Decisions, Decisions

So I've been deciding between a hospital birth and a home birth. I've been weighing the pros and cons. I've been praying. I've been researching. I'm pretty sure I know what I want. Ok, I KNOW what I want. And I was just reassured in my decision yesterday. I have been talking to a woman from ICAN and we attended her VBAC 101 class. She's been very helpful and it is nice that I have so many different people to talk about birth with! Because, well, I am pretty passionate about it. If you couldn't tell. ;)

I got an email from Barbara (the ICAN lady) saying that a volunteer had called and talked to each hospital in Maryland to get an update on their VBAC policies. She called as a Doula or Mother. Barbara called a few back (including St. Mary's) as ICAN. I asked for her to give me the hospital info for St. Mary's just to see what they said, because I had also been emailed an updated VBAC and Cesarean rate chart from 2010. The number of VBACs at the hospital went down (they didn't even have a number... less than 20) and the Cesarean rate went up a few points. :( Here is the info I got from the hospital:

Aug. 2011: Staff person who took the call said VBACs allowed, but there is a hospital protocol. All OBs there do them. Continuous monitoring and IV req’d-wireless available and movement allowed. No inductions, no food, “basically you have to be ready to have a c-section.” Never seen a VBA2Cs there, “no one in the medical field would do that.”

Update Sept. 2011: Called charge nurse as ICAN and she checked hospital policy and it doesn’t prohibit VBA2C. She said due to fear of lawsuits the OBs are probably more likely to allow VBA2C to the local Amish population since they are less likely to sue. She allowed me to email her the ACOG VBAC guidelines from 7/2010 as well as the Landon Study.

So yes, they allow them, but gosh it doesn't feel natural to go there to do it. I'll have to be hooked up with wires and tubes the entire time and I can't eat! What if I'm there for a really long time?! We learned in our Bradley class that it is fine, and actually good, to eat during labor. HELLO... ENERGY!!!! And I don't like the, "basically you have to be ready to have a c-section" line. No, I don't want to go into labor ready to have a section. I want to go into labor and birth my child. I don't want things held over my head the entire time I am in labor. I don't want that stress. I want it to be calm. I want to do what I want! And I don't want people to be bugging me the entire time because they are afraid my uterus will explode. It won't. I'm going to be fine. And I am going to birth my child. With a midwife. And my husband. And a friend. And Abby will get to come see her when I want her to. On my time. And it will be amazing. :) Don't worry, I'm aware that something can always happen during labor--I'm not delusional. But I am also not going to live in fear of having an exploding uterus. It doesn't happen like that. My scar has held tight for 3 years. Pretty sure I have a good seal there.

I'm over the fact that some people won't approve of what I'm doing. It isn't their choice. And I'm not broadcasting it to the world. Ok, technically I am because I am blogging about it, but not very many people read this anyways. :)

Bradley classes are going great. Sometimes things are funny and awkward as we practice, but I know it will all come in handy when the real thing hits. I am so excited! I can't wait to give birth! I can't wait to have another child! And I can't wait for Abby to meet her baby sister! It is going to be awesome!