6 Advantages of Natural Home Births Over Conventional Hospital Births

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6 Advantages of Natural Home Births Over Conventional Hospital Births

Last Updated on July 27, 2019

Before the popularity of modern medicine and hospitals, women used to rely on community midwives to give birth at home. That trend is seemingly making a comeback as a lot of women are choosing midwifery services instead of going to a hospital.

Home births are especially becoming more popular amongst women who have already experienced childbirth in the hospital. Having already delivered a child, these women feel a lot more confident about natural birth at home under the care and guidance of a qualified midwife. They usually know what to expect and they seek a midwifery service to ensure a more comfortable birthing experience.

Home births are generally considered safe by OB-GYNs and are often recommended for low-risk pregnancies. This is when the mother and baby are both healthy and the position of the fetus in the uterus is considered normal. Midwives may also recommend shifting to the hospital if it is a prolonged labor or if they detect any complications.

Also Read: Postpartum Infections And Symptoms You Need To Be Aware During Pregnancy

In other words, even if you plan a natural home birth, you may have to go to the hospital. Most reputed home birth service providers are equipped to handle situations like these and they quickly arrange an ambulance to the nearest hospital and they usually call ahead to keep hospital staff informed.

Advantages of Natural Birth at Home

More Emotional Support

During home births, you get to choose the people around you. You set the rules, not the hospital. This means you will get plenty of emotional support to help on your journey. Midwives are also qualified to coach you through the process and provide ample emotional when you need it the most.

Childbirth Without Medical Intervention

A lot of women try and avoid medical interventions of any kind and want the delivery to be completely natural. They avoid procedures such as forceps delivery and C-sections to avoid complications after childbirth. Home births under the supervision of a caring midwife offer a gentler solution.

Being in a Familiar Space

One of the most common and biggest complaints during labor is the dreaded drive to the hospital. There have been many instances of women giving birth in their cars while stuck in traffic or getting injured on the way to the hospital. Knowing that you don’t have to go anywhere during the birthing process, is one of the biggest reliefs. This is probably reason enough for most women to choose home births over giving birth at a hospital.

Being in a space that’s familiar also allows women to relax and experience less discomfort during labor.

More Control Over the Birthing Process

Many women have religious concerns and want more control over the birthing process. Women giving birth at home get to pick the location of the makeshift birthing station. Women can also opt for water birth by renting or buying a water birthing pools. While some hospitals discard the placenta, home birth gives you the freedom to get your placenta encapsulated. Right from picking the midwife to the family members who are going to be involved in the process, you also get to pick the people around you.

Lower Medical Expenses

Home births are generally significantly more affordable than hospital births. For a lot of couples, the affordability of giving birth at home is one key motivation. Hospital births can easily cost $10,000 whereas home births usually cost around $3000.

Keep in mind though, that home births should not be opted just to save money. It’s only suited for uncomplicated pregnancies. Be sure to check with an OB-GYN to ensure you fit the criteria.

More Personal Attention

Apart from the few scheduled appointments, women don’t really get the time to interact with their OB-GYNs. Midwives, on the other hand, can drop in on request or as per schedule before and after the delivery.  They spend time to know your preferences and the little things that are bothering you. Midwives also provide guidance after the baby arrives. Most midwives form a bond with their clients. This allows women to be more comfortable around their midwives and discuss issues more openly.

Precautions

Natural births at home can be a great choice for you. However, it’s always a good idea to be under the care of an OB-GYN. Closely monitor the health of the baby and yourself to rule out the possibility of any complications.

It’s also a good idea to remain prepared to shift to a hospital. Have a car and driver on standby if your labor is not progressing under the guidance of the midwife.