Letter: Reader shares hospital experience

In reference to the July 31 article 'Born this way” about home births, I realize people are passionate in their opinions. The 2014 study as quoted in this article by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, speaks volumes: 'The rate of neonatal deaths of midwife-attended home births are four times higher than midwife-attended births in the hospital and seven times greater for first-time deliveries.”

I want to share my experience, in the event someone out there is contemplating a decision. I had a beautiful, flawless natural birth in a hospital the first time. One would assume the second time would be uneventful? Wrong! Next time, it was a cord prolapse resulting in a very speedy emergency cesarean section. My beautiful baby girl would not be here had I decided to give birth at home 'in my comfortable, familiar environment.”

Why would you gamble with your baby's well-being when there is state-of-the-art technology and skilled health care providers standing by and ready, when seconds count. These health care providers also do an excellent job of addressing your idea of what kind of delivery and atmosphere you want for yourself and your family. But they also are ready in a heart beat, quite literally, to save your life or your baby's. They saved my beautiful baby girl. Let them be on hand to save yours.

Michelle Humphreys

Cedar Rapids