Why Choose Homebirth?
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the vast majority of
births in the United States took place at home. It was not until the 1920's and '30's that hospital birth was considered to be an option for the general public. Jimmy
Carter, born in 1924, was the first U.S. President born in a hospital.
From Home to Hospital
This shift from birth at home to hospital was partly due to the advent
of the automobile, which made it easier to transport a laboring woman to the
hospital. Another factor which contributed to the
change in birth place was physicians promotion of hospital birth. It was economically
advantageous to have many women gathered in one place together (the hospital) to be cared for by one physician. Simple birth related jobs that didn't require the skill of
a trained physician, such as comforting the laboring woman and checking her pulse
and vital signs could be done by low paid assistants.
Physicians also pressured legislatures to restrict or make illegal the practice of midwifery in many U.S. states. In addition, the claim
that hospital birth is safer than home birth created a general fear of
homebirth.
Warm and Familiar
Among the majority of cultures around the world,
birth is considered a natural family event which takes place in the
warm, comfortable and supportive home environment. Where better to go through the challenging
experience of labor and delivery than among your closest loved ones, in familiar
and welcoming surroundings? Where better to succumb fully to the "nesting
instinct" that so many women have close to the onset of labor?
What is it Like?
Imagine the beginning of labor. You would like to relax a bit in the
bathtub (if your water has not broken) or shower. Perhaps you would like to sit
in a comfortable chair and listen to music. Maybe you are a bit hungry and
would like a little something to eat. How about a walk in the garden or around
the block? Then, as labor progresses and the birth becomes imminent, you lie down in your own warm and welcoming bed. Imagine
wrapping that amazing new being in a warm, soft, freshly laundered baby blanket. After the birth, your husband stays with you for as long as you both desire. If you have older children,
imagine them joining in this incredible feeling of joy and thankfulness that
your baby has finally arrived. In contrary to this, if you had planned a hospital birth, you would have been packing a bag frantically
with a few essential items, and racing to the hospital as fast as
possible. What a difference!
At Least Imagine It
There is no hospital birth plan, and no hospital, no matter how "mother
friendly" that could replicate the experience of a homebirth. Every healthy
mother with a low risk pregnancy and healthy fetus should at least imagine the
possibility of a homebirth, even if she ultimately decides that it is not for her.
***This article solely represents the opinion of the author. To learn more about home births, click here.
