5 Reasons to Give Birth at Home

In the United States roughly 61,000 babies are born in an out of hospital setting. About half of those births happen at home. There has been a steady rise in out of hospital births since the 1990s. So why is that?

Home births are attended by either a CPM, or certified professional midwife, or by a CNM, certified nurse midwife. They will facilitate care in your home or at their office throughout your pregnancy. During labor, they will attend to you during active labor onward and stay after birth to help you acclimate to new baby. They will see you for follow-ups afterwards.

Midwives give much of the same care as doctors so many people cite other reasons why they choose to birth at home. Here are five:

Continuity of Care

During your pregnancy, you will see the same midwife, or their assistant, for all your appointments. Appointments tend to be around an hour and during these you will have ample time to discuss any worries, what kind of care you may expect, etc. During labor, you will stay in contact with your midwife until she comes to your home. After baby is born, you will continue seeing her for your postpartum time. One person will be there to support you from beginning to the start of your new life with baby.

Giving Birth at home is more comfortable

When giving birth at home, you are where you are most comfortable. You can be surrounded by your loved ones in much the same way as you would if it was a holiday. You can be in your bedroom or living room and people can comfortably attend to you with the objects, foods, and drink you are used to.

No frantic rush to go anywhere

Many pregnant people stress about when to go to the hospital. Should you follow the 5-1-1 rule? Should you wait until it feels right to go to the hospital? With a home birth, you can talk to your midwife about when they come to you.

No babysitters, house sitters, or pet sitters

Many second, or third, or even fourth time parents worry about leaving their children for several while going somewhere to give birth. They may want their children involved in the birth, but hospital environments may not be welcoming to your child. While you should have someone at your home birth to care for your children, it is only to support them. Your children or pets can be apart of your birth. And that’s pretty cool

Wanting to give birth without medical interventions or policies dictating how you give birth

Many parents want to give birth however feels comfortable. You may not want the options of pain meds or have a monitor hooked up to you during labor. You may not wish for doctors or nurses to check on you every few hours after baby is born, instead wishing to be left alone to bond or to just sleep uninterrupted. A home birth enables you to have a skilled professional at your disposable when you need them, and the rest can be left up to you.

Depending on how you want to give birth and what makes you comfortable are important factors. This list is not complete. You can choose to give birth at home for any number of reasons. How you give birth is important. You having a choice in where you give birth is important. Would you have a home birth? Why or why not?