Home Birth Facts and info about home Birth.
Since Covid has been a thing, more and more people (including myself) are having or considering a home birth for the first time. What’s the reasons, what’s the why’s and how could so many people be changing their minds? Well, in today’s snapshot I’m going to share some of the information found in two articles that I’ve read recently that has helped me personally come to a decision to birth from home, but may also affect those of you considering it also.
Articles Referenced:
The Advantages of an Out-Of-Hospital Birth by Suzanne Smith, Certified Professional Midwife.
“Giving Birth is an act of love, and each birth is unique to the mother and her baby. Yet we also share the same womanly physiology and the same exquisite orchestration of our birthing hormones. Our capacity for ecstasy in birth is also both unique and universal, a necessary blessing that is hard-wired into our bodies, yet that requires, especially in these times, that we each trust, honor and protect the act of giving birth according to our own instincts and needs.” (Ecstatic Birth- pg 8)
Both of these amazing articles highlight how and why a woman’s body is capable of such an incredible process like birthing. The science is there to back it up, but the respect of such an awe-inspiring process is what brings the information together to give a solid base on how and why women should pursue the possibility of uninterrupted home birth (when medically possible).
My First Experience with home birth
Before I attended my first home birth in January 2020, I had my hesitations and would openly admit that the idea of having my own home birth was a very unfamiliar and rather uncomfortable thought. But, after that experience and many others after that, I realized that home births offered a lot of what I was looking for when birthing my children.
Of course, having additional articles, research and studies to backup the ‘whys’ of the home birth perks definitely gave me more confidence in my decision to have my own home birth this coming spring.
Spontaneous labour in a normal woman is an event marked by a number of processes so complicated and so perfectly attuned to each other that any interference will only detract from the optimal character. (G. Kloosterman, professor of obstetrics, Ecstatic Birth- pg 8)
‘What if something goes wrong’ is inevitably one of the first hesitations that flies into someone’s brain when they are seriously considering a home birth. But, through these two articles research and studies show that a familiar, comfortable, lower infection areas with selective and trained attendants, is the optimal choice when choosing a birthing location.
Hospitals are not known to be familiar, comfortable or have a lower infection rate than the average family home. In addition to having unfamiliar people and processes that wreak literally havoc on birth and immune systems during birth.
The only thing required from the bystanders is that they show respect for this awe-inspiring process by complying with the first rule of medicine– nil nicer [Do No Harm]. (G. Kloosterman, professor of obstetrics, Ecstatic Birth-pg 8)
The Gist of it
The main points in both these articles combine to tell us that Home-birth:
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Is safer for normal, healthy women to birth
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Lowers the chance of infection in Mothers and babies
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Gives Birthing parents more control and attention
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Is more comfortable physically and emotionally
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Gives more support to the parents for the birth they want
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Supports Natural pain relief
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Is less expensive
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Has a more intimate and personal touch
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Consistency and confidence in your Delivering attendant
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Creates a more optimal environment to allow birth to occur naturally and undisturbed supporting our bodies & hormones to do the job they were intended for.
I know there are many other articles and research done of both sides of the fence so If you’ve read something that helped in making your decision to birth in, or out of, the home I’d love to read about it! Email me with your suggestions! I can’t wait to read them!
Also, If you have liked these photos and are interested in capturing your own home birth, I’d love to talk to you that! You can read about
my own home birth story here
