Why You Should Consider To Give Birth At Home

In this day and age, you may wonder whether there is any woman who give birth at home.

The answer is yes.

Despite the rampant use of technology for birth these days, there are still some women who prefer to have a childbirth at home.

Many of these homebirther are usually in a good economic situation, well educated and properly insured. So, in fact, nothing can stop them from getting the latest 'technology' for the birth, if they want to. Nevertheless, these women choose to give birth at home.

Why ?

The main reason why they want to have a homebirth is because they want to maximize the chance of having the kind of birth that they want. What they expect from a childbirth is 'more than just a baby delivery'. They are aiming higher than that. They want to have a birth which is intimate, personal, empowering and unmedicated. They want the birth to be a joyful family event.

This kind of births, while difficult to obtain at a hospital, is very possible to achieve at home. Therefore, women who aim for this kind of birth tend to choose to give birth at home rather than to go to the hospital to give birth.

This is because at home, you have the power to do whatever you want. You are not bound by any regulation and hence are free to do what you want and NOT to do things that you don't want to do.

For instance, when you decide to give a birth at home, you are free to create an atmosphere that you would like to have for birth, to wear your favourite attire during labor and birth, to eat and drink, and so forth. These things, while considered as 'small things', are actually the source of birth satisfaction and eliminate the stress level associated with birth. The availability of these things help to make labor and birth to proceed smoothly.

In contrast, hospital birth is heavily managed. Women do not have the actual power during the birth process and have to submit to the hospital policy whether they like it or not. Stress level often escalates after hospital admission and contributes to the slowing down of labor. Not to mention various obstetrical intervention that women are experiencing during labor at the hospital, which change the course of normal labor.

Therefore, women who want to maximize the chance to have an empowering natural birth tend to choose to give birth at home.

Besides that, there are also other reasons why women would want to have a childbirth at home:

• Good caregiver and personal attention from the caregiver.
  When women give birth at home, she usually is attended by a midwife . In contrast to physician, midwife is focused on natural birth and tends to give more one-on-one time.
  
  Prenatal visits are often long and accompanied by a chit chat or even a massage. Women love this personal attention and hence tend to bond and trust their midwife, which is good emotionally during her labor and birth.
  
  
• Newborn treatment
  In hospital, newborn babies are often separated from the mother after birth for weighing, washing, and observation. At home, a mother can stay together with the baby after birth and the check up is performed by a midwife right next to the mother.
  
  In some hospitals where rooming-in are not available, newborns have to spend their first 24 hours in the nursery, separated from the mother. This kind of separation causes the early bonding experience to suffer, and may cause a problem with the establishment of breastfeeding later on.
  
  
• Postpartum experience.
  At home, a mother can do whatever she wants after birth. In my case, we had a little feast right after each of my birth. In addition, during the night, my husband was there with me, so I could get some help with the baby. In contrast, I have heard complaints from moms who were upset because their husbands were not allowed to stay overnight. So they were alone in the hospital at night with the baby with only little help.
  
  
• Friendly and intimate atmosphere.
  At home, we can make our birthing environment to be more intimate, relaxing and peaceful for birth. For instance, we can put on an instrumental CD, dim the light and put on our favorite scents. This kind of atmosphere is very helpful in eliminating the stress during labor. Yet, it is hard to get this kind of environment at the hospital although some hospitals do offer hotel-like rooms.
  
  In addition, when we decide to give birth at home, we are free to both invite whoever we want at home and at the same time not allow unsupportive people to be present. We can have other children to be with us during the birth at home. In contrast, we don't have such control at the hospital. Hospitals often deny siblings, so instead of embracing them for one of the most important family events, parents have to find a childcare to care for the siblings. In hospital, if you happen to get an unsupportive nurse to attend you, you have to allow her to be there. Conversely, if you happen to like a particular nurse, she may not be able to be with you all the time during labor if her shift happens to be over before you give birth.
  
  
• No germ.
  Hospital is the place where ill people are treated. In contrast, home is the natural place for a healthy family to reside. Home is the place where the mother lives throughout the pregnancy. It is not a hospital where there are accumulation of germs in every corner that it has to be sterilized by the use of various desinfectant. So, home should be the place where a baby is greeted into the world.

*NOTE: Do you want to get more tips and techniques for having natural birth? Then subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter, "Born Naturally" and receive a FREE "Pregnancy Diet Secret" ebook.

Click here to subscribe and claim your FREE bonus ebook which will change your 'pregnancy life'

Related articles

• How to ensure home birth safety
• Why choose to have a natural birth ?
• Who can or can't have a midwifery home birth ?
• Home birth risk factors, what are they ?
• How much does a homebirth cost ?
• Birth supplies - everything you need for your birth.
• What Is A Midwife.
• Child birth preparation - preparing for natural birth.

Other birth setting

• Giving birth at hospital
• Giving birth at a birthing center

From Birth At Home page to Homepage

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb