Decisions, decisions...

I've been pre-occupied over the last month and absent on this blog because I'm 9 weeks pregnant! About a month ago, I was embroiled in a difficult decision-making process. It was eating at me and consuming my thoughts almost all day everyday. The question was... should I plan a home birth for this baby?

I've spent the last 5+ years researching birth, and I am a definitely believer that home birth is a wonderful option for low-risk women. (My two previous pregnancies and births were smooth and problem-free, so I anticipate remaining low-risk this time around.) I would vehemently defend each woman's right to choose home birth. And I have often wondered over the last several years whether my third child might be a home birth.

The decision was made all the more interesting by our insurance situation. I won't go into too many details, but home birth was looking really really appealing just for the mere fact that it's so much cheaper (as long as you don't transfer to the hospital). My husband, who has long feared the idea of a birth at home, was even coming around to the idea when he found out how much money we could save.

I agonized over this. I contacted a whole slew of home birth midwives to find out their rates and ask some questions. I google-mapped all the nearest hospitals to see how long it would take to transfer in the event of an emergency. I read and read and prayed and prayed. I had dreams of giving birth and strained to remember... was I at home or at the hospital?

In the end, I decided to go with a Certified-Nurse-Midwife-attended hospital birth. I think if we lived closer to a hospital, I would have chosen a home birth in a heartbeat. But it just didn't feel right this time. And I have had two great hospital birth experiences in the past, so I feel confident I can have another one.I have my first appointment with a midwife named Tiffany this Friday. I look forward to hearing my baby's heartbeat and getting a feel for the clinic I'll be visiting for the next 7+ months. Here we go!