Home Births

[HoldOn]

Yeah, but can she monitor the baby's heart rate? Can she perform an emergency C-section?

[Pocky]

I view Stone as very mature, intelligent and capable of making her own decisions. Personally, I believe her to be dubious of illogical comments and misinformation and inclined to do her own research when making such a big decision. I feel comfortable with my comment because I feel that Stone will make the right choice for her family because that is what she wants and not because she was convinced by someone on a message board.

 

Opinions will differ and there are experts that support both sides - supporting one side over the other is nothing more than personal preference.

[SoleMate]

Yes, any CNM will monitor the baby's heart beat very closely throughout labor, whether in a hospital setting or home, as well as assessing the mother and watching carefully for any signs of trouble. In the infrequent case that a hospital transfer is needed, the mother simply is loaded into the family care and driven to a hospital.

 

This is clearly an issue that causes a lot of emotion to be surfaced. Anyone who is familar with Stone's story knows that motherhood and giving birth is no joke to her. She takes her responsibilities more seriously than most.

 

RecordProducer, your anecdote is quote heartfelt, but your point is....that sometimes people give others advice they won't follow themselves? Relative to a pharmacist administering a blood transfusion?? No doubt you are right, but if you have a point to make relative to home birth, you're travelling pretty far afield to do so.

 

I would never encourage anyone to have a home birth, nor a hospital birth, for that matter. It is a private decision to be made by the pregnant woman, in consultation with her partner and maternity care provider. I do make an effort to provide pregnant women with facts. Facts are in such short supply, but the overly emotional scaremongering is to be had aplenty.

 

I'd be glad to discuss home birth statistics with anyone who takes the trouble to spend even 10 MINUTES with the links that I posted.

 

"...What About "Emergencies"?

 

Birth isn't without risk. There is a slight risk that a major catastrophe could happen which could possibly be better handled in the hospital, such as umbilical cord prolapse, uterine rupture, abrupted placenta, postpartum hemorrhage. Birth is generally a slow process and there is usually ample time to transport even in the case of a true emergency. A skilled midwife provides one-on-one care and monitors the laboring woman carefully for potential problems....

 

...The baby's oxygen supply is preserved at home by delaying umbilical cord cutting. In the hospital, the cord is cut immediately, increasing the need for resuscitation efforts...Postpartum hemorrhage can be remedied at home by putting the baby to the breast immediately to stimulate oxytocin production and uterine contractions. Compression of the uterus can also be done at home. Some midwives carry IVs or an injection of Pitocin for these circumstances...For true emergencies that require transport to the hospital, women laboring at home 20 minutes from the hospital have the same access to emergency surgery as women laboring at that same hospital. Many hospitals cannot prepare for an emergency surgical delivery in less than 20 minutes. The ACOG standard is currently "30 minutes decision to incision" for all non-scheduled cesarean sections..."

 

Olsen O (Department of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.)

Birth, 24(1):4-13; discussion 14-6 1997 Mar

 

Olsen looked at six controlled studies covering 24,092 mainly low-risk women planning home or hospital births. Outcomes were compared for mortality, morbidity (injury and illness), Apgar scores, maternal lacerations (perineal and vaginal tears etc.), and intervention rates. Perinatal mortality was not significantly different between the planned home and planned hospital groups, but the planned home birth group had fewer low Apgar scores, and fewer severe maternal lacerations. There was less medical intervention in the planned home birth group: fewer inductions, fewer episiotomies, fewer assisted deliveries, and fewer caesareans. Unfortunately, the abstract does not give transfer rates, but these outcomes do compare planned home births with hospital births. Olsen concluded: 'Home birth is an acceptable alternative to hospital confinement for selected pregnant women, and leads to reduced medical interventions.'

 

And those "high speed" emergency Cesareans? They almsot never happen. 99.9% of the "emergency Cesareans" you hear about are actually slow decisions that occur over several hours. Doctors use the term "emergency Cesarean" for any operation that occurs after the start of labour. It can take over an hour from "decision to incision". ACOG recommends 30 minutes maximum, but most hospitals have trouble meeting this standard.

 

"...it is false to assume there can be faster action in the hospital. The truth is that in private care the woman's doctor often is not even in the hospital most of the time during her labour and must be called in by the nurse when trouble develops. The doctor 'transport time' is as much as the 'transport time' of a woman having a birth center or home birth..."

[seagirl]

Just in case you didn't know about this you can rent "birthing tubs" all they really are is just a small swimming pool with deep sides. Also, I am sure you will get a competent midwife who will be monitering you throughout your pregnancy. If she thinks you and the baby would be safer at the hospital she has to tell you that.

 

I say it's your decision and you do what makes you comfortable

[lnichols]

I had my last child at home in 1994. I actually got a mid wife out of the yellow pages (?!) and called her. I went to her for my pre-natal visits and then when the time came she came to the house and that's where the baby was born.

 

This is not for the faint of heart! I had had my other son in the hospital and didn't have any problems. I also got a mild post-partum depression which I thought stemmed from the seperation of mother and child immediately after birth. It tool me a long time to bond with him, (several months).

 

I had an immediate bond with my son born at home. I did have some bleeding after the birth, however, and I almost had to go to the hospital. I recovered quickly. I would go to the gyn first and get checked out to make sure that the plumbing is in order. If you are already pregnant, then you need to research the registered midwives in the area.

 

I did it, and I think it was a great experience. But I don't think that the only reason to do it should be to save money. It's an adventure. You need to watch your diet and stay healthy because you aren't going to be in a setting where you can have an evergency c-section! You have to be committed to taking your health extremely seriously during pregnancy.