Home Birth
Is It The Birth Plan For You?
A home birth requires a properly prepared birthing room to have a great experience when you have a straightforward pregnancy, complication free with labor that runs full term. With the onset of labor your midwife comes to monitor you and your baby and prepare you for delivery.
If any problems develop during delivery, your midwife will call the
ambulance and you will be taken to the hospital for a hospital birth.
What to consider when deciding to have your baby delivered at home:
- Questions For Your Midwife
- What can she deal with & what equipment should you have
- What are the options if labor does not proceed normally
- What kind of pain relief can she offer during labor and delivery
- Will she deliver baby & placenta, stitch delivery cuts or tears
- Is she trained to spot problems & what complications could arise
- Ask detailed advice what to do to prep for having a baby at home
- Home-Birth Preparations
- Delivery room: warm, quiet, spacious & close to the bathroom
- Have enough room around the bed for the midwife
- Protect area below & around delivery area(on the floor or bed)
- Use a small end table or serving tray for the midwife's equipment
- Prepare 4 weeks ahead of due date
- Washing bowls, bedpan/bucket, sheets, towels & plastic sheets
- Good lighting, adjustable lamp & a flashlight in case power outage
- Have a clean nightgown, a large T-shirt and sanitary pads for you
- Clean changes of baby clothes and the baby crib ready
- Hospital 'ready bag' prepared in case of complications
- Advantages
- No traveling, more relaxed, free to move around your home
- Give birth in your most natural & comfortable position
- Soothing atmosphere at home and can stay in familiar surroundings
- More natural approach, encouraged to seek drug free pain relief
- Your midwife can make pain medication available to you if needed
- Same nurse or midwife throughout your labor and delivery
- Your midwife can help you to try and avoid an episiotomy
- Avoid routine medical interventions like fetal monitoring, epidural
- You can avoid unfamiliar and unsupported attendants
- Your partner, family & friends can be present at delivery
- No baby separation & promotes a good environment for bonding
- Disadvantages
- 3rd trimester prepare the room where you will be giving birth
- Childbirth is very noisy, very messy and not widely available
- If something does go wrong you will have to go to the hospital
- May go to hospital while in active labor or when your baby is born
- Technical emergency training in medical staff varies
- Medical backup is not immediately available
- Medical procedures and extra personnel are not available
- May feel apprehensive about home deliveries & possible dangers
- Don't Have A Home Birth When...
- You have had complications in a previous pregnancy
- Your pelvis is too small for your baby's head to pass through
- Baby is breached, will be premature or having twins or multiples
- You have a condition putting you, your baby or both of you at risk
- You have high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes or active herpes
- You have pre-eclampsia, placenta pervia or excess amniotic fluid
Take charge of all the preparations, you are the "team captain" and everyone is there to help and support you.
Congratulations on the new addition to your family.
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