Homebirth

While not for everyone, homebirth is a safe option for low risk pregnant women who feel comfortable birthing at their home (or maybe even the home of a friend or family member).  I've had two homebirths, my first birth being a hospital birth because I didn't know about homebirth then.  After the birth of my first, I turned my passion for pregnancy and birth into a career, becoming a double-certified childbirth educator.  My next two, and future children, will be homebirths providing no complications arise during pregnancy or labor that would make birthing in a hospital safer.

Homebirth requires a lot more responsibility on the part of the pregnant mom-to-be.  She must also be very aware of herself, so she can pick up on anything out of place that might turn into a problem.  Her husband or partner must be willing to birth at home, and everyone on the birth team must also be supportive, because those who are unsupportive can cause unhealthy stress during labor.  The mother to be should be well informed of the birthing process and be educated on her options concerning pain control and management.  Obviously at home, drugs are not used during the labor process, instead the mom uses the tools she had been taught prior, accepts the help of her midwife and birth team, communicates her needs, and is mentally prepared to handle the pain and realize why it is happening and that it is a temporary pain.

Birthing at home can be a hugely empowering experience.  Women are going to dig deep within themselves to handle the pain and conquer fears.  They learn about themselves and develop confidence in themselves, because for most going through labor without pain medication is the biggest fear they'll ever have!  But they do it anyway, to keep unnecessary intervention away from them and their baby (the midwives who will attend the birth at home with you will be well trained at watching you to be sure you are coping well, they'll also listen to heartbeats, check your vitals, and be well aware of the situation to head off any potential 'problems' whereas the hospital will always use unnecessary intervention claming it is part of the routine, whether you need it or not - and some of that intervention will actually cause more problems! 

Other reasons for a homebirth include

• Being uncomfortable in hospitals (home can be calming and comfortable, and if you are uneasy or have anxiety over where you are, that will often cause barriers in your labor)

• Avoiding pain medication / afraid of caving to medication (staff at the hospital may be overwhelming when it comes to offering pain medication and they tend to ask you when you are most vulnerable)

• The desire to be around a large group of family, or your children (in many hospitals there is a cap for the number of people allowed in the room with you when you birth (usually it's one or two people!) and children are generally not allowed for long periods of time or during the birth)

• The desire to bond with your baby without interruption, time away after birth for "observation" of a healthy baby,

• Being uncomfortable birthing around people you don't know or aren't comfortable with

• Avoiding the possibility of getting sick or your baby getting sick from viruses in the hospital

• Wanting the freedom to eat and drink, move at will, not be tied to IV tubes or monitors when there is no indication of complication

• Desiring the freedom to birth how you want

Many moms have their own reasons.  My own reasons were to avoid unnecessary intervention, be able to birth in the positions I wanted, to be around my family, have my children present and best of all: be able to lie down in my own bed after the birth.  My second homebirth was another awesome experience and I loved being able to sit on the couch after a shower, doze with my newborn, and still be around my family as we all bonded.  My mom took phenomenal pictures of both homebirths during labor, got step-by-step birth pictures, and pictures immediately postpartum.

Think you want a homebirth?  Look into it in your area.  Look up 'midwives' in your phone book and call local birth centers and other midwives listed for referrals.  Visit BirthPartners  and check out the Citizens for Midwifery website for listings.  Meet with all of the homebirth midwives in your area before deciding on one.  Never stop learning about your options for your homebirth.  Have a backup plan incase a hospital transfer is necessary.  Have your emergency numbers and directions to your home and to your nearest hospital directly on your fridge - if an emergency does crop up, you don't know who will be making necessary calls and you want to be sure they have all the info they need at hand.