I am still dreaming about giving birth at home. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to experience a home birth. When I suggested it to my husband during our last pregnancy, he was unwilling to discuss it at all. It is too risky, he said, and would not even hear my so well-planned speech. I had even talked to a midwife and daydreamed about how it would be, but there was no chance I could make my Mr. cooperate.
I know quite some women who did give birth at home or even in nature and had wonderful experiences. And I am glad they shared those with me…
Not all too long ago, all women gave birth at their homes. And lately, a certain trend is going towards that, again.
Given the circumstances, I think that a lot of women would like to have a home birth, but the lack of support and knowledge prevents them from even considering it as a serious and safe opportunity.
Imagine…
- you would not need to rush out of the house in the middle of labor or with your water breaking
- you could welcome your little one in the coziness of your own home
- the first people to meet your newborn would be your family and loved ones, not foreign hospital staff
- you could have everything YOUR way, and no need to argue with nurses or explain endlessly what you do and don`t want to happen
Safety and Statistics
Recent studies show that planned home birth for mothers with low-risk pregnancies can be as safe as hospital births. Although further research has to be done, and the study is based on partly insufficient data, the outcome makes it clear that the rates of either perinatal death, and medical interventions during birth, as well as vaginal tearing, are lower among the home birth group than the hospital birth group.
In fact, the overall experience for women who gave birth at home was more positive than for those who gave birth at the hospital.
Am I a fitting candidate for a home birth?
Apparently, not every woman is a fit for giving birth at home. The first and most important question is- why do you want it? Deciding something like this- we really have to be clear about the why, and what it is we expect and hope from an experience like this. Is it the security and coziness of your own home? Is it that you can shower in your own bathroom afterward? Or more a functional thing like not having to leave the other kids? Whatever reason(s) you have for choosing to give birth at home, it has to be enough to push you through even when it gets hard or you get scared. Because rushing to the hospital in the middle of an active birth is not something anybody would want, and in fact, this can be even traumatic.
Of course, there are circumstances under which we will have to transfer the birth to the hospital, that is why you should be prepared for leaving anyway. But it should not be because we suddenly want pain medication or because we feel the hospital may be safer after all.
According to the ACOG, a woman can give birth at home, if the following applies:
- you have a hospital nearby for an emergency transfer
- your baby is coming between weeks 37 and 41
- your baby has the right position
- you are not expecting twins
- you haven`t had a previous C-section
- your pregnancy is a low-risk pregnancy
- you have a physician or certified midwife attending your birth
Having your baby preterm, having more than one baby or a baby that is in a breech position requires more medical attention and maybe intervention and should therefore be at the hospital.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy– for example, diabetes, or preeclampsia, or if you had a C-section during one of your previous births, you are more likely to develop complications that need medical intervention only available at the hospital.
The great thing about having your own midwife is, that you probably meet with her several times before the actual birth, so she knows you already well enough to act according to your needs, she knows your birth plan, and the best- she is here only for you. Unlike at the hospital, where your midwife comes and goes, and attends several women who are about to give birth… The fact that she is close to you during the whole time from the start also may help her to detect possible complications at an early stage of labor.
How to prepare for a home birth
- Be prepared to move over to the hospital in case of need- bleeding, high blood pressure or no progress in labor might be a reason to do so. Pack your bag, have some comfortable clothes prepared, and have your daily utilities ready.
- Make a birth plan. Of course, we cannot know what will happen and if you turn out following it exactly, but having it made and thinking about it several times before the actual time comes, helps us feel reassured and safe. Trying to stick to the plan can make us push through.
- Hire an experienced midwife or physician to attend your birth, and meet with him or her several times before birth, getting to know each other, and going over the birth plan. You may hire a doula, too, if you like.
Final thoughts
If you had uncomplicated births before and did not like the way it went at the hospital, then home birth might be a good option for you. Many women desire to birth their own way. Unfortunately, at hospitals, we don`t always have it the way we want. Too much noise and people, too bright light, and the missing comfort of our own home, seldom make it possible to experience natural birth as natural as we would like it to be. Although there is always a certain unknown risk factor, giving birth at home is mostly considered safe for women under the explained circumstances.