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Choosing To Have Babies At Home
 As
the desire for home
birth grows, the number of studies and statistical data continue to grow and
give us a greater understanding of the risks and benefits. As long your
pregnancy
is going well and you are healthy, you should be able to have a home birth (DH
2007: 12, Welsh Assembly Government 2005: 26, Scottish Executive 2001 Maternity
Matters 2008).
If you've had a baby before, and the birth was complicated, you may be
advised to have your next baby in hospital. But this doesn't mean you
can't have a home birth. Some women go ahead, even
though they are not "ideal" candidates. According to the report, called "Home
Births in the United States, 1990-2009", the number of home births actually
increased between 2004 and 2009 by 29%, an upturn of 0.56% in 2004, to 0.72% in
2009. In 2009, a total of 29,650 home births were reported in the United States.
Benefits Of Home Births
- More private, less chaotic
- The woman is surrounded by the comforts of her own home
- Fewer people involved
- Lower chance of a
C-section
- Cheaper
- More personal experience
Midwife Presence at Home Birth: how to choose?
 In many countries of the world, midwives are the primary caregivers for women
during pregnancy and
labor.
For a midwife birth is a normal physiologic event rather than a medical
condition. They learn methods for supporting and promoting women's physical and
emotional health to optimize the reproductive process. The care they give
consists of thorough physical assessment and prevention of complications through
education in self-care, emotional support, and nurturing of the woman throughout
her pregnancy and labor.
You can choose a Certified nurse-midwives (CNM) to care for you during your
pregnancy as long as you're in good health (meaning you have no serious chronic
medical conditions, such as
high blood pressure, epilepsy,
heart disease, or
diabetes).
There are several questions you might consider prior to deciding on one type
of practitioner versus another. Consider the following:
-
Are you comfortable with the idea of birthing in your home?
-
Do you want to use medication for pain relief during the labor process?
-
How important to you are interventions such as routine ultrasounds?
-
Are you willing to cover part of the costs incurred by delivery?
-
Do you prefer to deliver in privacy?
-
Are you interested in water births?
-
Do you prefer to have someone familiar at your side at all times during
delivery?
Your answers may influence your decision to go with an accredited or
non-accredited midwife.
Equipment you might need?
 You won't need much. A few weeks before your due date, your midwife will
bring round a birth pack containing all the bits and pieces she needs. You could
put this in a box along with the things you'll need to have to hand. You
probably already have most of these dotted around your home:
-
plastic sheeting to protect your floor, bed or sofa
-
old towels or sheets to cover the plastic sheeting
-
a couple of containers in case you're sick during labor
-
a warm blanket or throw, in case you get cold
-
a desk light so your midwife can check the area around your vagina for
tears after the birth
-
a baby blanket and perhaps a portable heater to keep your baby warm
after she's born
-
bin liners for tidying up dirty linen and rubbish afterwards
Otherwise, you need the same things that you would pack for a hospital
birth. These will probably be clean, comfortable clothes for you and your baby,
toiletries and home comforts. At home, you can have candles, too! In fact, in
your own home you can go a bit further and create your perfect environment for
giving birth.
No matter what type of practitioner you choose to assist you and your baby
during childbirth, you need to make sure that they are the right person for you
and your baby.
For Further Ref:
Dated 18 February 2012
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