Home births?

Question

I think this is a controversial subject,
I saw a mom show on TV where the ladies asked a doctor what he thinks of home birth.
He said "get your emails ready at home but I think they should be outlawed. we strap our kids in seatbelts for the 1 in 20,000 chance that we could get in an accident, if something goes wrong in the birth there is no medical care ready to save the baby.
One baby that dies is one baby too many. You never know what will happen with a birth."

Personally I agree,... homebirth was something I did not even consider.

what do you think?

Answer 1

I have had one unmedicated hospital birth with a doctor, one freestanding birth center waterbirth with a midwife and one home waterbirth with midwives. If I could go back and do it all over again, I'd have had 3 home waterbirths with midwives.

I think that, for healthy low-risk mothers having healthy low-risk pregnancies, a planned homebirth is safer than a hospital birth. There is less chance of a "cascade of interventions" that leads to complications. There is less chance of infection. There are typically better mother-baby outcomes in planned homebirths.

Midwives are trained to watch mothers during pregnancy and look for signs that the mom might not be a good candidate for a homebirth. Many midwives require that the mom's chart be gone over by a doctor and signed off on before the mom will be approved for an out of hospital birth (either freestanding birth center or homebirth). They know when to "risk you out" and refer you to a doctor. You must also be at least 37 weeks gestation for a homebirth.

A prenatal visit with a midwife typically lasts AT LEAST 30 minutes WITH the midwife, often longer. (I had some midwife appointments that lasted over an hour WITH the midwife.) With a doctor, you'll be lucky to actually see him for 10 minutes at each appointment. Midwifery care is much more thorough and detailed. Midwives spend more time getting to know their clients, coaching them on their diets, educating them about pregnancy and birth, etc.

Countries where midwifery care is the standard of care usually have better mother-baby outcomes than even here in the technologically advantaged USA. And in many of these countries, homebirth is more common than in the USA. The World Health Organization actually urges the U.S. to return to a midwife-based system of maternity care.

A midwife is with you every minute of labor and personally monitoring you and supporting you through your homebirth. With a doctor, you are lucky if he drops in to check on you once before he shows up in time to catch the baby.

Even if you are in the hospital, the ACOG standard is "30 minutes from decision to incision" to do a c/s. If you are within 30 minutes of a hospital and have complications, you can meet that standard. (And rarely is it something that has to happen NOW with no signs leading up to it. A skilled MW would be watching and would know that something isn't right BEFORE you got to a crisis situation.)

The chance of respiratory distress among newborns is typically 17 times higher in the hospital than in the home! 3.7 times as many babies born in the hospital require resuscitation. Infection rates of newborns are four times higher in the hospital.

A six-year study done by the Texas Department of Health for the years 1983-1989 revealed that the infant mortality rate for non-nurse midwives attending homebirths was 1.9 per 1,000 compared with the doctors' rate of 5.7 per 1,000. Certified nurse midwives' mortality rate was 1 per 1,000 and "other" attendants (family, friends, not trained midwives) accounted for 10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The link below will give you TONS of studies that prove the safety of homebirth for low risk mothers.

ETA:
Being Group B Strep positive isn't an indication for a hospital birth. I was GBS+ with both my birth center birth and my homebirth. My midwives simply gave me antibiotics, the same as would have happened if I had been in a hospital.

Answer 2

I had 5 homebirths - avoided a C-Section with the first. All were wonderful. The last 2 were water births - born into a warm tub of water. Babies won't try to breath until their face touches air.

Have known lots of other moms who had bad hospital experiences then had good homebirth experiences. My midwives were extremely skilled and one had attended over 2,000 births, and the other had attended over 1,000 births. Really great experiences.

Answer 3

I think this is another example of other people trying to take away our freedom.

What about the 1 in a million chance of hospital being bombed - or airplane accidentally falling into the hospital - or the baby getting an infection at the hospital - or being switched at birth (almost happened to my sister)

I think that moms who want and are tough enough to have their babies at home should be allowed to have their babies at home.

This goes along with putting on my seat belt in my car - why should anyone else have the right to tell me that I must wear a seat belt in my car? I am not hurting anyone else by not wearing my seat belt - same goes for a helmet on a motorcycle - if I want to ride my motorcycle without a helmet it is none of your business - soon its going to be illegal to eat fried food - run around the pool - swim after eating - run with scissors - just because it's not a good idea doesn't mean it should be illegal

Answer 4

I had my son at home, it wasnt part of my plan though, i had been in hospital for 3 days, and the midwives said that i didnt look in enough pain to keep staying in hospital so they sent me home.
Once i got home i ran straight to the bathroom, thinking i need to go to the toilet. A few minutes after i had arrived at home I started getting contractions and my mum was with me, so she called the ambulance and they told her they were in the way, but meanwhile the lady on the phone was telling my mum what to do.
suddenly my son's head popped out and then it popped back in, then some rescue people came and layed me down on the bathroom floor, my waters broke, and my baby popped out, then the ambulance got there and i was taked to hospital with my new baby.
All midwives and doctors that took care of me before they sent me back home got in trouble and came one by one to apoligise to me. Everyone in the hospital found out about the story and whenever they saw me, they would be like " 0o0o your the one who had the baby in the bathroom" had to put up with that comment for a few days.
so see..there is nothing wrong with homebirth.
And if your not planning on having a homebirth, just have things around that are needed just incase it does happen..like it did to me.

Answer 5

I have four kids (all born in the hospital)
My first the epidural was horrible and I couldn't move.
My second I had a spinal right before delivering because I was too scared of the pain.
My Third I considered home birth very seriously but I have Strep B and my babies come early, I was a little too scared but decided to have her natural (no meds), it was the best experience. I used a good midwife for labor coaching and she was wonderful.
My fourth was natural but all were born in the hosptial...I think I would have had them at home if I was complication free, but nothing ever guarantees no complications...

Answer 6

I think they are perfectly safe, as long as you have a licensed midwife there... otherwise.. I wouldnt like to hear of anyone attempting it. Think of it this way... humans gave birth without a hospital for thousands of years.... although it may not be everyones idea of a perfect birth... many people find it easier, more relaxing, and much more intimate. I personally wouldnt do it.. both my kids were/will be born in a hospital.. but I see why some people would prefer it.

Answer 7

Homebirths are statistically safer than hospital births because medical intervention CAUSE complications.

I transferred to the hospital for my last birth after 3 days of labour, and if I hadn't been vigilant the medical screwups would have killed my baby.

NEVER AGAIN!!! I would have to be dying to go to a hospital during labour.

Answer 8

I had one at home. The midwife didn't make it in time. The main difference is no one whisked him off and whacked off his foreskin. I imagine he'll thank me some day. There are risks, sure.

I have heard flying is safer than driving. Still, I like to drive, just the same. No one has ever relieved me of my pocket knife when I was driving.

Answer 9

I don't think there is anything wrong with home births as long as there is a midwife present.