Besty,

While I am sure Jennifer may have something to say on you post this part
stuck out at me, you say:

Home birth is a great option for many but at the same time, because there=
=20
is often little documented follow up of these mothers and babies, we have=
=20
no assurance that these babies are necessarily any better off than the=20=
baby born in your brutal hospital setting.

This shows how little you know of home birth.  I had 2 children in a
hospital (while nice births, my first was brutal in how I was treated - my
cbe teacher lead me to believe I would be respected when I spoke up) and 2
at home.  I saw my midwife in follow up visits for me and my home born
children more in the first six weeks after the birth than I ever saw my
ob/ped (combined) after my first 2 hospital births.  Home births are more
closely followed up than any hospital birth (also birth center birth for
that matter since home birth midwives usually also have birth centers and do
the same follow up).  It is just that they don't publish because the medical
profession doesn't think they are "professional" enough.  Feeding and weight
gain are assessed - she was the first to point out my highly allergic son
may have some allergy issues when she saw him at 3 days old.  So we do know
home born children on average are better off.

Felicia Henry, BCCE, IBCLC

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