Home births attended by trained nurses and midwives are seen as safe and emotionally satisfying, with proponents arguing that medical intervention is not always necessary. However, major medical organizations maintain that hospital births are safer due to the unpredictable nature of childbirth and the availability of medical professionals. Women who are good candidates for home births are those without medical conditions and who have not had a previous cesarean delivery. Anesthesiologists and home births do not mix, and mothers should arrange for postnatal care if choosing to give birth at home.
For many, the idea of giving birth conjures up images of a sterilized hospital room, with the mother cared for by nurses and doctors, while friends and family stroll through the waiting room. In our modern times, hospital birth seems to be the only safe option expectant mothers have for childbirth. Proponents of home births believe that having your baby delivered at home, attended by trained nurses and nursing midwives, is just as safe, if not safer, and more emotionally satisfying than a hospital birth.
For millennia, mothers have delivered their babies at home, whether it was a cave, a tent, or out on the open prairie. While advances in medicine are undeniably beneficial to both mother and baby, many believe that medical intervention isn’t always necessary. Proponents of home births believe that while modern medicine is helpful and often necessary, most mothers who have had a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy can safely deliver a baby at home.
Proponents of home births suggest that the United States’ poor ranking in global infant mortality is partly due to the excessive use of medical interventions in hospital births. An oft-cited study shows that the lowest infant mortality rate in the United States is in the state of Vermont, which boasts the highest rate of home births. While this statistic can be attributed in part to other factors, such as good antenatal care, it also provides support for home births. Studies have shown that home births are as safe, if not safer, than hospital births among healthy candidates.
Most major medical and medical organizations are firm in their position that a hospital birth is safer due to the unpredictable nature of childbirth. In a hospital there are trained obstetricians, anesthesiologists, surgeons and pediatricians ready to intervene in case of complications. Women who are good candidates for a home birth are those who do not have medical conditions such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or high blood pressure and who have not had a previous cesarean delivery. For women who have had premature labor or are pregnant with multiples, or for women whose baby is in the breech position by 37 weeks, a hospital delivery is recommended.
Anesthesiologists and home births don’t mix, which means that if you choose to give birth at home, you must commit to giving birth without an epidural or other pain medication. A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) or Certified Direct Access Midwife (CPM or CM) should be present. Some doctors make home deliveries, but make sure your insurance covers a home birth. The doctor attending the birth should come prepared with the proper equipment for emergency care for you and your baby in an emergency. Also, there should be a backup plan for emergency transfer to a nearby hospital if there is a problem.
One aspect of a hospital birth that many mothers who opt for home births miss out on is the excellent labor and postnatal care they receive in the hospital. If you decide to give birth at home, you should arrange for postnatal care to monitor you and your baby’s recovery, as well as someone to look after the home and family during your recovery.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
