Why Homebirth?

When I tell others that we have decided to go ahead with a homebirth, I get many different reactions. I have friends and family who are extremely supportive (some who have had homebirths themselves, others who would want to, and then friends who are just supportive despite their own opinions), friends and family who don't really understand why I'd even want to try something like that, and others still who are completely against the idea. I can understand each position, especially the last two, as homebirth is something rather "against the grain" - considering less than 1% of women in America deliver their babies at home.

So, I wanted to go ahead and address some of the reasons I've desired a homebirth for so long, and am excited that we will be having one!

Unlike some who are pro-homebirth, I have, thankfully, never had what I would consider a bad birthing experience in the hospital (although Joel's birth was one that definitely changed my perspective on things in a lot of ways). I've always been able to deliver without medication, without excessive intervention, and the outcome has always been a healthy baby and mama, of which I am extremely thankful to the Lord for.

However, with each pregnancy and delivery, I've felt more and more as if things could actually be... different. Better, even. Natural, rather than medical. Peaceful rather than rushing to get to the hospital, being poked, prodded, questioned, monitored, told what I could and (mostly) could not do. With each child I've had, the hospital has felt more and more like a battlefield rather than a birthplace.

With this upcoming baby, Michael and I were going over our "list of things we don't want done" (this list has grown and been added to as we've continued to research the "standard procedures" of hospitals and their actual purpose and safety)... such as:

• mandatory IV or IV port
• limited laboring and pushing positions
• restricted eating and drinking during labor
  
• clamping the umbilical cord right away
• pitocin after birth to help expel placenta
• tugging at umbilical cord or pushing on uterus to help expel placenta
  
• newborn Hep B vaccination
• newborn eye ointment
• newborn Vitamin K shot
• any separation of mother and baby at all while in hospital
• constant (every 2 hour) wakings at night to check vitals and such

All of these things are considered part of the package deal when delivering at a hospital, yet all of them carry their own risks that patients are not even informed of! It was not until I started asking "why" to these things, and doing my own research, that I discovered the risks, as well as the more natural ways that God has put into place to accomplish what the hospital is trying to do artificially.

As you can see, there are alot of things we'd be "fighting the system" on - which gets exhausting and stressful, at times, and there are certain things hospitals and doctors just DO anyway, citing policy, regardless of the patient's desires about it.

That's when the casual mention of homebirth came up... and the rest is history!

I'd like to address the biggest concern I hear about homebirth - and that is the issue of safety. While there are many studies out there that are available proving that birth at home for women who are not considered "high-risk" is just as safe (if not safer) than birth in a hospital for the same group (if you are curious, just Google it!), I'd like to share my personal conviction about birth in general, and why I am comfortable pursuing a homebirth.

I have always, from the beginning of my first pregnancy, believed deeply that birth is natural. I believe that God designed and created the female body specifically with the ability to nurture, grow, and ultimately deliver babies. Just as digestion is a natural process that God gave the body the ability to do, so is birthing. Granted, since we are now in a fallen world, there are times that pregnancy and birth can have complications. There are times when our digestive systems can have complications. For both situations, it is a blessing to have good medical care available to help solve these problems. For that reason, I am not "anti-hospital".

However, with digestion, I do not make sure I am at the hospital every time I eat "just in case" something goes wrong. I trust my body to do what it needs to do. The same with birth - I do not feel the need to be in a hospital every time I have a baby "just in case" there are complications, which (praise God) I have yet to have. An experienced midwife has the knowledge and skill needed to assist birth without requiring all of the "routine" interventions that hospitals require "just in case". And, an experienced midwife will also have the knowledge and skill to recognize when a complication has arisen and a mother or baby *is* in need of a hospital's care, and will know when to make that call. Rarely (although popular media likes to portray it differently) is birth an "emergency" situation!

In fact, it can be argued that taking a low-risk woman to the hospital to give birth actually introduces more risks than if she were to stay home to deliver. Interestingly, although America's homebirth rate is very low compared to other developed countries, our maternal and fetal death rates are extremely high in comparison! That's an interesting statistic to really take a look at. The hospital has unfamiliar germs, and many of the interventions that are considered routine in the hospital setting (some of which I listed above) easily lead to more interventions, which can lead to a complete interruption of the natural labor cycle, leading to further interventions that can result in a longer, more difficult labor, fetal distress, or even Cesarean section. Although C-sections have become more "normal" in today's world, that doesn't negate the fact that a C-section is serious surgery, with its own risks and recovery issues.

For those who are personally concerned with my choice, the midwife we have chosen is well-experienced. She is certified nationally as a Certified Professional Midwife as well as through the state of Tennessee. She has delivered over 2000 babies in over 30 years. She is also very active in midwifery activism, which means she understands her reputation is valuable - she will not take unnecessary risks! I trust her abilities as well as her judgment. Also, in case a transfer to the hospital does become necessary, I am preregistered and my previous maternal care provider is aware of the situation. My bases are covered, so to speak.

A movie I highly recommend regarding the issue of maternity care in the United States and the safety of homebirth is The Business of Being Born. It is available through DVD or Watch Instantly on Netflix, as well as YouTube (broken into 10 segments). The documentary is very well done, although I must give the warning that there are graphic birth scenes (ie. nudity) so discretion must be taken when watching it with little ones around.

I also really enjoyed the book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"... some of the birth stories highlighted are a bit "hippy" for my taste, but as far as addressing natural birth, the safety of homebirth, and well as natural ways to deal with things that come up during labor and delivery - the book is a wealth of information. I recommend it as reading for all pregnant mamas, even if you're not interested in homebirth! Its that good.

Hopefully this clears up a few of the questions or concerns I've received about why I've longed for a homebirth. I'll be posting more as the time grows closer, about things I'm doing to prepare as well as more thoughts - I have lots of them! ;-)