Understanding Home Birth: The Pros and Cons

Choosing where to deliver your baby may be a daunting task. You are bound to get conflicted and subjective responses from other mothers, your parents, health care providers, and the internet. Every maternal experience and delivery is unique, which makes your doctor’s opinion paramount. But what exactly are home births? How safe are they? What are the essentials required? Here is a guide that will answer most, if not all, of your vital concerns on home births.

What Is a Home Birth?

When you choose to have your baby delivered at home instead of a hospital or a birth center, this is referred to as a home birth. Only certified labour and delivery practitioners should be allowed to facilitate this. These include certified obstetrics, midwives, and nurse midwives. Always consult your doctor on the possible complications of giving birth at home before concluding. Receiving comprehensive maternal support from health centers such as Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Private Healthcare will help you understand whether you are a viable candidate for home delivery.

Recommendations for a Home Birth

If you have undergone a C-section in your previous deliveries or have had multiple pregnancies, your best delivery option is a hospital. Always refer to your doctor during prenatal care visits for an expert opinion. Other non-viable candidates for home birth are women with high blood pressure, in need of pain relief interventions during labour, abnormal vaginal bleeding, incorrect baby positioning for delivery, and signs of baby distress in the womb.

Your midwife may also be obligated to transfer you to a hospital if labor is not progressing well or experiencing complications with your placenta.

Pros of a Home Birth

Feedback from women who have given birth at home is that they were more in control and more familiar and comfortable in their home setting. There are also no restrictions to who can experience the process with you. You will most likely receive no pressure into how much time your body should labor and how long your delivery can take. This means that you do not receive unnecessary medical interventions to speed up things and your experience becomes as natural as you planned.

Choosing which delivery position is soothing to your body and what you can eat are also other pleasures you can receive.

Cons

If any complications arise, you need to be rushed to a hospital, and time is very vital. Include a hospital that is easily accessible from your home in your birth plan. Be prepared to purchase a lot of medical supplies to aid in your delivery. Your insurance coverage may also not extend to your home delivery, and this is crucial to consider. Cross-checking that your health provider is trained and certified could also take some bit of time.

After a home delivery, your baby will require pediatric consultation. Talk to your doctor and see how soon your baby needs to be seen. Home births can be risky, but the decision is solely yours and should only be done under the advice of your doctor.