The linebacker-like shoulder of "Mr. Eleven Pounds, One Ounce" got hung up on my pelvis and no matter how hard I pushed, he was stuck fast. My doctor had to turn him to reposition his body so he could be delivered. And then he immediately needed his airway cleared, supplemental oxygen, the works. Fortunately, he suffered nothing worse than a cracked collar bone and is now a healthy third grader who's still very large for his age. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had not been attended by a physician who knew what she was doing and could summon the maternity unit's crash team when it became clear that there was going to be problems with the delivery.

There's a reason why the full power of medicine has been turned upon childbirth: it's dangerous. Are these "freebirthers" completely ignorant of history? Mothers and infants DIED from incompetant birthing care, and did so with tragic frequency. Maybe they will get lucky and have nothing go wrong, but it's foolish and selfish to take this kind of risk with your child's life (not to mention your own) purely for your own convenience or to conform to some kind of granola-crunchy ideology. Have a home birth by all means, but for God's sake get a midwife who knows her stuff. Things can and do go hideously wrong even in a textbook labor and delivery.

"The best way to have a baby is take knock-out pills and don't wake up till the hairdresser arrives the next day."

Well, if your daughter Sidenote had died in that tub - along with your wife, you'd be feeling like an idiot...

I had a picture perfect pregnancy. One episode of light bleeding around 20 weeks that turned out to be an early placenta previa which resolved before birth. Nothing was out of the ordinary, I gained weight like a champ, etc. My water broke at 6:00 am one week before my due date. I had no labor leading up to this, besides a few uncoordinated contractions for the few days before. When I went to the hospital I was only 1.5 cm dilated. I got a pitocin drip, and it still took most of the day for me to dilate far enough to think about delivery. My daughter was delivered at 1:23 am the next day. Had I not gone to the hospital, we would both be dead. From sepsis, at the very least. Who knows what kind of horrible pain I may have experienced if my body tried to expel her without dilation. I was Group B Strep positive, as well. So even without the dilation problems, she may have died from sepsis within a few days of the birth anyway, without the IV antibiotics I had. And when she was born, she had the cord wrapped around her neck and needed some serious aspiration from the nurse. My husband said that's the worst thing he's ever had to watch, since he didn't get to cut the cord and they whisked her to the bassinet immediately, all blue and silent. They snaked a tube down her throat to get all the amniotic fluid out.

Now, I hope that the "freebirthing" antiestablishment wouldn't do what I assume they would do in that situation -- which is to stay home and wait for the birth after the water broke, and not call a doctor until most of the day has passed. That would have spelled disaster for my situation. Never mind the fact that after birth, I was in no shape to take care of my daughter immediately.

And in terms of "medicalized" birthing, other than the necessary interventions listed above, it was very hands-off. The doctors didn't do internal exams unless they really, really wanted to know how dilated I was (I think I got 2 or 3 total). I had an epidural, yes, after 12 hours, because I couldn't rest. Contractions with pitocin come on faster and stronger, and I had them 1-2 minutes apart from somewhere around 4:00 pm on. I had determined not to have an epidural before the birth, by the way, so don't think I'm some kind of shrinking violet wimp. I had to push for an hour and a half, so I was glad for the somewhat hazy rest I did receive after the epi. It didn't work completely, by the way, since it turned out to be mostly one-sided. My right leg was so numb I couldn't move it while I could still feel the ebb and flow of the contractions in a small part of the left side of my pelvis. I had no episiotomy, my doctor did a lot of stretching, but I needed a ton of stitches all around my perineum. I do consider it a victory that my doctor avoided a C-section, since they managed to dilate me enough with the pitocin. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the care I received from my labor nurses, and I would do nothing different if I had to do it over again.

I just thought there should be some more cases in this discussion from women who went to the hospital, and really should have been there. And were perfectly happy there.

After laboring at home for 24 hours (I only wish the labor pain was all in my head), and finally convincing my OB/GYN that yes, I really do believe I need to go now, despite the irregular contractions, I showed up at the hospital 5 cm dialated and 100% effaced. Piece of cake, right? No problem. Give me a couple of more hours of hard labor, and my son will just pop right on out.

Oh, how wrong I was. Seven hours later I got to start pushing. Three hours after that, I had to have a vaccuum extractor attached to my son's head and have him pulled out from under my pubic bone. If I had been at home, I shudder to think what would have happened. Thank God I only needed one stich and my son didn't actually inhale any of the meconium that was staining the amniotic fluid. The NICU staff made sure he was fine, and my OB/GYN made sure that my unknown-until-that-moment 2-week overdue birth didn't have any repercussions.

Sure, women givng birth at home happens all of the time. And with some trained assistance, no big deal. But, having no one around that has any real idea about childbirth - that's just risky, and, in my opinion, irresponsible. I suppose they could call 911 if something goes wrong, but there are so many instances of unexpected complications, why risk it? You can still give birth in a hospital, or at home with a doula or midwife, with little intervention other than someone keeping an eye on you. I thank my lucky stars every day for the staff at the hospital who were so talented and kind to me.