TheGreatKateWait and home births

I had errands to run this afternoon right after lunch, you know, the normal stuff: the post office and the bank.  While I was filling out the deposit slip in the bank's lobby, the TV alerted me to something of which I'd been entirely unaware:  the royal baby.

I remember reading a while ago that Kate was pregnant, but I hadn't given it a second thought since.  So this afternoon when I got home, I Googled "The Royal Baby."

Over 1.12 BILLION results.  That was billion, with a "B."

I Googled "The Holy Bible."

51 million results.  Un.Believable.

I read a couple of newest news articles about the royal baby, just to see what all the fuss is about, and one thought came immediately to mind:  home birth.

I have a few friends who are fans of home births, friends who have done home births.  I'm 100% against the idea.  There are lots of reasons I feel the way I do, and I know there are lots of reasons my friends (and other pro-home birth moms) feel the way they do.  We're all entitled to our own opinion, and for myself, I can say that as much as it depends on me, I will be in a hospital for any child I am expected to birth.

But, man.  If I were Kate, I would do a home birth, no questions.  The hoopla and craziness around the birth of this child is unreal and not in a sacred, sweet, wonderful, awestruck way - it's in a disgusting, commercialized, insanity kind of way.

Just read this article and imagine that you're the mom:  CNN article

I can't imagine it!  When I went into labor, I think my husband texted everyone we knew.  I wouldn't have cared if no one knew, in fact, I might have preferred it.  Can you imagine?  The whole world, literally, knowing if you went in for false labor and got sent home?  The whole world wondering if you got the epidural or not?  The whole world wondering if "mommy's doing ok" (really meaning how badly did she tear? does she have swelling? what about hemorrhoids? is she nursing the baby? how is that going? does baby sleep at night? etc, etc, etc)?  The whole world wanting to see your child and commercialize every picture?  The whole world waiting to hear the name?  (I wonder how many thousands of dollars will change hands when the baby's name is announced...)

Becoming a mom is hard enough physically and emotionally when you get to do so privately with the support and watchful eyes of your family and friends encouraging you along.  I just feel sorry for Kate - what a difficult way to live.

If I was her, I would tell everyone that I was having the baby at that hospital in London.  And I when I was a few months pregnant, I would renovate my house or my parents house to have a full-blown birthing room with birthing tub, and emergency baby equipment installed.  I would hire a doula, midwife and/or doctor, and pediatrician to secretly live on-site toward the end.  And then I would have that baby at home and tell everyone that I went way overdue, so that me and my family could enjoy the baby for a few days before the world demanded to know all the details.

I never thought I'd ever think a home birth was a good idea.  But if I were a princess, I would definitely have a home birth.