homebirth

Advantages of Home Birth

Intimacy, Security, Safety . . .

Holistic Childbirth--Foundation for Lifelong Health
Š1997 Stacy L. Vandenput, B.A. Midwife, Certified Childbirth Educator, AAHCC

The way a baby comes into the world. sets the stage for development across the lifespan Likewise, a woman's pregnancy & birth experience builds the foundation on which her physical well being, self image and confidence as a parent are built. This carries over into all other roles she assumes throughout life.

Birth is a rite of passage in which woman, child and entire family are transformed in every realm--physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. However, contemporary approaches to childbirth focus only on the physical. We bend and shape the physical process of birth so that it fits neatly into a medically-defined model, while the emotional and spiritual implications are ignored.

90% of births in the United States have drugs administered or surgery performed. Furthermore, the U.S. is ranked 24th for infant mortality--babies born in 23 other nations have a better likelihood of surviving than those born in America, and the rate of premature birth is rising rather than falling as availability of high-tech, neonatal intensive care increases.

In response to these problems many families are returning to the non-technological, natural health traditions of midwifery and home birth. All animal species, including humans, have a tradition of home birth that can be traced back to the beginnings of time. Home birth is a safe, responsible choice for many healthy, pregnant women today. Most industrialized and non-industrialized nations alike continue to offer home birth services as a safe, affordable choice to childbearing families. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that temporarily lost its home birth tradition.

The World Health Organization urges the United States to return to a midwife based, natural childbirth tradition of health care to improve outcomes for our mothers and babies. Since the 1960's the number of planned home births with midwives in the United States has consistently risen every year. Although complications occasionally occur, midwives' statistics generally reflect a 90% - 95 % rate of excellent outcomes--that is thriving mothers & babies, born joyfully, naturally, lovingly at home.

With technology available at our fingertips in hospitals, why give birth at home in the way our great, great grandmothers did? The answer is different for every woman who chooses home birth. For some the reasons are economic, they simply cannot afford the high cost of modern obstetric services. However, many people who can afford the hospital are returning to home birth for other reasons.

Home birth promotes a feeling of security by taking place in the family's familiar surroundings with the presence of a midwife they have built a close relationship with throughout pregnancy. The laboring mother is given freedom to move and change position, her privacy is respected; mother, father and infant are never separated for routine procedures. This ensures that normal processes are not interfered with.

Hospital maternity services are influenced by insurance companies, legal concerns, economic factors and time constraints which reduce the ability to provide individualized care and leads to overuse of technology. In your own home these factors are not an issue. You give birth on your own terms and you are assured that the midwife you have chosen will be by your side through your entire labor, birth and bonding time.

Another factor is the desire for drug-free, natural birth. In home births there are no drugs, surgeries or medical procedures performed. Babies born naturally usually do not have to be separated from the family for medical reasons. They're alert and responsive making them more likely to succeed at breastfeeding.

Birth is a natural, physiological process, not an illness. When Jen and Jason of Green Bay, Wisconsin were planning a natural birth in the hospital, they found that "the more we questioned other parents and our medical team, we realized that we would be fighting an uphill battle. We really did not want to fight our way through one of the most important events of our lives".

Home birthing families enjoy greater responsibility for health care decision making. The mother is in control, not the midwife, nurses or doctor. Rachel & Sean of Marinette, Wisconsin state, "Being in control of our home birth, we were able to have a peaceful, natural birth and wonderful bonding experience with our newborn". Prenatal care with a midwife is a unique experience. Whether you are expecting your first baby or subsequent children, prenatal care is an integral part of the preparation for birth, breastfeeding and parenting. Through prenatal care you gain the information to make informed choices based on knowledge and understanding and to gain confidence in your body's ability to grow a healthy baby and give birth naturally. In some cases, information is discovered during prenatal visits that leads a woman and her partner to reconsider their choices so they can give birth under the safest possible conditions. During the past century we have been taught that childbirth is an extremely dangerous event which nearly always needs medical intervention. This belief leads many to question the safety of home birth. In all things in life, nothing is absolutely "safe". There are risks involved with driving, eating high-fat diets, even walking down the street.

There are also risks to giving birth. Whether in the hospital or at home, the potential for injury, infection, hemorrhage, and death are threats to mother & baby. In home births, there is slower access to technology if complications occur. However, midwives carry basic safety equipment and are experienced with CPR, first aid and handling unexpected situations.

There is not a single study to date that proves hospitals are the safest places for all women to birth. In the hospital, aggressive labor management procedures often cause or aggravate complications. , When healthy, well-nourished women labor and birth without interference, complications are unlikely.

"The American Academy of Family Physicians endorses the concept of family-oriented maternity care, recognizes and encourages birthing as a family event, and realizes home birth is a reasonable option, and that full and knowledgeable birth risks must be disclosed"(Compleat Mother, Fall 1997).

In the 1970's, Doctor Lewis Mehl studied 2000+ births, half were planned home births and half hospital births. Though his original theory was that home birth was not safe, the results showed fewer deaths, injuries, infections & cesarean sections in the home birth population. Of countries with the fewest infant deaths (Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany) home births with midwives account for 30% - 50% of all births. Women have been giving birth in this manner, all over the world for countless generations. The natural process works, we would not be here if there was a flaw in Mother Nature's system. If you are expecting a baby, planning a pregnancy or thinking about home birth, discuss your childbirth options with a midwife. Your initial visit will help you form a clear picture of the appropriateness of home birth for this pregnancy and this baby.

Birth is a joyful celebration of life, it is an important transitional event for all family members. "Children are a gift from the Lord; babies are a reward", (Psalm 127:3). As with all rites of passage, birth can be difficult & uncomfortable, but in the sanctity of your own home, the joy and reward of your hard work can be fully experienced. With a midwife by your side, you will find the inner strength to make it through your passage in a peaceful, nurturing way building a solid foundation for lifelong, holistic health.

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