Monday, 14 September 2009
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Home Births Are Just As Safe!
"Childbirth at home with a registered midwife is just as safe as a conventional hospital birth, a study shows. In fact, planned home births of this kind may have a lower rate of complications, according to the study in the Sept. 15 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
"Among 13,000 planned births studied, researchers found that the mortality rate was similarly low — less than one in 1,000 — among women who gave birth at home with a midwife, women who gave birth in a hospital with a midwife, and women who gave birth in a hospital with a physician. Women who had home births were less likely to need interventions or to have problems such as vaginal tearing or hemorrhaging. Their babies were also less likely to need oxygen therapy or resuscitation. Study authors note that women who prefer home births tend to be healthier and otherwise more fit to have a home birth."
USA Today recently posted that article about the safety of a home birth:
My son will be three months old next week. He was born in a hospital and although the hospital was a nice one, the staff was very hesitant to respect our wishes for little intervention and a natural birth. Several other things happened and when it was all said and done, my husband told me "We should have had the baby at home like you wanted....it would have been much more peaceful." Needless to say, the rest of my children will be born at home. I'm very much looking forward to that time.
Obviously, the article is speaking of women who have had uncomplicated pregnancies. If anything might be "wrong" with my child, I would give birth in a hospital (or a birthing center) but, hopefully my next pregnancies will be as picture perfect as the first!
What do you think of this article? Does it change your opinion about home birth? Would you like to have your children be born at home?
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Comments (63)
I didn't have my baby at home, but at my midwife's home- still a 'home birth'. Wonderful experience, and I will do it again. Baby was so alert and bright; I recovered fast-- no tear, no drugs, no nothing!
I think it's cool that people do this. I had a very uncomplicated, normal pregnancy, but chose to have my baby in a hospital setting. I'm glad i did because she got stuck in the birth canal (i was not built quite right) and had to have an emergency c-section. I cringe at the thought if i would have been at home with those complications and had to get to the hospital ASAP. Sometimes you can't forsee problems like that. I think everyone makes the decision that they feel most comfortable with. Unfortunately now that i know i can't have a natural birth, our next one will be in a hospital as well. Oh well.
I like home births, they seem more relaxing & the water in the tub helps with the pain. I may want to do that if everything checks out ok & I can get to the hospital fast if need be.
I hate the fact that home birth gets flack too. Umm...HELLO?! What do you think women did before hospitals came about? Or even if there were, some women still couldnt go for whatever reasons. It seems like whenever science or modern medicine improves on something, the good old fashioned ways are frowned upon.
I had a friend that gave birth at a birthing center and loved it. No complications and a very natural birth.
My last child was delivered by a certified nurse midwife at the hospital. It was the nicest birth experience that I have had. Due to my age and other risk factors, I would have been unable to deliver at home, but this was the next best thing.
I had a home birth with my son and LOVED it! It was so peaceful and uncomplicated. I labored totally naturally for 26 hours before my son was born and everything was perfectly fine. At most hospitals, that would not have been the case. The midwives were there, but mostly let my husband and I alone, except to offer suggestions or to check my progress and/or the baby's heartbeat periodically. I was able to do pretty much anything I felt like doing- eating, moving around, getting in and out of the bathtub, regardless of whether my water was broken or not. I didn't have any IVs to drag around. The midwives would suggest different positions things I might like to try, but I never felt like I HAD to do anything. When it came time to push, I pushed when and how I felt like, nobody counting or telling me to push harder. I could feel everything because of the absence of drugs and was therefore was able to push much more effectively. My son was born after 8 minutes of pushing- the midwife never told me to stop pushing or to pant or anything and all I ended up with was the equivalent of a brush burn. Afterwards, I was up within an hour of delivering him and the next day felt almost back to normal, other than the feeling that every time I went to stand up, everything was going to fall out of me, lol.
If at all possible, we will have home births with all of our children.
Sometimes I wonder if things that are perceived as "emergencies" in the hospitals and by doctors are really not as bad as they are made to sound. Some things such as breach babies or getting stuck are things that midwives are trained to handle and know how deal with these things naturally. They often can "fix" things before ever needing to head to the hospital. But when the same things happen in the hospital, they are treated as an emergency and afterwards the doctor/nurse can say to the mother, "You should be so glad you were in the hospital instead of at home so we could rescue your baby!" Not that there is not a time and a place for doctors and hospitals in birth, and even in these particular situations, but it's not as often as doctors would like to make it sound.I'm glad this article was published- home birth needs more good publicity like this. It should be something that is recognized as safe and normal, instead of dangerous and weird.I'd be too scared to deliver at home! Unless I found an awesome midwife who could still my fears.
I would LOVE to try a home birth (Im currently preggo with my second) but really Im scared. My first was also a c section and I havent had a perfect pregnacy either time... I can dream right?
I'm planning a home birth for this pregnancy. My first delivery at the hospital was much more intervention filled than I wanted. I had some complications from the interventions. The birth would have gone more smoothly if I had been in a room by myself for the whole thing.
This time I'm delivering at home with a state licensed midwife. I feel much safer with this option than with the thought of going back to the hospital.
I had a no-intervention hospital birth, but I really had to fight for it. I would love to have had a home birth, but my insurance won't cover it and there are no practicing midwives in my area. Boo.
As a mother I can understand the overwhelming want to have a home birth, as I nurse I can just as easily see the many complications that can be life threathening to both the mother and the baby, and as a friend of someone who died in childbirth it is a very difficult decision and a very personal one. It is a shame people are bashing home birth or hospital births
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - just a small piece of info about what women did before hospitals, they delivered naturally but with a much higher rate of infant mortality and much higher occurence of death of the mother.
I've had 5 babies so far and my two favorite deliveries were the home births. The first one was quite dramatic because the midwife did not make it on time, but I still reallly liked being home for that birth. The second home birth was even better because I went with a different midwife who assured me that she would be there in time to deliver the baby!
Honestly, though the recovery after both of those births went very quickly and it was so nice to be at home for the whole labor. It seems like such a bummer that women have to hop in a car and actually go somewhere to have a baby when they are in so much pain. I'd much rather wait it out in the bathtub. :)
Of course, I realize that having a home birth is not for everyone nor is it safe for everyone. I would never want any of my friends to feel that I look down on them for having hospital births....that would just be really insensitive and stupid. Just as I don't think people should be looked down upon for having home births.
Well, with my daughter, I went into pre-term labor and spent a week on bed rest. The next week we discovered I was leaking fluid, so I went back to triage where, after being put on monitors, they said her heart rate was dipping. I was induced that day, 6 weeks early. So, I don't think I'd be comfortable with a home birth. I would love to have the next birth at a birthing center though. Not that I didn't like my doctor, she was great, but I'd rather have a midwife the next time as well. The appointments were rushed, and If I'm blessed enough to have a second child, I'd like to be more in control, if at all possible.
@enyas_mom@xanga - you're best bet for a VBAC is undoubtedly with a midwife. Depending on where you live, there may or may not be rules/regulations in place for whether or not you could attempt a homebirth. But regardless, when you're a VBAC you want a midwife who can assess you at home, be with you at home while you are in early labour, and move you to the hospital not too early or not too late either. Check out www.vbac.org for more info. All the best!
@Hot_fo_Teacher@xanga -
@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - just a small piece of info about what women did before hospitals, they delivered naturally but with a much higher rate of infant mortality and much higher occurence of death of the mother.
The argument can be made that infant and maternal mortality were high because of the unclean conditions, lack of handwashing etc. (childbed fever). When birth moved from home and midwives to hospitals and male physicians, yes, mortality rates dropped ....but we haven't seen much of an improvement since then with all our technology. So in the big picture, we could see less mortality, due to less interventions and a greater understanding of clean, safe practices - with more births at home under the skilled care of a midwife!
I think home births are a great idea.
But for ladies scared of the complications why not try hospitals with "birthing rooms" that are more like hotel rooms instead of a hospital room?
My husband and I have not yet had children, but at this point, I'm heavily leaning towards a home birth when that time comes. While I'm dreading hearing all the objections from extended family, as I've told my husband, I'm scared of hospitals, and it makes no sense to me why I would want to experience one of the most life changing moments of my life in a place where I'm scared. So, keep the positive home birth stories and statistics coming!
I've had two wonderful, healthy babies at home (7lb 7oz girl 2007, 9lb 9oz boy 2008) with the help of two midwives. It was an awesome experience and I am so thankful. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is healthy and complication-free!!
I was born at home, and look how I turned out! Then again, look how I turned out...
i might consider a home birth if i could still have the epideral...
I had two of my three boys at home, and the first was similar to your experience I think... I wanted a natural birth (in the hospital) and had to fight tooth and nail. It was actually the doctor who said to me after he was born: "You shoulda had this baby at home!" with not just a touch of anger in her voice. She was really REALLY pissed at me and didn't keep that a secret. Told me I wouldn't let her do her job and I shot back, "Well I'M the one having the baby! Why don't you let me do MY job!"
sigh. anyway, she sent me running for a home birth as fast as you can say it. And they were fantastic. I went through a practice of drs who deliver at home, so I had all of the office care, exams, etc, but the dr and nurses just came to my home. I also did water births, and I would suggest you try it! The BEST pain relief I experienced was getting into that tub!
Having your child in your own home, your own environment, surrounded by the people you want there is so beautiful. It takes the fear and anxiety out of the experience and you are left feeling empowered and beautiful. Many blessings in your next birth!
I would consider a home birth if I could get my insurance to cover it next time. This time we were surprised by our pregnancy and didn't have medical insurance yet. Medicare does cover a group of midwives that practices with a local hospital, though, so I am going to be giving birth with a MW in the hospital. I've heard fantastic things about them as far as allowing you to go w/o interventions and not interfering (apparently some hospital midwives are known as "med-wives" and do not have the same intentions as other midwives). The staff at the hospital is also very respectful of the midwifery practice patients' wishes, so that's good too.
If you want to see some great home births and get a ton of information on home birth, you should check out the documentary "The Business of Being Born"--it's a watch instantly pick on Netflix and you can buy it on amazon.com for less than $6! The movie is primarily about the way mother and infant care is treated in the United States as compared to other top industrialized nations. They present tons of info. about midwives and natural birth, though.
I think I would be a little more nervous having my first baby at home, but the more I've researched it, the more comfortable I feel about it. If I had the option, I'd probably even do it this time (first child). It's also tons cheaper, which is an often overlooked perk.
for more info: www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com, www.mybestbirth.com
All of my children were born in a hospital but I am not opposed to home births, one of my friends is a midwife (and doula'd for me previous to becoming a midwife) and I would completely trust her to deliver my children safely. The reason I didn't have a home birth is because by the time I met my friend, between #1 and #2 I already had an OB that I hand picked and I loved.
The key to an increase in the number of babies born with as little intervention as possible is to educate the mothers. One reason midwives have better outcomes, even vs. hospitals looking at only low risk pregnancies, is because their mothers are informed and involved. I'd bet you see the same rate of good outcomes amongst clients of crisis pregnancy clinics because they get SO much counseling and pre-natal care during the pregnancy whereas too many women go in for their monthly appointments, are afraid to ask to many questions and don't do their own research. The extent to which some people allow others to take control of their health amazes me. I think all pregnant women should be able to have access to a patient advocate EARLY on to educate them about their choices, about the birthing process, etc. As it is now taking a few hours of a class at the end of your last trimester is a complete joke.
@bubbelcat@xanga - That may be the best point yet (about informed mothers). I consented to a lot of interventions, but I was totally on top of it with my prenatal care, and since I knew what the doctor was doing and why, I never felt scared or out of control. I was just happy to meet my gorgeous, healthy son at the end of it.
The harsh reality is that you may experience something completely unanticipated and in the case of the baby it could easily turn tragic in a short period of time. Both of my boys needed intervention with breathing and I am greatful the staff at the hospital was there ready to wisk them away in the critical moments after birth. I could not imagine my life without my boys and am thankful every day for the team of doctors & nurses in the NICU at Grossmont Hospital. Thank God you were there for us!!!