TheHolisticParent.ORG Why Consider A Homebirth

Why Consider A Homebirth

Let me just start by saying homebirth is a wonderful thing, and there are lots of
reasons why. Homebirth is starting to increase in popularity again as more
midwives are becoming available. One thing is clear. Women want choices. We
have become dissatisfied with the medical system and the treating of pregnancy
more as a disease than a natural event. The way birth is managed in the
hospital is an awful experience for growing numbers of women, not to mention
downright dangerous. Yes, that’s right. There is a terrible misconception out
there that it is safer in the hospital, but this is simply not that case. Most people
take security in the thought of “at least I’ll be in the hospital in case anything
happens”. Research has shown that for the 90% of low risk pregnancies,
birthing at home is safer. Plain and simple.

If birth was so safe in the hospital, the United States should be a leader in
maternity services. This is not so. There are only three industrialized countries
that are ranked worse than the United States, and they are Slovakia, Lithuania,
and Latvia. Every other industrialized nation has better maternity care! That is
astounding. It is also upsetting considering the U.S. spends over $50 billion on
maternity care annually, which is more than any other country in the world!
Maternal morbidity rates are increasing, and the U.S. ranks 27th in terms of
infant mortality among industrialized nations. This means 27 countries have
lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. These facts do not lie. Our country’s
maternity care system needs a major overhaul.

Thankfully, there is another option. Homebirths have a great track record of
safety. Midwives are very skilled labor and birth attendants. Women have been
birthing this way since the beginning of time. It is the most natural holistic way to
birth. The movement of birth into the hospital is only a very recent occurrence in
our existence. One interesting statistic is that 90% of the world’s population alive
today was born at home. In fact, this is the norm in many other countries. The
maternity system in the Netherlands, for example, has been extensively studied
because of their low rates of maternal and infant mortality. Not surprisingly, a
third of their population is born at home! For women in the Netherlands that do
give birth in the hospital are still attended my skilled midwives. Obstetric
physicians/surgeons are only reserved for cases where there are complications
requiring this type of care. The United States could do well to follow this example.

So, safety and dissatisfaction with hospital birthing aside, why do women
choose to give birth at home? Women that birth at home find great comfort and
satisfaction with being in the comfortable, familiar surroundings. There is much
less restriction than in the hospital. A laboring woman may move about freely;
eat and drink as she pleases; labor and birth in any position she wants; control
the amount of visitors; not have strangers present; no interruptions, distractions,
or loss of focus; and no separation with her baby after birth. With homebirth,
there is no rush to change hospital rooms, and no poking or bothering of the
infant following birth. A woman can freely nurse her baby, rest by her baby, and
bond with her baby. In actuality, homebirth is much more convenient. Truthfully,
all women should be able to have those freedoms surrounding their births.
Arbitrary, non-evidence based restrictions set by the hospital should not dictate a
woman’s birth. It is her birthing, her experience.

There is another tiny person who shares in the birth experience: the baby! Many
women choose homebirth because it is without a doubt a very pleasant
experience for the baby. The baby is able to have immediate contact with his/her
mother without having hospital personnel pestering for vital signs. There are no
bright lights, no tests to perform, no rushing, no separation, etc. The baby
experiences all these things in the hospital, and they do have an impact on the
baby. There is usually a noticeable difference in a baby born into a calm
peaceful environment. This type of environment is easier to achieve at home.
Homebirth babies are typically happy, calm, easygoing babies. I think this is a
direct result of their beautiful entries into the world.

Homebirth is much more environmentally friendly and cost conscience. It is
estimated if homebirths were the norm, our country would only spend 12 billion
annually instead of 50 billion annually. There is a reduced amount of waste
produced during homebirths and less medical supplies used.

Homebirths also prevent a woman and her baby from being exposed to
dangerous hospital infections. Nosocomial infections as they are called have
become an increasing problem in hospitals as strains resistant to antibiotics
begin to spring up. Infants are most susceptible to these infections. Hospitals
are places where people go when they need “sick care”, not where they should
go if they are healthy, giving birth to healthy babies.

More interested in homebirth after learning the facts? Do your research. I feel
confident you’ll like the things you find. Check out our book recommendations
too for some excellent reading.

Did you know that homebirth is not yet legal in all 50 states? Yes, it’s true.
Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, North
Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming make it illegal for a certified professional
midwife to attend a birth severely limiting a woman’s choices regarding her birth.
Are you outraged that woman aren’t presented with options in our country or
trusted to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and their births? Do
you think the government should dictate how women should be able to give birth
or is this not a proper function of the government? If you agree women should be
able to choose where they give birth and who they want to be present, then what
can you do to help? Support your midwives! Write your state representatives and
tell them you support midwives and homebirth. Demand laws be changed to
allow midwives to practice. Hold fundraisers to raise funds for legal fees
involved in getting laws changed. We can take a stand and take back our births.
It is our right.

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