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
The increasing homebirth rate is directly proportionate to the decline in quality of care at hospitals and the increase in c-sections.
I gave birth at home, by choice, 30 years ago!
Are you thinking about this?
We are birthing our first baby at home in June and really looking forward to it!
Kittens are born in private as the Momma instinctively goes off on her own to give birth. It has been proven… http://t.co/RpMkkq1i
If not at home, at least a birthing center.
For some of us, they always were “normal.” Three children all born at home. It was the best decision for us. All three weeks late, all healthy, all would have been induced or sectioned if in the hospital. 7.11 lbs, 10.4 lbs, and 9.14 lbs of beautiful baby girls who are 30, 27, and 22 years old today. The same lay-midwife attended all three births. And, yes, we had insurance that would have covered all expenses in the hospital. It was a philosophical decision.
I still get a “You’re lucky that nothing went wrong” or people posting things on FB about the dangers of home-birth. My first was born at home and had I had her in the hospital, I would have had a c-section because she was 2 weeks late and 10 pounds. It was a beautiful birth and our next is going to be born at home, also.
Joanna, ask the midwife how many emergencies she’s had with her patients and how many babies she’s delivered. My midwife has only had 2 emergency c-sections with all the births she’s attended.
Homebirths definitely aren’t going mainstream in Australia!