I understand, and yes, I do want the option of a hospital if things go wrong (we live a few blocks from the hospital, that wouldn't be an issue if things went wrong). The problem is that at the hospital the women are treated like cars in for an oil change. They induce EVERY woman who's there for more than 10 hours, they give epidurals to more than 50% of them (phrasing it more like it's a necessity than a request), and they have a 15% c-section rate. That's RIDICULOUS. Less than 1-2% of births require c-section. They just do them to herd the women through like cattle. I understand a hospital is a business, but it's nuts.
My wife and I are very informed, and intelligent individuals. We already have a midwife who's preformed over 1000 births. She just moved to the area, so she hasn't found a doctor willing to back her up yet.
The doctor groups around here actually refuse to care for a woman if she chooses to do a home birth, even after she's had the child, stating "ignoring doctor's advice". Is that not blatantly contradictory to the Hippocratic oath?
Sorry for rambling on, but my wife is upset, and it makes me irate. I'm thinking of writing the paper.
BTW, there are no birthing centers within 200 miles of us. If there were, there wouldn't be an issue. :\
