OcalaMom.com

Here's an article on Ina May Gaskin and homebirths.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23239361/

Anyone here have a home birth? Why did you decide to?

I am so grateful for the pioneering midwives in our country. I had known many women who birthed at home and I had always considered it for an option. When it came time to decide I did alot of research. I felt naive about birthing even though I knew others who delivered at home. I read up and compromised on the midwife at the hospital to the homebirth. Looking back I will never make that mistake again. My family fed me a lot of fear so my husband and I agreed on a midwife and planned on a natural childbirth. The nearest birthing center (Gainesville) was too far for me to drive. Midwife - Wow was I amazed at how vastly subjective this term is. In my third trimester I switched providers and chose a homebirth, because I intuitively felt that the practice I was with didn't respect my desires. My family, accept my cousin who had delivered 6 babies at home, thought I was gonna harm my child. When I changed options it was very difficult for my family to accept , but I was the one who was birthing. I think it's so important to be proactive when your looking into your options. We have to protect our rights. My cervix was swollen during labor and if I had been in the hospital I probably would have had a caesarean. The women who labored with me were phenomenal. I felt taken care of and one breathe at time they helped me safely deliver a healthy baby boy. When I reflect on the birth I wouldn’t have had family around because up until my son was born I was getting negative comments about my choice and I let it effect me. I truly believe that I picked up on the nervous energy in my house. I wanted my mom near, but she wasn’t the best choice at the time. One of the best books that helped me work through the labor and about birth in general is 1. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth or anything by her. June Byrd was midwife as well as Debbie Frechette. They do homebirths in Ocala and at the birth center in Gainesville.http://www.birthscene.com/contactdetail.cfm?contactid=966
www.birthcenterofgainesville.org
I love the intimacy of a homebirth, it's just you, your partner, and a little bundle of joy getting to know eachother.

I have been thinking about a home birth. Did you do a water birth? I did not know the birth center of gainesville did home births.

I don't think it's necessarily the BCOG doing the homebirths.
The midwife who owns the center now previously had (and still has) her own private homebirth practice and continues to do those.
There's also a midwives cooperative in Gainesville and I think they may serve surrounding communities? And one or two others who I know of who do homebirths in the area.

I have witnessed many births, including births at the BCOG. You will never experience anything more spiritual than having a natural childbirth outside of a hospital setting. I encourage all women to consider it.