No one I know personally has ever said that having a home birth is selfish, but often I do get the sense that people think of my choice as something that I want as an experience for ME. Which isn't entirely wrong--I'm definitely excited about having the birth of my dreams, which happens to be at home. But this really misses out on a lot of why I've made the choices I have made. On the extreme side, I have heard the argument that home birth is selfish because the woman is putting her own desires for birth first. (Not from people I know personally--more online in articles and comments on articles.) That argument implies that home birth must be more dangerous for baby, so by choosing this type of birth, the mother is focusing on her wishes rather than what's best for baby.
I've re-written this post several times this afternoon, because there are so many things I wanted to say in response to this. I've decided to focus not on why I'm choosing home birth (which you can read about here), but about the positive aspects of home birth for baby. For me, the decision to have a home birth with a certified midwife was about both me AND the baby. (***Some of these options may also be possible at a hospital. The difference is that at home, these are the norm, while at a hospital you may have to ask or insist. If you are planning a birth at a hospital and are interested in some of these options, definitely ask your care provider!)
Home Birth and Baby
A Calm, Gentle Environment. Moving from the womb to the world is disconcerting and strange for baby. At home, you have more control over the amount of light, the noise level, and the people who are present. Seems like kind of a small thing, but I'm putting this first because it sets the tone for birth.
Natural Bonding. While every woman's wishes and every midwife may be different in the exact way they handle those first few moments, typically in those moments immediately following birth, baby is placed on mom's chest or stomach. There is skin to skin contact which helps warm and comfort baby, and baby is oriented immediately with the person whose voice is already familiar from time in the womb. There is no rush to separate baby for testing of any kind, most of which a midwife can perform while baby is right there with mom. Baby doesn't need to go to a nursery, be taken away for cleaning or anything else. That is precious, precious time.
Encouragement of Breastfeeding. Because of the immediate bonding with skin to skin contact, breastfeeding often occurs faster and more naturally at home. Baby is already on mom's chest or tummy, and at the first signs of rooting, mom can begin breastfeeding, whether that's two minutes or an hour after birth. It's not forced too quickly, nor delayed, but allowed to happen as baby is ready.
More Blood. Rather than cutting the cord right away, unless there is a pressing reason, the umbilical cord is cut only after it stops pulsing, which means that baby gets the maximum amount of blood from mom. Bonus!
While these are great benefits to a home birth, the real question or criticism people have is whether or not it's safe for baby. In the interest of keeping this post brief (and this is super brief compared to the post I wrote and deleted earlier today), I'm going to simply say that studies have shown again and again that home birth is as safe as hospital birth if the mother is low-risk, the birth is a planned one (not a baby born at home unintentionally or in the back of a car on the way to the hospital), and there is a certified trained professional attending, such as a Certified Professional Midwife. If you want to read more about home birth and safety, here is an article by Henci Goer, author of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth and Obstetric Myths verses Research Realities.
To sum up, I am excited for personal reasons about having a home birth experience. But I also feel that a home birth is ideal for baby as well. The good thing is that I know even at the worst case scenario like Sawyer had (being whisked away from me immediately by strangers in harsh lights, stuck in a box in a NICU on IV with other babies and strange nurses, without being held by mom or dad for almost 24 hours), baby can still be okay. I'm pretty sure he's well adjusted and recovered from the traumatic parts of his birth. That doesn't mean I still don't want the BEST-case scenario for me AND for the Beast, and that's what I'm hoping for our home birth.
3 comments: