Why choose to have your baby at home?
Why Choose to have your baby at home? Why Not? It was not that long ago when most women had their babies at home, without any choice. Birthing in hospital was reserved for pregnant women who were ill or had complications. However since then, giving birth in hospital had become the “norm”, although research suggests having a baby at home is a safe if not safer than in hospital if there are no known risk factors.
So why not?
Having your baby in the privacy and comfort of your own home is a very special, emotional and spiritual experience. From planning your birth, and deciding who will be your support in labour, to thinking about where the best place would be to set up the birthing pool, you are mentally preparing your self for the amazing process of giving birth.
As midwives we have supported many, many, women as they have planned and birthed their babies at home. Each birth is so amazing and unique, each woman deciding for herself, in labour, what position she wants to adopt to aid the passage of her baby, and she decides which position suits her best for the birth. She controls who is present, how warm the room is, what she wears, whether she is walking around in the garden or snuggled up in the bedroom. She dictates if the music is on or whether there is silence. She decides when she wants a cup of tea or something to eat and if she wants to make it. In short, she remains in control of her labour and birth. Giving birth can be a frightening experience unless you are prepared. Understanding what happens at birth and what you can do to help you body complete this most amazing, yet normal, physiological process really does make a difference. Being relaxed and allowing your body to work, without fear producing adrenaline (hormone that slows labour) is one of the main advantages of having your baby at home.
Planning a home birth is easy, just talk to your midwife at any time during your pregnancy and explain your wishes. You will need to provide a little protection to carpets and /or bed. She will bring along everything else. She will discuss contact details, and arrange for midwifery cover for when your baby is due.(It may not be a midwife you know). When you are in labour you call your midwife. Instead of going to the hospital the midwife will come to you. She will stay with you once labour is established carefully monitoring you and your baby’s progress, in a relaxed and unhurried atmosphere, until your baby is born. She will often call a 2nd midwife to attend just for the birth. Together, they will ensure both you and your baby are well, and help you guide your baby to the breast, if that is your wish.
Once the placenta is delivered, she may well leave you and your partner together for a few minutes to wonder at your baby. When you are ready she will weigh and measure your baby, counting fingers and toes. This is a wonderful opportunity for photos, then either you, your partner or the midwife will dress the baby. Later she will help you to have a bath. The midwife will, all the time be monitoring you and the baby closely, and only when she is satisfied that everything is normal, will she leave you, usually tucked up in bed with your new baby, feeling the cleverest person in the whole world. Which, of course, you are.
This was taken from a letter of thanks from a wonderful woman who has just had her first baby at home.
"I just wanted to say a huge “thank you” for all your help and support you gave and my partner during the birth of our beautiful daughter. Your encouragement and belief in my ability to give birth without the need of mediatised pain relief really empowered me, enabling me to really relax and “let go” and just allow my body to get on with the job of birthing my baby.
I can honestly say it is one of the most amazing experiences of my life and one I will treasure forever. Thank you again"
Ask your midwife about homebirth or ring your local maternity unit to find out more. You will usually be supported in your request.However,although you do have a right to request support for a homebirth, in some areas there is a shortage of midwives and it may be that they cannot guarantee that there will be one available to care for you when you go into labour. This would be explained to you and you would then have to go into hospital to have your baby.Independent midwives frequently get requests from women in this situation or from women who want to know that the midwife they have got to know during their pregnancy can guarantee to care for them for their homebirth.
Written by Caroline Baddiley and Chrissy Hustler, Independent Midwives