Homebirth?

Question

yes or no. Tell me why. Tell me stories. I cannot chose!

Tell me experiances and should I do a pool birth? Would the baby drown?!

Answer 1

If you are healthy and low-risk pregnant woman, then HOMEBIRTH all the way!

If you research the history of childbirth, there were rarely complications. Most complications with non-hospital births occurred after industrialization and humans moving into closer proximity to each other... this, in turn, created an ideal environment for bacteria and illness to migrate easily from one person to another.

Before this time, the only major complications that arose were from more complicated (but not impossible and rarely life threatening) multiples births, nearly impossible transverse lies, and placenta previa.

Benefits of a homebirth include: less risk from unnecessary interventions and medications, less pressure from hospital or birth center staff on a time crunch, less adrenaline production which can inhibit or stall labor, less incidence of cesarean (hospitals have anywhere from a 20-60% c-rate in the US - simply from checking yourself in you are at risk; whereas homebirth carries a 6% cesarean rate (where they transfer you to the hospital for a cesarean)). Also, they carry higher incidences of being happy with your birth - which I know sounds silly, but it is important to enjoy your birth experience and find joy in both the journey as well as the destination.

Many ppl don't question the overuse of interventions, tests, medications, and policies/procedures that surround the hospital birth - even though many (most) are unnecessary and even risky to the overall health of mom and/or baby. Why does this happen? Over 60% of hospital revenue is tied up in the business of birth. To put it plainly: the money is in the business of MAKING SURE the general public believe and that the act itself is treated as RISKY. Birth itself is, in most instances NOT risky - it is what we do to birth that makes it risky. That is a FACT - whether or not you want to thumbs it up or down.

We are the second worse of the industrialized nations (U.S) when it comes to fetal mortality and morbidity and maternal morbidity... why? The one major difference between the U.S.'s way of dealing with childbirth and other developed countries is this: midwifery. In other countries, childbirth and pregnancy are treated as natural, normal occurances that do not require routine medication and intervention. In other countries, it is considered best and safest for a woman to birth in her own home, attended by a midwife or midhusband-like OB.. You will find, below, my blog, a well-researched paper on homebirth and it's safety, along with a link to more information on the mis-information surrounding birth that is propogated in the U.S.

Congrats on your pregnancy and I hope to hear a wonderful story of homebirth in the near future.

Answer 2

I had a hospital birth because there was no way my husband would let us do it at home. He almost died when he was born (at the hospital) and we live forty minutes away from the hospital. Most of my friends had their babies at home. They were much more comfortable there and were used to their surroundings. They said it was easier to sleep. They said that their doula cleaned up everything after and helped with meals. They also said that home birth is safe because the doulas can tell very early on if there will be a problem that requires a hospital and you will have plenty of time to get there. Some of them had water birth and some didn't. The reasons I have heard that people do water birth is that the water is as similar to the inside of the womb as possible and it makes the transition from the womb to the world easier. Childbirth is very painful for the baby to all of a sudden go from a dark warm place to a bright cold room. Babies don't breath in the womb because of the pressure of the fluids in the womb. Most babies won't try to breath while they are in the water during a water birth because the water feels the same as the womb. Every now and then a baby will open the mouth or eyes while still in the water and if the fluids (water and birth fluids) get into a bad place it can cause infection.

Many people chose not to birth at a hospital because hospital births are more likely to administer procedures that some people feel are not necessary. Some hospitals, for example, are very quick to opt for a c-section or administer drugs that the mother didn't want. Many of the drugs that doctors use during childbirth can interfere with breast feeding later. There is also a lot of research that suggests that there is some very important brain development that happens through the process of being squeezed out of the birth canal that c-section babies don't get.

As much as I would have loved to have a home birth, I found a hospital in my area that was very pro-breastfeeding. I got to labor in the whirl pool, I had my baby without drugs and then she and I shared a room during recovery. We labored, delivered and recovered in the same room the whole time and it was like staying at a bed and breakfast, not a hospital. We were very comfortable and well taken care of. I didn't want to go to a hospital where my baby would be off in some nursery. I feel that I personally got everything I wanted out of the hospital I chose.

My best advise is that you should look at all the options that your area has to offer and pick the one that will best be able to provide for you the kind of birth that you want. Good luck.

Answer 3

With a licensed midwife there is no reason not to. If you can achieve a more relaxed state at home then go for it. The midwife won't allow you to deliver at home if anything is off with your health...high blood pressure, low iron, etc. The midwife is also trained to spot and handle any situation that does not go according to plan and they can tell if there is a reason to call for an ambulance if there is some rare case that requires immediate medical attention. However, since they only let you birth at home if everything is looking good those rare cases of something being wrong are few...as I understand it. The only reason I am not doing a home birth is my husband...he would just not consider it for all the fears that have already been mentioned. My best friend had a home birth and it was wonderful. Often once you get into the car and drive to the hospital and go through everything you have to go through to get checked in your adrenaline has kicked in and slowed down your labor. Thus making it clear that staying in a comfortable environment is prime.

Just wanted to add...FYI if you birth at home and everything is fine...the midwife can take care of cutting the cord and stitches if necessary etc. You don't have to go to the hospital.

Answer 4

I sit on the fence here....as a mom, I can understand wanting the serenity of being at home. As a nurse, I have seen the difference a couple of minutes can make in the delivery of a child. I don't know the stats, and I don't claim to but I think that if you have a baby at home, you're taking a huge risk. (no offense to the midwives - i once wanted to be one). All I can say is that if something goes wrong, and when things go wrong, they can go wrong fast, I would want the ability to have a c - section or other interventions as fast as possible. I can understand wanting a midwife (they sometimes have better bedside manner than a doctor) but another option is finding a hospital that allows midwives to deliver babies there and has more home like rooms. that way you have the best of both worlds.

Answer 5

My daughter planned a home birth. She had an easy labor but when she started to push the baby's heart rate dropped-a lot. She ended up having a terrible ambulance ride with the midwife's hand up her trying to hold the baby off the cord. She delivered in the emergency room and the baby's first Apgar was a 2. In case you don't know the Apgar is a score of how a baby is doing right after birth and a few minutes later. It goes from 1-10. He recovered and is fine now, but if the hospital had been any further away he might well have died or had serious brain injury. Many hospitals have birthing centers, and there are birthing centers where the atmosphere is as home-like as possible and midwives deliver the baby. Find one of those.

Answer 6

Birth is not a complicated medical event, it is a natural one. Many studies have shown that home births, with a low-risk pregnancy, are just as safe as hospital births and have less maternal and infant injuries than hospital births. Midwives know just as much as an OB, they are just not trained in surgery, which is what OBs specialize in. Midwives specialize in the natural process of labor. If all goes well, there is no reason to be transferred to the hospital and the idea that a midwife cannot cut the cord or stitch you up is laughable. As long as my pregnancies remain low-risk, I will be giving birth to all of my children at home!


The baby will not drown if you do a water birth. They are in fluid in utero, they get oxygen from the placenta through the umbilical cord. Giving birth in water is actually a much easier transition for baby, going from liquid into liquid. It is less jarring for them.

Answer 7

My little sister was born at home with the help of a midwife. Since my mom had 2 previous healthy natural deliveries her doctor felt it was a safe idea. My mom labored in the bathtub mostly. It was a good experience.

Answer 8

If you choose a home birth the things I would worry about is if something were to happen. I had a normal pregnancy and everything seemed fine but my son was very sick when he was born and was rushed to the nursery where he spent 2 weeks being fed by a tube and I would feel safer knowing that if something went wrong they would have everything they needed and tons of doctors and nurses to help. If it was at home you might have o wait to get the help you needed.

Answer 9

i say no. so many things could possibly happen during birth to where you need immediate emergency attention and equipment (you or the baby) and it's just not available on hand at home. That's my main reason for being against it, God forbid anything happen, but sometimes you have to look at all aspects. Of course there's great positives...just the fact you're in your own hom is wonderful and the baby is being introduce to his/her home and it's quiet without doctors and nurses running all over the place, but i still perfer the hospital.

Answer 10

personally I would not do it. Birth is a complicated process. while women gave bith at home for thousands of years, infant and maternal mortality rates were through the roof! you can easily achieve a peaceful, low intervention brith in a hospital, and be prepared just in case there si a problem.