Afraid of losing my natural birth plan by delivering at hospital.
I am due to have my first child in 4 weeks and am getting more and more nervous about all the things the hospital may do to my baby. I would have loved a homebirth experience but let family and friends talk me into playing it safe at a hospital and I admit I was nervous about my pregnancy as it was unexpected!
Some things that I am worried about are common hospital practices but I don't agree with them and worry that if I'm not totally with it at all times things may be done that I don't want.
First of all I don't want to be drugged or rushed into labor, I want to run my course naturally not on the dr.s preferred schedule. I also feel that they can be too quick to use tools to help get the baby out instead of letting mom do the work (vacuum, forceps). I also do not want any
vaccinations at this point, no silver nitrate dropped into babies eyes, or have the baby wisked away from me to be washed with soap and not allowed to nurse right away! I may sound obsessive but I feel like I should have the choice and I also have done lots of research to reassure my decisions.
My doctor says he will do what he can but you never know how abirth is going to go. I can tell he thinks I'm crazy and doesn't take me too seriously. My partner is supportive of whatever I want to do but is not as educated on the matters and does not feel as strongly as I do.
The obvious option is homebirth, but I am already so far along, I don't know if I still can, or maybe I am not giving the hospital enough credit for listening to moms desires? I am assuming they will criticize my decisions as they are a bit unconventional and I do not want to have to be defending myself throughout the birthing process. I have done it enough for the last eight months and will for a long time to come, I'm sure! Any advice or reassurance?