Home births: what you need to know
Whether you’re a holistic health champion, or simply don’t want to deal with a hospital or birthing center, home births can be an excellent option, so long as you take the necessary care to make sure that you and Baby stay safe throughout labor and delivery.
Home births with a midwife
Most women who elect to deliver their babies at home will do so with the help of a midwife, a healthcare professional who specializes in helping moms deliver. Having a midwife around is definitely a huge benefit, because she will be able to coach you through labor, and is there as a medical resource in case something goes wrong. However, it is important to note that midwives are not qualified to administer epidurals, so facilitated pain management might be an issue.
Home births without a midwife
Although some women choose to have natural births at home without a midwife or other health professional present, this could be a bit risky, so you should do all of your research ahead of time and run it by your healthcare provider if you are considering a home birth without a midwife there to help.
The bottom line
Home births are usually safe, but still, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not have the highest opinion of them, and so established a few guidelines that women having home births should follow:
- Make sure your midwife is licensed
- Make sure somebody trained in infant CPR is there to tend to the newborn
- Keep a phone line available, and be aware of the weather in case you have to go to the hospital in a jiff
- Administer Vitamin K
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Sources
- Committee on Obstetric Practice. "Planned Home Birth: Committee Opinion Number 476." ACOG. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Feburary 2011. Web.
