Journey to a home birth (Part 3)

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted a natural, stress-free, and mother-led birth. I've always been more of a laid back person and the hustle and bustle of a hospital just didn't seem to fit my style. I talked with my friend, who was teaching the birth class, about how I didn't know what choice I had. I had gone 5, almost 6 months into my pregnancy with this midwife group located in my local hospital. I couldn't just call them up and say "Sorry, you won't be seeing me anymore." Then my friend asked me the question that changed it all. "Why not?" she said.

Why not? Why couldn't I change? Don't people move while they are pregnant and change doctors? Don't people switch doctors if they find out there are some complications that require a more trained eye?

The idea intrigued me. Could I really do this? Did I want to do this? What would Brian think? 

I decided to go to one more appointment while I checked out some homebirth midwives in the area. After I waited 30 minutes in the waiting room only to have a 10 minute appointment where I got weighed, blood pressure checked, and heard my baby's heartbeat and was asked one final time "Do you have any questions". I knew now that I wanted a natural birth (without epidural) so I asked the midwife her thoughts on how that would play out. She told me"Well, to be honest 99% of women that come through here have an epidural, so you're really going to have to fight the nurses for what you want."

FIGHT?!?? In the midst of my labor, during which I will not be able to move around freely (unless it is in accodance with hospital policy) I will have to win a battle of will over the nurses who will want me to get a epideral (easier for them, I'm assuming). Are you kidding me?

At that moment, my mind was made up. I was having a home birth.