Re: unassisted homebirth? looking for advice

If you have not had your baby yet, I would STRONGLY advise you to not do this without someone who knows how to handle emergencies. In most cases, birth is a very natural process which requires no intervention, but, in some cases, it can become life-threatening for you and/or your child.

Let me share a story of a family I knew in Texas years ago. They were getting ready to have their 8th child and decided they wanted to have the baby on their own at home, unassisted. The mother gave birth one bright, sunny morning, but the father couldn't get the baby to breathe, so he raced the baby to the hospital. By the time he got there, it was too late to save the baby. He went home to his wife to deliver the sad news - he found her in their bed where she had bled to death in his absense. He was left with 7 children to raise on his own.

My third child was born, at home, unassisted. Fortunately, for me, everything went well, but, knowing what I know now, I would never encourage anyone to do this. You need to be prepared for your birth and have someone with you who is experienced and knows what they are doing.