Benefits of a Home Birth
I will collaborate with you in planning your home birth throughout your prenatal care, while counseling you on what to expect in the birth process and how to prepare yourself mentally and physically. I encourage first time parents to either attend natural childbirth classes or educate themselves on natural childbirth coping techniques through the Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, or any other relaxation exercises that facilitate the natural trust and surrender process of allowing your body to work without interruption. Home birth clients trust their body’s ability to give birth without unnecessary interventions and trust that the birth process typically proceeds without complications when the evolution is not interfered with. There are certain interventions that can be beneficial when they are actually warranted. These situations are rare and if I believe that a particular intervention should be considered, we will address this should the need for one occur. Unless there is an emergency or urgent situation that warrants my immediate pharmaceutical intervention, the decision to intervene in your labor is always your decision to make. Your body, your birth! It’s a beautiful thing.
Benefits for the Mother and her Family
- Woman-centered, family inclusive care
- Privacy and security of the home environment
- Freedom of movement & position changes during labor and delivery
- Freedom to eat and drink in labor
- Natural pain relief through water therapy and the option of a water birth
- No timelines that dictate progress of birth
- Individualized attention & continuity of care
- No unnecessary interventions
- Uninterrupted bonding between baby and parents
Pregnancy and Birth are Normal Life Processes: The Basis of the Midwives Model of Care™
Midwives monitor the physical, psychological and social well being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle.
- Provide the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
- Minimize technological interventions
- Identify and refer women who require obstetrical attention (©1996-2007 Midwifery Task Force, All Rights Reserved)
The application of this woman-centered model has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and cesarean section. In the home environment, women can truly receive the Midwives Model of Care, as it is not interrupted by external jurisdiction of the hospital or insurance protocols.
Normal Birth
Since our specialty is normal birth; midwives are trained in unique practices to maintain normal birth using non-pharmacological methods to assist labor progress and pain management. As a result, low-risk births attended by a midwife in the home environment have far lower rates of technological interventions, use of drugs, cesarean delivery and higher maternal and family satisfaction, while the rates of morbidity and mortality are the same as for low-risk women delivering in the hospital.
Safety of Low Risk Delivery at Home
The education and training required of midwives allows for the expertise of providing care in normal pregnancy, birth, and their variations. Midwives are trained to recognize the early signs of conditions that are not “normal,” including medical conditions or complications that may occasionally arise during pregnancy and the birth process. If any conditions arise that are not within my scope of practice, you will be referred to a physician with the appropriate level of care. During your prenatal care, I will explain the established protocol should the unexpected occur and how we respond to the rare emergency so you and your family have a thorough understanding of all potential scenarios.
During the birth process we carefully monitor fetal heart tones as well as the vital signs of the mother to monitor the progression of normal low-risk labor and delivery. I am certified in neonatal resuscitation and carry oxygen as well as anti-hemorrhagic pharmaceutical drugs.
Studies on the Safety of Home Birth
There are numerous studies comparing home births with qualified midwives and a typical hospital birth. Studies show that planned home births for a low-risk woman with a qualified midwife are as safe as and possibly safer than a hospital birth for a low-risk woman. Overall, when birthing at home, interventions are greatly reduced and satisfaction is greatly increased.
Safety Studies
Safety of VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section)
The United States now has a C-Section rate of 33%. C-Sections have increased by 56% since 1996. Many hospitals now have a ‘VBAC Ban’ taking away a woman’s right to birth how she chooses, whereas the majority of midwives will support you in your quest to have a VBAC. These bans are the results of a combination of the influence of malpractice insurance companies, hospital protocols, physician preference or physician group pressure, and increased profits from major surgery.
There are many beneficial resources and studies available on the subject of VBAC’s. Mothers seeking a VBAC can have confidence in the fact that the success rate of VBAC’s is nearly 90% when her body is given a chance to allow the natural birth process take place. The risk of a uterine rupture with woman who has a transverse (horizontal) incision from her previous C-section is less than 1%, which is similar to the risk of a uterine rupture in someone who has never had a C-section. The rate of uterine rupture in women who have had MORE than one previous cesarean section is only slightly higher than the uterine rupture rate in women with one cesarean, but ruptures in the reported series tend to be asymptomatic and without serious consequence. The available evidence does not suggest that a woman who has had more than one previous cesarean section should be treated any differently from the woman who has had only one cesarean section. Fortunately, uterine rupture is a very rare event. If it does occur, it is a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery.
Being comfortable at home and laboring in water seems to be very beneficial to VBAC mothers for the relaxing factor both mentally and physically. When a VBAC mother is able to surrender and move with her labor, she is more likely to be keenly aware of any abnormal sensations separate from labor that would indicate a potential problem. We also listen to fetal heart tones more frequently during the labor of a VBAC mother. Midwives have a special understanding and great patience for the VBAC process which can involve the mother working through some physical and emotional hurdles. There are certain things that midwives look at when a mother wants a VBAC. Present placental placement is not to be over the previous incision site and I ask that her diet be exceptional for tissue integrity and optimal uterine functioning in labor.
We believe you can do it!
VBAC Links
A wonderful resource for VBAC information and support can be found online and within your local chapter of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network)
ICAN Mission statement: The International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are over 130 ICAN chapters worldwide which hold educational and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.
The best evidence on the safety of VBAC can be found at the link below.
A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. M. Enkin, M.J.N.C. Keirse, J. Nielson, C. Crowther, L. Duley, E. Hodnett, and J. Hofmeyr. Oxford University Press, 2000.
Research shows that women cared for by professional midwives have fewer cesareans and more VBAC’s.
Numerous other sources of VBAC information and studies can be found at the website below:
As always, consultations are free. This is your opportunity to meet me and have your questions and concerns addressed so you can make an informed decision as to whether a home birth is right for you and if I am the right midwife for you. This consultation also allows me to get to know you and determine your likelihood of being in and remaining in a low-risk category as is required to be eligible for a home birth. I look forward to meeting you and your family!