I haven’t written about birth in a while. I suppose it’s because I haven’t done it in approximately 8 months, 6 days, 2 hours, and 7 minutes. But my lovely friend Amy Noel is readying for her second child, and I’m back to birth thoughts.
Here in Charlottesville, Virginia, there is one midwife who is so popular, there’s a joke: you have to call her when you and your husband plan a date night…before conception. She practices through a local hospital, so women get the best of both worlds: the hospital can intervene if need be, and families get the peaceful support of a midwife.
But there are other wonderful options available, especially to those families who turn to home birth. Amy is lucky to have an award-winning care provider, one in a pair of midwives who delivered a couple of Nature's Child babies. Amy's home birth will be in just a few weeks!
I was a home birth. I have a special connection with home birthing and mourn just a little (*sniffle*) that I didn’t experience that with my own children. Both my sons were [natural, quick] hospital births, though Baby E did cut it close! Mark and I: we’re done making babies. (Anyone need to borrow a womb?)
Home Birth: Not just for “granolas” anymore. The New York Times recently featured an article (interestingly in the Home & Garden, not Health section) that focused on the rising popularity of home birthing. It even had a surprised tone that--wow and gee whiz!--doctors and lawyers are even going for it for their own deliveries. And *gasp*: even people afraid of what their neighbors might think!
Much of the popularity is attributed to The Business of Being Born, which points out that hospitals and doctors' offices are businesses and consider the bottom line when taking care of you and baby. I saw it after Baby E's arrival and it hit home. If you haven't seen it, you simply must!
Home birth is a decision that families should consider early in pregnancy. The longer you have to prepare other children and extended family (who also may look at you differently), the better!
Benefits:
- Chill: At home, you're in a peaceful, familiar environment. Worried about that Persian rug? Shower curtain it. Shower curtain it all!
- Move it. Wait, don't: no transporting from home to hospital, hospital to home.
- Med free. Little or no medical interventions. By the time you want ‘em, it’s often too late to get ‘em anyhow! Truck on through that Transition, ladies; you’re almost there!
- Guest room. You can invite anyone you want, including your children, who are definitely banned from delivery rooms. Guests galore! Or no one but you two, the midwife, and the birthing assistant.
- Safe. In multiple recent studies, the infant and maternal mortality rates were comparable or even lower for home birth than hospital birth. Further, even those women who intended to have a home birth but ended up transferred had half the intervention rate than those who started out with an intended hospital birth. The WHO agrees that healthy women are certainly capable of a safe home delivery, providing they have access to a health facility if needed.
- “Birth is not a medical problem” is a favorite quote from my mom. Hospitals are for sick people. You are not sick. You don’t really want to birth your baby in a sick house, do you?
- The Alternatives: Considering the U.S. ranks 28th among industrialized countries for healthy births, hospitals have nothing to brag about. Might as well do it in the comparably safe enviro you already know and love: your home.
Indications: Are you a home birth candidate?
- Low risk: within a healthy weight range, of a reasonable age, and with no complications. Discuss this with your care provider.
- Planned: Whether you decide to do a midwife-attended birth or an unassisted birth, the successful home birth is the planned home birth. Your midwife and doula will work out the birth plan with you.
- Hospital: Just in case, you should live reasonably close to a medical facility. Many midwives call for about a ½ hour drive.
Prep: What your home and fam might need for the occasion.
- Kiddos: if you have other kids, how exciting! Talk to them about what to expect when the big day arrives.
- The Good Doctor: Do you have a pediatrician yet? See if there’s a prescription for a home visit. Then set it up with the care provider to come visit a day or two after baby arrives.
- Month 10: Set up a bit of help after baby arrives. Of course, hopefully you and daddy can be home enjoying new baby time together. If you need extra help, accept the hand offered by close family and friends: cleaning, food, cuddling the newborn. This goes for all new parents, no matter where baby is born.
- Suitcase-free: In the comfort of your own home, there will be no need to pack a hospital bag. You may want a few things on hand: Music, old sheets, shower curtain (or painter’s tarp to avoid PVC), bath, birthing ball
Home births are indeed gaining in popularity, but that’s not a good reason to choose it. Decide what is right for your body, your baby, your family.
No matter where you give birth, know that you’ll never be “ready”! It’s our induction into parenting: nothing ever goes exactly as planned.
But no matter how and where babies come, they are a blessing every time.
Need a bit more "pushing"?
Check out the Midwifery Today Web site and their article on The Homebirth Choice.
On GentleBrth.org, a dated but well researched article on "Is Homebirth for You?" (Hey...home birthing has been around for so long, this 1990 article is new comparatively!)
The oft-quoted study comparing home and hospital births from the British Medical Journal.
Our blog on Unassisted Childbirth. The women who do this are inspiring.
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