01: 3 Key Benefits of Home Birth You May Not Have Thought About

I was kind of shocked when I went to my midwife appointment a few weeks ago and she mentioned that her phone had been BLOWING UP in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Many women are questioning if the hospital is where they want to give birth – especially in a pandemic. Our perspective: Women becoming aware of more options on where and how they birth is always a good thing. 

Personally, we have had all 3 of our children at home and are expecting our 4th in the next few weeks. We are huge advocates for birthing how and where you want to but unfortunately, many people just don’t know much about home birth. 

In this episode we’re sharing 3 key benefits of home birth that you may not have thought about. We hope that this information empowers you and encourages  you to create the birth experience that you truly desire, no matter the location you choose. 

AUTONOMY 

If you’re someone that values autonomy and medical freedom you owe it to yourself to really think about how you want to birth a baby. Even before Covid many hospitals have had policies in place that are questionable. They are policies that don’t put mom and baby first – rather, they are more convenient for the staff and aren’t supported by science.

Now, post covid there are policies in hospitals that restrict who can be in the birth room with the mother, sometimes leaving a woman to labor on her own (this should not happen!). There are also policies that are detrimental to both the baby and mother, such as separating the two if the mother has a positive covid test. Understanding your options around childbirth allows you to choose a scenario that most aligns with your values and if autonomy is one of those values, then home birth – or birth in a birth center may be a better decision for you. 

At the very least, calling a hospital to understand their routine policies and procedures can prepare you for what to expect or give you the option to change hospitals to one that has policies in alignment with your values. 

BYPASS UNNECESSARY MEDICAL INTERVENTION

Avoiding unnecessary medical intervention is one of the primary reasons why we have chosen homebirth. We are not against the medical establishment and believe in medical care for emergency purposes. However, we challenge the closely held belief that having a baby is an emergency. 

Because of standard hospital protocols sometimes medical intervention becomes a routine part of the birth experience. This can be detrimental for mothers and babies because we know that unnecessary medical interventions can prolong labor, increase the chances of c-section and overall lead to poor outcomes. 

Statistically, when we look at maternal mortality rates and infant mortality rates in the U.S. compared to other western wealthy nations the U.S. falls way behind. We also have some of the most medicated births in the world, here. It calls attention to the question: Is there too much medical intervention during the birth process? We discuss this in this episode. 

ADOPT A HOLISTIC APPROACH

As with everything pertaining to health and wellness, we prefer to take a holistic approach. This means not just looking at the risks involved with birthing (this is the medical approach),  but also what are the benefits of birthing in a way that allows a woman’s body to do what it was naturally created for. There aren’t enough people discussing the fact that research shows that home birth with a qualified midwife is just as safe, if not safer than a hospital birth for healthy, low-risk women. 

OUR STORY

We also share some of our highlights from birthing our 3 children at home and why those experiences have been so special for us. Even if you decide that birthing at home (or in a birth center) is not the right decision for you and your family, we hope that this episode gives you enough to think about so that you can create the birth experience of your dreams no matter where you choose to have your baby. 

THIS EPISODE MENTIONS…

Happy Healthy Child – A Holistic Approach to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Postpartum