And this is what I woke to...

There has been a low floating off our coast and with the STRONG possibility of forming a cyclone over the weekend.

It has rained now for 12 hours straight and there is quite a gale outside. It was a lovely night though with the wind coming through our windows cooling us down, no need for aircons! The call of the frogs in the yard has been really relaxing. Makes a change from the steamy nights of the build up we have been experiencing as well as an odd thunder storm or two...

More Birth Stats

/rant

I came across this site from the Joyous Birth Forums that I am a member of. It is a dedicated homebirth forum in Australia. The website is called My Birth, and it publishes stats for various hospitals around Australia and I am just shocked (not at all surprised) by the data.

I would like to think that most women would know that obstetrician/private = high intervention, but this really isn't the case.

Something that REALLY gets on my goat is people/friends etc who read about a 50 pregnancy books and think they know it all yet when I even mention HB, 'oh no, that waaay too dangerous' - Oh, so you haven't got all your facts. Blerk! They spend all this time making ill-informed decisions thinking that they are all that! I totally get that homebirth isn't for anyone and I do not shove my choices in anybody's face - if they want information I'm glad to share with them what I know, but other than that - I don't really take about it.

So less of a rant and more of the stats:

RDH vs. DPH

* Spontaneous Labour: 67.4% v. 36.6%

* Induced: 17.7% v. 31.1%

* Normal Vaginal birth: 62.6% v.42.3%

* Caesarean Section Total: 28.7% v. .34%

I will say in my personal opinion about these stats that the women I know, if they knew they wanted a c-section they would go private and not through RDH. Also, thinking back on my current pregnant friends and friends who have given birth in the last few years, I personally know only 1 person who has had a HB and only 2 women who chose the public system (and about 6 DPH patients). If I wasn't going through the homebirth program I would have chosen DPH as well, but looking at these stats I would definitely change my mind!!

You can have an opinion, just make sure it is an informed one!