Home Birth

Should I Think About Home Birth?

Have you considered giving birth at home? For some women, this idea might sound a bit strange. Isn't a hospital the only place you can give birth? Actually, no. Giving birth at home is something that women have been doing since, well, since they started giving birth.

Having your baby at a hospital is an idea that has only gained popularity during the twentieth century. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 90% of the world's current population was born at home. And considering that the world is six billion strong, it seems that giving birth at home doesn't necessarily put you at a disadvantage.

However, having a home birth isn't for everyone. If your pregnancy has been classified as being complicated in anyway, then you may be better off giving birth at a hospital. If you are in the majority of women who are in good health and are having a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, then home birth is an option for you.

Home Births Are Gaining Popularity

In Australia, the United Kingdom and Holland it is very common for women to choose a home birth rather than a hospital birth. In North America, the increasing trend towards home birth can be see with the growing number of celebrities who have chosen to give birth at home. Cindy Crawford, Demi Moore, Lucy Lawless, Meryl Streep, Lisa Bonet, Carol King, Pamela Anderson, Jade Jagger and Kelly Preston are just a few.

One of the reasons that people have opted (or perhaps never questioned) for having a child in a hospital was because of the belief that it is safer. For a time, this was true. However, women today are healthier, receive better care throughout their pregnancies and have better living standards than in the past. All of this, along with improvements in technology, has contributed to making home births just as safe, if not safer than hospital births.

The Safety of Home Births

Even the World Health Organization has said that there is no proof that hospital births are safer than home births in the developed world. Most of the research on home births in the developed world has found that infant and maternal mortality rates are the same, if not better, than hospital rates. There is also less chance of a woman having a cesarean, induced labour, or of a midwife needing to use forceps.

A study done in Denmark in 1997 found that women who gave birth at home delivered babies in better condition with fewer problems; the women themselves experienced less stress and there were fewer medical interventions needed in home births compared with hospital births.

A More Relaxed Labor

There are many other benefits to having a home birth aside from safety issues. A home birth allows you to give birth in a place where you feel familiar and can help you to feel more relaxed throughout your labor.