HomeBirth Rally

Homebirth is safer than hospital birth. Don't believe me? Check it out. Google it. It's true. Here are some facts (thanks to PhDinParenting):

According to the CBC, the study found that the rate of death per 1,000 births in the first month of life was:

• 0.35 for planned home births
• 0.57 for hospital births with a midwife
• 0.64 for hospital births with a physician

Newborns born at home were less likely to require resuscitation or oxygen therapy after birth and were less likely to have aspirated meconium.
(The scaremongers would have you believe that if the baby doesn’t die during birth at a home birth, it would certainly die from suffocation co-sleeping with those crazy hippie parents.)

Women who planned to have a home birth were less likely than those who gave birth in a hospital to have obstetric interventions.

For example, the percentage of women that various types of interventions or undesirable outcomes by type of birth planned is as follows:

• Electronic fetal monitoring:
  • planned home birth: 13.6%
  • planned hospital birth with midwife: 41.9%
  • planned hospital birth with physician: 78.8%
• Assisted vaginal delivery:
  • planned home birth: 3%
  • planned hospital birth with midwife: 7.2%
  • planned hospital birth with physician: 13.8%
• C-section delivery:
  • planned home birth: 7.2%
  • planned hospital birth with midwife: 10.5%
  • planned hospital birth with physician: 11%
• Third or fourth degree tear:
  • planned home birth: 1.2%
  • planned hospital birth with midwife: 2.9%
  • planned hospital birth with physician: 3.4%
• Postpartum hemorrhage:
  • planned home birth: 3.8%
  • planned hospital birth with midwife: 6.0%
  • planned hospital birth with physician: 6.7%

Alright... I'm done. I'm getting down. But, seriously-- do some research.

I know what you're thinking. If it's so safe, then why did you have your babies at a hospital? That's why I'm bringing this up. 

I can't.

Well... that's not totally true. According to Nebraska law I could have my baby at home as long as it was not assisted by a midwife. Roger can deliver my baby- that's legal. But a midwife cannot deliver my baby at home. That's against the law in Nebraska and Alabama. We're the only two states that will revoke a midwife's license for attending a home birth. Not sure about you, but I want to join the other 48 states. So I called my representatives (my senator actually called me back the same day and left me a voicemail!) and then made plans with Lauren to join the LB 712 Rally in Lincoln. Here's how we prepared:

Brinley and Grayson entertained us with some sweet tunes while we made signs

Lauren was in charge of writing the signs out

The kids colored the 49 sign (we want to be the 49th state to allow midwife-attended home birth!)

We were warmed by the wonderful woodstove!

Grayson was very good at staying in the lines...

We had LOTS of signs to make

Roger even got in on it. He said "If my girl is going to some hippie rally she AINT goin' with no flimsy sign!" so he added a stick and sturdied up my sign. (ps- don't tell him these photos are on here. :-D)

We will keep pushing! Keep pushing till it's passed!

Then it was off to Lincoln at 7:30am.

Ok, that just made it seem like it was a quick trip. It was a little over two hours in the car with two adults, 1 in-utero baby, 1 four-month-old, 1 nearly two-year-old, 1 two-year-old, 1 nearly four-year-old, and 1 six-year-old. It wasn't nearly quick enough for the kids but I enjoyed the company and conversation the entire way. So first we went to Lauren's midwife appointment. Then it was off to lunch. We found a Chipotle after much searching for pregnancy-approved food and parking spots.
There were no tables available so we were quite the show with us all sitting along the bar (note to self when my kids are older- give up table to mom with young children).

Then we bundled up and headed for the capitol building...

Brinley fell asleep during the march...

Lauren, Ari, Grawyon, Luci and in-utero baby
Ari's sign says "The Good Life? Better with a midwife!"

After our anti-climactic rally we loaded up and the Randalls took a quick tour of the captol while I nursed Titus and Brinley slept.

Lauren is totally going to kill me for this one. "CHEEEEEEEESSSEE!!!"

 Then we loaded up and headed home. ps- Lauren was ready EVERY TIME I tried to get a photo of us in-motion.... CHEESE, Lauren!

Should've taken some photos of this trip home. It was nearly a melt-down for a while there... really touchy but we ended up getting naps in the car. WHEW! It was a close one!

Thanks for taking us along, Lauren. One day we will join the other 48 states (hopefully while one of us is still able to have children!)

-The Bakers