Should You Consider Homebirth?
Many families who are planning hospital births are suddenly confronted with policies, limitations, and new concerns about whether the hospital is the safest place for them to give birth.
The very first thing that you should know is that not everyone is a good candidate for homebirth. If someone tells you otherwise, or tries to casually imply that you can "just plan a homebirth", RUN AWAY from their irresponsible and reckless advice.
Ask yourself why you want to birth at home. Be honest with yourself. If you originally thought that a hospital was the SAFEST place to give birth, it probably still is.
In our culture, midwifery provides an option for parents who believe that pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation can be natural and healthy experiences. Primal Roots takes every reasonable precaution to ensure our client's safety, comfort, and satisfaction.
Although Midwives bring emergency equipment to the home and are trained and prepared to handle complications and emergencies, this does not render the home equivalent to hospital facilities that have equipment to offer a higher level of emergency care. Yes, transferring to the hospital is sometimes necessary, and yes, the vast majority of transfers are non-emergent and not time sensitive. However, in any birth setting, some unforeseen events can result in an unexpected outcome.
The overwhelming belief in our country is that hospitals are the safest place to give birth. In choosing home birth, you are going against the predominant belief that hospitals are safer regardless of statistical data.
When emergencies or poor outcomes occur in a hospital, the site of birth is seldom called into question. If a similar situation occurs at home, even if the outcome would have been the same in the hospital, the choice of home birth is always called into question.
If problems occur at home, you will invariably be questioned by friends, family members, and professionals as to the wisdom of your choices. Primal Roots asks you to honestly project yourself into your worst case scenario and examine how you would feel about your original choices after the fact.
Then, please feel free to discuss this with us, so that we can communicate about your concerns and recognize both the wonder of birth and the inherent lack of guarantees in life.
We depend on our clients to stand behind us in the same way we place ourselves at personal and political risk so you may have your choice of care and birth place.
Please read our blog posts regarding
Who is a good candidate for home birth?
What will risk you out of homebirth?