Homebirth 101
In our world today, birthing people have several options for where and how they choose to birth their babies. One such option is a homebirth. A homebirth is precisely what it sounds like, a birth at home. More and more people choose to give birth to their babies in their own homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded that U.S. non-hospital births have increased by 60% from 2004 to 2012, although the percentages are minimal: from 0.87% to 1.36%. Further, a study of almost 17,000 U.S. women found that interventions are lower for homebirths than births in hospitals, without any increase in adverse outcomes. For example, the C-section rate for women who had a homebirth was 5.2%, compared to 27% for low-risk women in the U.S.
Most people who choose to give birth at home do so because they want to be in a comfortable space where they can move freely and be undisturbed. In general, homebirth is a quiet and intimate experience. Unlike many hospital birth experiences, the birthing family controls the environment and can decide how they want things to be. The lights can remain low, music can play, and partners and doulas can provide support and guidance. Also, many birthing people choose homebirth because they can labor in a birth tub, which is one of the most soothing tools to relieve pain. Virtually all people who labor at home will utilize a birth pool for that very reason, though not all do.
While some families choose to give birth at home alone, most people choose to work with a midwife. The midwife works closely with the family from pregnancy and is often an integral part of the birthing experience. As for who else is present, it can vary from family to family. Most often, it's just the birthing person, their support person, and a midwife. The midwife will often have an assistant who can help them as needed.
The midwives' central role is to ensure that the birthing person and the baby are safe. Midwives are trained in the medical side of labor and can assist a family in many ways. Many midwives "carry a doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat in labor, medications to stop bleeding after birth, oxygen, suturing equipment, IVs and antibiotics, etc. Many are also certified in neonatal resuscitation and infant CPR and trained in advanced fetal monitoring. A midwife may involve herself during birth by 'receiving the baby' or, during the immediate postpartum, ensuring the placenta is birthed safely, keeping a watchful eye on bleeding, giving stitches when needed, performing a head-to-toe newborn exam (including weight and measurement), and assisting with breastfeeding."
Another reason families are drawn to homebirths is that it is often the best chance at having a physiologic birth, a birth that occurs without intervention. Deciding not to use interventions has been shown to have numerous benefits for the birthing person and baby, including "a better transition to breathing for the baby, less genital trauma for the birthing person, quicker recovery from birth, increased rates of breastfeeding, improved parent-infant attachment, and decreased incidence of postpartum depression."
Planned homebirths have also been associated with reduced rates of obstetric interventions, such as C-sections and other adverse perinatal outcomes. There are no machines, no unnecessary interventions, and continually fewer people at a home birth. This allows the birthing person to relax and surrender to the process.
To be a good candidate for homebirth, a person and pregnancy need to be "low-risk," which generally means no significant medical problems present before or during the pregnancy. For most people, homebirth is a safe and great option.
If this is something you want to learn more about, come and discover the gift of gentle birth on your terms, in the safety and comfort of your home. Our upcoming homebirth class will offer a deep dive into our anatomy and physiology and an emotional labyrinth of birth, functional movement, the integral role of partners, breastfeeding preparation, and so much more.
Throughout 4-weeks, with two-hour sessions per week, we will teach information specific to your chosen birth location. For more information, click here.
