I convinced the nurses to get ahold of her she was quick, and effecient in bringing my baby safely into this world. My daughter was perfectly healthy even though she was born via c-section. However, had she remained in there any longer she may not have been which would have happened had I been doing a home birth. There was no actual 'intervention' until I was admitted to the hospital for the emergency c-sectiulon. So we could technically say I had just spent the previous 36 hours at home laboring and the only difference had I had a midwife was that I would have ended up in the hospital sooner due to my inability to progress with dilation and effacement.

Or perhaps with a midwife at home would have been acknowledged that your water broke and the would have worked with you through labor...that would have not lasted 36 hours! A knowledable, loving, caring midwife by your side during this process, and previously throughout pregnancy can do so much for the birthing process. Anyway...

The mere change between having a doctor as opposed to a midwife or no one at all or all the doctors or midwives in the world wouldn't change the fact that I was not dilating and not effacing . . . in 36 hours my cervix didn't change at all and that is that my daughters head was pressed securely against it... supposedly in the perfect position . . .

Can you explain what your baby's head was pressed against? Why did you think you were in "pre labor..." at 37 weeks...? Contractions and dilation and even effacement (thinning of the cervix) can begin weeks, months before actual "labor," and it doesn't mean that the onset of labor is happening. I am just confused. Sounds like if you weren't dialing or effacing as you say, then you weren't in labor.