He finally came. Palmer Lewis Hamilton was born on May 5, healthy and beautiful, and, like his sister, he was born at home.
I know what you’re thinking. For goodness sake, why didn’t they learn from the first one and get to the hospital sooner this time? But it wasn’t about the time. In fact, my wife, Michelle, has notoriously long labors. I guess the anguishing pain of natural childbirth just isn’t difficult enough. She has to make it last 20-40 hours. Not the typical modus operandi for someone who I think is allergic to procrastination.
No, we actually planned to have both children at home.
I still know what you’re thinking. Are you serious? Why would you do that? What if something goes wrong? Are you some kind of nut?
Having a home birth today isn’t like what you would picture on an episode of Little House on the Prairie where Dr. Baker arrives at the house and calls for hot towels and something for mom to bite down on while everyone else clears the room. Palmer’s birth was facilitated by Nina and Kelly, two fantastic midwives from CHOICE who have over 1,300 births between the two of them, and my 10-year-old son, who actually delivered both born-at-home babies. Talk about a memorable experience. He was a natural.
Besides stressing out the grandparents on the first at-home birth, there are some real advantages to having a baby at home. Michelle got to move about wherever she wanted, I got to sleep in my own bed instead of a half sprung cot, and my brother-in-law didn’t have to pay for hospital parking.
Having a birth at home isn’t for everyone, including those who have certain health risks, those who feel more comfortable in a hospital, and for those who just flat out don’t want to. If, however, you want to learn more about having a birth at home, visit www.choicemidwives.org.
