From a client:

I toured Birthing Your Way and was very impressed with the environment and the knowledgeable staff. I had planned to deliver my baby at IHC in Provo with a local doctor but I felt I wasn’t getting the prenatal care that I had hoped to get. My visits were rushed, my questions were unanswered, and my preferences didn’t matter. This was my first baby so I had a lot of concerns and questions and I felt there had to be a better way, so that’s when I called Birthing Your Way. My husband and I were very impressed with the low cesarean, forcep and induction rates that are typical of a birthing center.

After a lot of thought we switched to this birth center and are so glad we did. I felt I got the best of care and attention from prenatal to delivery. These women went the extra, extra mile to see that I was prepared, healthy and informed. They encouraged me to take classes, recommended books and websites that were so helpful to my individual concerns. The care I received at Birthing Your Way was excellent. I delivered my beautiful baby boy at Birthing Your Way and it was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it!

Why We Chose a Homebirth – by Accalia and Darren

It has been a journey that has taken us quite by surprise, I must say! When we decided to have Darren leave his place of employment and pursue a doctoral degree, it meant a change in health insurance… and a loss of all maternity benefits.  So, we did what everyone does and started looking at our options.  A cobra plan was out of the question because of how expensive it was per month, and we’d still have a deductible and coinsurance to meet.  Signing up for the maternity plan on Darren’s insurance was about the same cost.  Then we looked at Medicaid… WHAT A HEADACHE!!!  By this time I was feeling very frustrated and angry about this whole situation because I truly felt like pregnancy and childbirth didn’t need to be such an expensive ordeal… people did it for thousands of years and it cost them nothing, but now it can cost people their entire retirement savings?  I was starting to panic about how we were going to pay for this pregnancy, especially since my obstetrician was being so kind as to not make a big deal about things… he knew we were working on it. 

Anyway, I called the two hospitals my doctor has delivery rights at and started getting all the information about self-pay for maternity care.  Even with their “uninsured patient” discount and the fact that the baby would be covered by insurance once he was born (with the traditional 80/20 coinsurance), the total cost just to the hospital was going to be at least $3,000 out-of-pocket! And then we had to add the obstetrician’s global fee which was a little over $2,200 with his pre-pay discount.  I also discovered that an epidural was going to cost us at least $1000 more (both hospitals told me that), so I began researching natural childbirth methods to help with the cost.  My second child was born naturally… I knew that since I had done it once, I could do it again.  I asked a couple close friends about their natural births and felt encouraged, though still very frightened.   (Quick side note for those who are interested in the money aspect: In the end, our total out-of-pocket expense for this pregnancy and birth was about $2600… less than our deductible would have been on Darren’s old insurance!  That cost includes the midwife’s fee for prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum care for myself and the baby, my prenatal appointments with my OB, labwork, ultrasound, and the home birth kit.  Our last two children cost us roughly $5000  out-of-pocket each… the second birth was cheaper because I didn’t have an epidural and the hospital stay was shorter.)

One evening when I was entering the third trimester, a neighbor told me that his daughter, Laura Curtis, teaches a natural childbirth method called HypnoBirthing and that I ought to look into it.  I went home and looked at her website and felt very drawn to it.  I read a ton over the next two weeks and the next day I went online and paid the fee… and I knew that even though $200 was a lot of money, it was still a whole lot less than an epidural would have been, and would lead to a more positive experience.  Our first day of class was exactly 5 weeks before Jashub was born (but we didn’t know it at the time!).  That first class was life-changing for both Darren and I.  Suddenly, drug-free and natural childbirth was no longer about saving money – it was a philosophy we agreed with and believed in.  We came away with new ideas and thoughts that lead to many deep discussions about childbirth between the two of us.

What started out originally as simply looking for a natural childbirth method in order to avoid the costliness of an epidural has turned into a major, life-changing experience for me.  After attending class and discovering more about the beauty and naturalness of childbirth, as well as the actual physiological processes surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, I began doing my own further study on the matter.  A week after starting the class we started feeling that perhaps our doctor and the hospital may not share our same views.  So, I called both my doctor and an obstetrics nurse at the hospital and asked them questions and felt our suspicions confirmed. After my conversations I felt much confusion. Many doctors, nurses and hospitals are caught up in procedures and protocol that often tend to be tailored for the worst-case scenario, so they treat every woman, even low risk healthy women, as if they are that worst-case scenario, forgetting that childbirth has existed for thousands of years, and that if it didn’t work, none of us would be here!  Not every doctor or hospital is that extreme, but many hold to some of those old-school ideas, which is why we were encouraged to find a good fit. 

There are also other elements I didn’t like about the hospital setting that I learned about through my class and personal research, I was just simply opposed to because of the lack of scientific evidence on their benefit to mother and baby (mandatory fasting, routine IV, wiping of the vernix off baby, continuous fetal monitoring, etc.). 

Through the course of my research, I felt led to examine the possibility of birthing outside the hospital as a means of truly gaining the experience I was beginning to envision for my baby, my husband and me.  I began to feel that I wanted a birth completely free of medical intervention (unless the life of my baby or me depended on it, of course).  I wanted the freedom to labor and birth in the manner of my choosing.  All of these things (what I was learning in class and my own desires) filled me with peace and joy… I actually started to feel EXCITED about natural childbirth.

For Darren and I, things were just not sitting right until we decided to examine the possibility of switching to a birth center.  My doctor said he would only deliver in a hospital.  So, we looked at hiring a midwife instead.  You can see how things have mushroomed… After touring the birth center, we came home and said to each other “That felt like our house.  Why not do it here?”  (The funny thing is, the birth center is called “Feels Like Home Birth Suites.”). Together Darren and I came to the decision that a homebirth attended by a midwife was the route we wanted and needed to take. Bear in mind I was 34 weeks along at this point, and I have always delivered two weeks early!

I was led to a midwife who I felt shared our philosophies and would honor and assist my desires for a peaceful and spiritual birthing experience (Heather Shelley).  And of course, our midwife was very educated (EMT, doula, LDEM, CPM, and a ton of continuing education) and well-trained in dealing with emergencies, and is blessed with a gift of knowing when things are beyond her scope of abilities (requiring a doctor or an emergency transport to a hospital).   As far as the technical side of things go, Heather is able to conduct the basic blood tests needed for pregnancy, as well as the Group B strep test.  She carries oxygen and an IV to every birth in the event that it is needed.  She also uses homeopathics.  And if you tear during birth, she is capable of sewing you back together.  I hemorrhaged a little right as Jashub was born, but she knew exactly what to do get the bleeding to stop and to replenish my iron stores.  Never at any point did I feel in danger at not being in a hospital – I had confidence in my midwife and her abilities and intuition. My midwife treated me as a friend from the first day. 

Our prenatal appointments were not rushed or hurried, and we did everything in those appointments that you would do at a doctor’s office.  Plus, since I was usually the only client there, she was able to give me her undivided attention and we were able to talk and discuss things (appointments were usually 30-60 minutes; whatever I needed).  Heather understood that for labor to progress smoothly and calmly, she and I would have to be comfortable with one another.  She was respectful of my desires and even called to check on me one day because she could tell by my tone of voice on the phone the day before that I was having trouble with something.  However, even though she was able to be casual and laid-back like a girlfriend, she knew how to “get down to business” once my labor started. 

I loved staying home when labor began.  No worrying about getting to the hospital too soon, no worrying about hospital routines and “pain scales” and paperwork, no hospital atmosphere to contribute to the discomfort, no continuous fetal monitoring or IVs to tie me to the bed, no hospital staff trying to interfere with my labor and birth with their suggestions and procedures, and no temptation for an epidural.  I was able to be where I felt safest and most comfortable – in my home.  I was able to light a scented candle and set the lighting the way I wanted – the ambiance was actually quite romantic, which really just made me feel more at ease about what was happening. 

Heather didn’t intervene when unnecessary.  She didn’t force me to have vaginal exams during labor when I didn’t want them.  She asked permission before lifting my dress to check the baby’s heart-tones, and never insisted on breaking my bag of waters (she waited for me to tell her to do it).  She offered support and advice when needed before, during, and after the birth. 

 My mom and Darren were next to me continuously.  I loved being able to move about freely and labor in the position I felt most comfortable in.  I loved that when I was on the bed, Darren could be on it with me.  In fact, when my water broke I was on the bed with my mom and Darren next to me, and my midwife and her assistants at the foot of the bed – it was great!  I was a little worried about the mess, but my midwife had me order a homebirth kit, which came with chucks pads among other things.  I had a shower curtain and chucks pads lining my bedroom floor, and my bed was made a special way: nice sheets, a shower curtain liner, and then a set of sheets on top that I didn’t mind about possible blood staining.  When I was on the bed, they put chucks pads under me, so even though my water broke there and they sewed me up on the bed, my sheets weathered just fine.  At the end of labor the baby’s heart rate got “a little skippy” and she took control of the situation in a perfect way, avoiding any need for us to panic and call 911 – she gave out directions which we all followed, and the baby was born in a matter of a couple minutes (I had him out in one contraction!). My midwife was a perfect fit for Darren and I.  We loved her!  We hope to use her again someday!

 When everything was done, they took off the top sheets and shower curtain and I climbed into bed with clean sheets.  It was so nice.  The midwife and her two students cleaned everything up, and when they left my house, you would never have even known a birth had just taken place, except for the fact that there was now a baby sleeping in the Moses basket next to the bed.  The only thing I would have changed was that I really should have had a water birth. 

My bathroom only has a shower, so the midwife brought her “La Bassine” labor tub.  It’s like an over-sized kiddie pool.  Once I knew I was in labor, it just felt like to much mental stress to actually have them set up the pool and for me to get in.  I just hadn’t had time to mentally prepare myself for a water birth what with already switching from a hospital/epidural to natural/home birth in a matter of really only 6 weeks before labor began.  When the midwife broke my water and I felt all the warmth, I thought to myself, “Why am I not laboring in the tub?!”  By then it was too late to set up the tub… Jashub was born 10 minutes later!  However, next time I want to prepare myself for the water birth.  I really think it would help me.  Aside from that, having a home birth was such a wonderful, positive experience. Assuming future pregnancies are the same as my last three have been, this is what we want to do from now on.

 I feel so very grateful for the personal insights and feelings I have received on this highly surprising journey that I did not originally intend to start out on.  I feel I have gained a new understanding of the whole birth process.  I discovered some wonderful truths about the creation and functions of a woman’s body and the perfectness therein. It has been rather empowering and testimony building for me.  Each woman and each pregnancy is unique and should be treated as such. What’s right for me may not be right for you, and what was right for this pregnancy/birth may not be right the next time around… it is not a decision to be made lightly.  However, regardless of the debate of homebirth vs. hospital birth, I truly believe the things we learned through our hypnobirthing class are universal/eternal truths (the primary truth being that women were created to bear children, and as such it is a natural process of life, perfectly created and designed by God, and should not be treated as an illness or medical phenomenon… though like anything else in life, some women (definitely a small minority) are true exceptions to that just because of the tests and challenges of mortality).  I do respect every woman’s right to decide for herself what she believes about pregnancy and childbirth, though I feel sad that some women won’t examine their own philosophies and those of others with an open mind and just shut out anything that is new, different, or “weird.”  

Here are some links to materials I read that really changed and influenced my views:

• HypnoBirthing Institute: http://www.hypnobirthing.com/
• HypnoBirthing Utah (my teacher’s website – she has a ton of information on there- click on the “blog” link at the top of the page to explore her past posts.  Also, scroll to the bottom for more links to other sites): http://www.hypnobirthingutah.com/
• Birthing Your Way (This is my midwife’s website): http://birthingyourway.com/
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth (My midwife gave me this book, and I HIGHLY recommend you read it.  She has a ton of experience and has documented her statements with solid references from respectable sources (i.e.: she will reference research studies published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, etc.).  There is a pretty strong endorsement of the book on the back cover, written by an MD who is a former director of women and children’s health of the World Health Organization. There is also an endorsement on the front cover by another well-known M.D./Author (Christianne Northrup).  If you were to buy it, I would recommend reading the second section before reading the first section.  The first section is a collection of women’s birth stories, and while interesting, it does have a bit of a “hippy” feel to it, as some of the reviews mention.  But Ina May’s information in the second section is great!  Amazon even gives you a “sneak peak” so you can go in and read some of the book. They also sell a Kindle version of the book if you prefer digital reading.  Ina May also has a brand new book out called “Birth Matters” which sounds like it would be really good as well… one reviewer says it has less of the “70′s-ish/hippy” feel to it (Quick note: there are pictures of childbirth)): http://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin/dp/0553381156/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
•  HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method (The book I received for my class.  FABULOUS! Really changed my outlook since this was the first thing I read.  I highly recommend you read this as well.  The forward is written by an OB/GYN and contains his strong endorsement.  Also comes in a kindle version): http://www.amazon.com/HypnoBirthing-natural-approach-comfortable-birthing/dp/0757302661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302564346&sr=1-1  I have to interject here that HypnoBirth is not about making women switch to homebirth – in fact much of the class teaches how to do this within the hospital setting, but it does encourage you to educate yourself and “shop” around for a doctor who shares your same philosophies and who will be most likely to support your desires and wishes when it comes down to the end, as well as to start finding a hospital that will honor your requests.
•  Spinning Babies (all about optimal fetal positioning, which can prevent the need for c-sections and other medical interventions in breech and posterior babies): http://spinningbabies.com/ 
• Homebirth Reference Site: http://www.homebirth.org.uk/
•  Midwifery Today: http://www.midwiferytoday.com/

 I also did a lot of Google searches with keywords like “homebirth vs. hospital birth,” “homebirth safety,” “hypnobirthing,” etc.  I found a lot of useful information that way.  I can’t remember where I found it, but there is a site that outlines all the requirements for becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and a Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife (LDEM) (Both of these are not “nurse-midwives” because they aren’t nurses, so cannot deliver in a hospital) – I wanted to be sure that the midwife I was hiring knew what she was doing (my midwife is a CPM and an LDEM).

 Have fun doing your own research on childbirth!  I have loved it! This statement by Marie Mongan (HypnoBirthing founder) is great: “When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change.”