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I've had three births. The first two were in a planned hospital setting with an OBGYN. The third in a birth center with midwives.

My first daughter broke her collar bone  when coming out of the birth canal, due to lead pushing rather than letting me push when I was ready. No one at the hospital caught that my daughter's collar bone was broken, and it wasn't discovered until her two week check up.

My second daughter was induced and consequently had dropped blood pressure. Lucky I have very quick labors and I didn't need a c-section.

Out of fear that my first two birth experiences might be repeated, and my third child hurt in the hospital, I chose to birth at a birthing center. My third birth was at Alma Midwifery. It was a most enjoyable, and least traumatic for the baby, of all my births. I also had less healing to do.

The interventions that result from a hospital setting caused damage to my daughters that could have been avoided if I was allowed to birth naturally as I did with my third daughter.

The concept that woman choose to have out of hospital births for "selfish" reasons is absurd. It's an absolute oxymoron.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
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