I am fortunate: I am young, healthy, and well-insured. I also live in a state where midwives may practice. Barring complications, I may give birth outside a hospital, in an accredited birth center staffed by CNMs.
My in-laws think I'm insane.
As far as I can tell there is nothing I could say to convince them that I will be perfectly SAFE and FINE and, no, hospitals are not fundamentally better. I must be crazy! No doctors! Think of the baby!!
I am thinking of the baby. I am less likely to get interventions or drugs I don't need, and the baby won't be whisked away after birth. My baby will not be given formula,* or any treatment without my permission.
If, God forbid, something should go wrong, I will be happy to be whisked away to the hospital.** Until then, however, keep the people with the IVs away from me!!!
*I am very, very allergic to dairy. The baby should not have dairy.
**Which takes a total of 15 minutes. Also, my mother, who has been a PA for 30 years and who has delivered several babies, thinks this is all a fine idea thankyouverymuch.
