Hospital Versus Home Birth

My first son, Dylan, was born precipitously, meaning fast. From the time my water broke until he was out was about two hours. No epidural. No doctor in the room. My husband caught him with one hand while filming the brief delivery using his other hand. It was intense and unexpected, to say the least.

From the time my water broke until he was out was about two hours. No epidural. No doctor in the room. My husband caught him with one hand while filming the brief delivery using his other hand

With this experience under my belt, I thought, “I can totally deliver at home if I need to. We’re experts.” I always loved the idea of delivering at home. Personal, comfortable, and intravenous-free. My husband thought otherwise. He thought I was crazy to put myself in a situation where there wasn’t a doc available if I needed one. That is my pragmatic husband.

Much to my chagrin, he was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, hooked up to IVs and aCPAP machine, helping him breath.

So on round two, I delivered Ryan in hospital. This time my obstetrician was present, broke my water, and I delivered pretty uneventfully two hours later. But there was a problem—Ryan was stunned from coming out so fast and wasn’t breathing properly. Much to my chagrin, he was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, hooked up to IVs and aCPAP machine, helping him breath. This was not my plan. I take care of kids in the NICU in my professional life, my child wasn’t supposed to be there. Luckily, Ryan did just perfectly and I got to take him home on day 3.

Read the conclusion to this Article in my YummyMymmy post here.

Written By: Dr. Dina Kulik, MD, FRCPC, PEM

Dina is a wife, mother of 4, and adrenaline junky. She loves to share children’s health information from her professional and personal experience. More About Dr Dina.

You might also enjoy

Signs Of The Flu? Have A Healthy, Symptoms-Free Pregnancy

Signs Of The Flu? Have a healthy, Symptoms-Free Pregnancy It’s that time of year again. Flu season. If you’re expecting, you’ve probably already had your flu shot, and the last thing you can even contemplate is catching a cold or flu in the middle of your pregnancy....

What Are Signs Of Depression And Anxiety During Pregnancy And After Baby?

What Are Signs Of Depression And Anxiety During Pregnancy And After Baby? Pregnancy is a time of physical and emotional change. Each woman experiences pregnancy differently and that experience may be affected by factors such as: Whether or not the pregnancy was...

Going Into Labor for the First Time – Dr. Dina’s Story

Dr. Dina shares her (unexpected) experience of going into labor for the first time. One might think that, as a doctor, I would be well prepped for my first delivery. Pain would be managed, labor would be fast and painless, and I'd come out with a beautiful, healthy...

Or click any topic below

The general information provided on the Website is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Do NOT use this Website for medical emergencies.

If you have a medical emergency, call a physician or qualified healthcare provider, or CALL 911 immediately. Under no circumstances should you attempt self-treatment based on anything you have seen or read on this Website. Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed and qualified health provider in your jurisdiction concerning any questions you may have regarding any information obtained from this Website and any medical condition you believe may be relevant to you or to someone else. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.

Hospital Versus Home Birth