The hospital is no place for a low risk woman to give birth. It seems that an increasing number of women are figuring this out and spreading the word as the number of home births in the United States skyrocketed 29% in the past 5 years.
For non-hispanic white women, the rate increased 36%.
Home births are most common in white women over the age of 35 who have other children.
Marian McDorman, a statistician with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), said that although it isn’t entirely clear why the rate is increasing so rapidly, it might be because “a lot of women really like the idea of home birth because they want a lower-intervention birth. A lot of women are worried about higher C-section rates and other types of intervention that happen once you go to the hospital”.
Saraswathi Vedam, Chair of Standards and Practice for the Home birth Section of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, sees out of hospital births going mainstream. She said:
“Women and families have started to question the widespread use of obstetric interventions and want to control the environment they give birth in.”
Bingo!
It would be interesting to see what these numbers would look like if out of hospital births at freestanding birth centers were included along with home births. My guess is that the numbers would be at least double.
There is no doubt that an increasing number of women are consciously rejecting the overmedicalization of birth. Doctors and nurses in a hospital environment, while nice people who are no doubt fully competent, have to abide by draconian procedures and rules when it comes to the process of birth. These rigid limitations cause many women to have induced labor, C-sections and other interventions that would never happen at a birth center or at home.
In my case, my first child would have definitely been an emergency C-section had I given birth in the hospital. Fortunately, I chose to stay away and have my baby at a birth center instead. The steps my midwife took to assist me are not permitted in the hospital and yet are simple and very safe.
The issue was simply pushing back a small flap of cervical tissue manually while I was pushing so the baby’s head could get through.
Another woman I know who experienced the exact same, minor problem wasn’t so lucky. She was wheeled in for a C-Section that was completely unnecessary, as the intervention was “required by hospital protocol”. She would have almost certainly birthed vaginally at a birth center or at home.
If you are a low risk woman who is pregnant or considering becoming so in the near future, do yourself a favor and investigate an out of hospital birth either at a birth center or at home.
You just might save yourself major surgery like I did not just once, but probably 3 times! Each of my children’s births had a similar problem that was easily rectified in about 30 seconds by a skilled midwife.
To learn more about out of hospital birth and the many reasons to consider doing so, see this article on the benefits of having a baby at a birth center.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source: CDC: Home Births Rise Nearly 30% in the United States
Not related to this topic but………………I wanted to share this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/09/ramen-digestion_n_1263825.html
Geez, whole / real food is absorbed by our bodies differently…….who knew? ( sarcasm if you didn’t guess )
There hasn’t been any mention of “natural” or “un-medicated” home-birth. I know several women who’ve had home births and have still chosen to be medicated whether with natural supplements or prescriptions in labor and after childbirth. A couple of these women had highly medicalized home birth experiences at their midwives approval.
We opted for an all natural, un-medicated water birth at home assisted by a midwife and doula.
I was 26 and in optimal physical and nutritional health when I gave birth to our first child. He was born peacefully at home into his daddy’s arms in a warm birthing pool situated in our bedroom. Our son was 8 lbs. 4 oz, 21 in. long and had a head circumference of 14 cm. I was able to labor at my own pace, which was quite fast compared to some stories of other women’s firsts. “True” labor was about 6 hours with about 30 minutes of stage 3 labor (pushing only about 8 times). The whole experience went off without a hitch! Even our Erie, PA March weather was exceptional (72′ F)! I had no lesions, tears, or soreness in my nether regions, which I accredit to being hands-on and unmedicated. I felt everything very deeply. I felt the rushes. I felt the pressure of pushing down. I felt the baby’s head moving slowly, but certainly downward. I felt the tiny silky hairs emerge. I felt the slippery little body being born.
There was no chaos. No screaming baby. No panic. Just peace and pure joy as we looked into our son’s eyes and called him by name. He laid on my chest while I delivered the jelly fish (placenta!) and we allowed ALL the rest of the vital cord blood to be delivered back into his body before my husband cut the cord (If you can stop living in fear of what if’s, then you can forget about the hype of cord blood banking! Don’t cut the cord until it goes completely limp.)
Our sweet midwife and doula made sure we were comfortable in bed before giving us privacy to enjoy our boy while he nursed for the first time. A bit later, our midwife gently checked our chill-baby and weighed him. Afterward, she and our doula quietly cleaned up, did a load of laundry, had some snacks and wine with us and said their goodbyes.
I am currently 9 weeks pregnant with our second and are very excited to have another all natural water birth at home.
The best books I read to prepare for our first home birth were, “Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth,” by Ina May Gaskin and Grantly Dick-Read’s, “Childbirth Without Fear.”
Although I didn’t have my daughter at home, I had her without any meds and it was truly wonderful! I’ll do it all over again. 🙂
When I have my home birth, I’ll do it without meds too (I didn’t know there were meds for home births). While I was laboring, I was able to be in tune with my body and I got to feel every sensation, as well as all the wonderful birthing hormones. It was one of my best experiences ever.
My three births were at home. Each one had a story, but my skilled and competent midwife serenely moved us through each birth and mother and baby did well each time. They latched on within minutes and I was in the most comfortable place possible. My midwife pointed out that if I was nervous about “germs ” and “sterile” (I wasn’t), the baby had been exposed to our home germs throughout my pregnancy. But the strep and staph and MRSA at the hospital would be introducing new germs none of us were used to. Besides, I was a squatter and would have had major problems on my back in a bed using stirrups. That protocol would have created problems I didn’t have at home. I loved my homebirths and am pleased my daughter’s friend just used my midwife who delivered her younger brother 18 years ago.
Women Increasingly Embrace Home Birth – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/LDRSdPNy
We are having an interesting dilemma in our home after the recent birth of our first grandson. My son and his wife chose to have a home birth without any medical intervention, even a midwife. (No need to comment; I am not advocating this – just reporting the facts:-) Now that the little fellow is here, the state is not being cooperative in registering his birth because we have no “proof” that she was pregnant, gave birth, etc when we say she did. We have had to get notarized letters from “people of standing in the community” that they are aware that she was expecting around a certain time, etc! Her identical twin, who just happens to be married to another of my sons and who is planning a similar birth in the very near future, is trying to figure out how to get someone to verify she is pregnant now without involving the medical community in order to avoid the same scenario. This has been MUCH more difficult than when I gave birth at home to eight of our children not so many years back (my youngest is six). A third dil gave birth at the same time but used a midwife, so she has not had any problem with the state.
Other than this small problem, home birth is awesome!!!
With my home births I did an initial visit with a OB/GYN but told them I would be having a homebirth (of course they refused to see me further). I kept a journal of my midwife visits (dates, blood pressure, weight, fundal height, etc.). I also got notarized statements from DH and my mom who attended the birth. I presented both documents when getting the birth certificate. It was no problem. For my second son my mom was not present but she still signed the document (the midwives don’t like to sign anything because having a homebirth in my state is not regulated so almost illegal). Amazing how much red tape there was… fortunately my midwives informed me about all of this before I ever ‘hired’ them. Glad they did!!
Could they use DNA tests (paternity and maternity) for proof?
I’m also in Texas and my midwife has had clients who opted not to get birth certificates and now, years after the fact it is incredibly difficult to prove that the child is theirs. The only option at this point (he is high school or college) is to go before a judge and try to prove he is theirs!
We opted to do the birth certificate!
I had all five of my babies out of a hospital (4 at home-2 with homebirth Dr.s and 2 with midwives) and I’m a postpartum RN and my Dad is a Dr.. Bucking the system from the beginning. 🙂
My biggest and hardest delivery was the last one, he was 9′ 11” and (AND) sunny side up. My midwife said it’s very rare to be able to birth a baby that big in that position naturally in the hospital. You’re almost certainly going to have major intervention in the hospital. It was very hard but I’m so glad I had a great midwife who helped make it happen and I’m doubly glad I was at home. For so many reasons. You get to sleep with your baby in that first 6 hours after birth when everyone is tired and worn out (including the baby.) Nursing is never interrupted. For anything. (You don’t have to fight the nurses to see your baby. (I know they fight you about it.) You don’t have to fight them over vaccines. Your kids get to wake up and come into your room the next morning, wide-eyed and excited about their new baby brother.
I have no regrets about my decision. And I wish all the newly pregnant would at least do the research. And don’t believe all the hype. Also, a great book to read that lays out all the issues really well is, ‘Pushed’ by Jennifer Block. I was really questioning my decision during my 4th pregnancy for some odd reason and after reading that book I was more convinced than ever.
I gave birth to all three of our children at home. The only issues I had were with my eldest, and that was only because of the midwife interfering: AROM and a very painful perineal tear. Our next two children were born without the “assistance” of a midwife.
Our third child was posterior and a forehead presentation – extremely rare – and though it took me few minutes longer to push him out, there was no damage to my perenium or our baby. Had I had some sort of medical professional attending, whether it be a midwife or an OB, I am certain I would have ended up with a 4th degree episiotomy and/or a c-section.
I trust my body to do what it needs to. I have a huge network of highly skilled midwives at my side. I have a completely supportive and intelligent husband. I do not recommend free birth for everyone, for our family though, it was our best option in two cases. Should we have any future children, as always, we will choose our course depending on my needs and the baby’s needs. We have never ruled out high-tech care, should it be necessary. We simply have not experienced the need for invasive interventions.
Birth is an emergence, not an emergency.
YAAA! another Freebirther
Thank you for posting this. Im planning on my first home birth with my first child this June. Most of my relatives are very against my decision, they think that i’m insane, the good thing is that my hubby is on side 🙂 I’m so happy that I’m not alone and there are so many wise women doing this for their child.
Glad to hear your hubby is on your side. Mine to and I’m due around June 1. Hubby was first to say at home alone. I was thinking it but didn’t know if legal. After looking that up and finding it is in all 50 as well as many other countries we are going that root. I don’t know if anyone else on here (haven’t seen it said outright but your are first to hint at it) are doing freebirth, although not sure that what you are doing. what testimonies we will have when others tell horror stories of their H births.
I had my first son at a hospital as at the time we didn’t know any better. We had already filed a birth plan for no vaccines, no epidural, etc… but once we were there it was a fight the whole time. I ended up with the epidural and the doctor stripping my uterus after delivery because she didn’t feel the placenta was passing fast enough. She then labled me high risk for hemorrhage – ya think??
Our second son we opted for a birth center, even though it was 45 minutes away, because of the possiblity of hemorrhage. It was a awesome experience (althought I didn’t make it to the birthing pool in time – this 9 pounder was in a hurry and came only 8 minutes after getting to the center!)
I am now 22 weeks with our fourth (I had a miscarrage late last summer) and am planning a birthcenter birth, however we discovered during a ultrasound last week that I have a low lying placenta (placenta previa) we don’t know if partial or complete yet. So at 32 weeks I go for a 3-D ultrasound at a a local outpatient center to determine if there has been enough dropping and shifting of things to allow a natural birth or not. If not it looks like a section is in the future. So lots of prayer for enough of a shift (as about 90% of these do!) to allow for a natural birth.
I had two of my six children at home, and one in a birth center. I wish all of them had been home births! The only “complications” I ever had came directly from unnecessary hospital interventions! BTW–according to mainstream medical ideals, I would in no way be considered “low risk” with my last child. I was 48 years old, and maybe around 60-70 lbs. over the presumed “ideal” weight. But I conceived naturally, and my baby decided to stick around, so I simply assumed things were NORMAL. My mindset was that things happened naturally, and they were progressing normally, so I was not going to imagine some medical emergency where none existed. My midwife felt the same. I did have a level 2 ultrasound at 20 weeks, just to make sure my baby didn’t have any physical problems requiring immediate postpartum medical care. Once that was clear, I went ahead and planned my home birth. It was a fantastic experience! SO glad I did it! And my husband, who was a VERY reluctant participant, said afterwards that it was a wonderful experience for him as well. 🙂