Ten Advantages of a Home Birth
Please do not take this list of advantages of a home birth to mean that I think every woman ought to give birth at home. Each woman should choose as she pleases and as is appropriate for her situation, and I know there are advantages to a birth center birth or a hospital birth (room service comes to mind!) These are just some advantages of a home birth that I appreciated.
1. Never having to get in the car during labor or soon after the birth.
2. Getting to (being encouraged to!) eat and drink during labor.
3. Being able to open the windows for fresh air.
4. Resting completely undisturbed after the birth. No one woke me or the baby to check vital signs or for any other reason.
5. The baby was never separated from me (as my other children had been for a bath, a blood test, or a hearing screen).
6. No one ever tried to offer my baby a pacifier, glucose water, or formula.
7. My baby did not get dehydrated from the dry hospital air, and in fact she regained her birth weight in 3.5 days rather than the typical 10-14 days.
8. My older children got to participate in the birth and never had to be separated from me or my husband.
9. No one questioned my choices about vitamin K injections, antibiotic eye ointment, vaccinations, or co-sleeping.
10. I knew every person who interacted with me and the baby during labor, delivery, and the post-delivery period. I felt comfortable (and, well, at home!) throughout the entire experience!
For those who have had a home birth, what do you see as the advantages? Were you happy with your experience?
Tags: birth center, birth choices, home birth, homebirth, hospital, labor and delivery, midwife, pregnancyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: breastfeeding, health of the baby, health of the mother, pregnancy
5 opinions for Ten Advantages of a Home Birth
Baby Clothes by Ambajam
Aug 13, 2008 at 10:46 am
That is awesome that you had such a great experience. I like the fact that you were never separated from your kids and that they were able to experience that with you.
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Shelly
Aug 14, 2008 at 5:10 am
Yes, yes, yes!
Also, being able to move around whenever you wanted; being able to give birth in the tub; not having to have an IV put it; my husband had his own comfortable bed to sleep in; the quiet and peacefulness :o)
Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Aug 14, 2008 at 7:27 am
Shelly, I agree, especially with not having to put an IV in! Not only is an IV painful for me, but for the birth of my first daughter, they pumped me so full of fluids that my legs were swollen AFTER the birth, not before!
Judy
Aug 14, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Just found this site.
My 3rd child, a son, was born at home. (First was a hospital, second birth center, third at home. Any more will be born at home, hopefully.)
My husband made me cookies in the early stages of labor, when he couldn’t really be any help. My older children slept in their own beds as long as they could. After the baby was born, I had a cup of my own coffee, my own peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a freshly made cookie!
My homebirth was beautiful and perfect. Both my sons (the older one was just over 2) were nursing within minutes of the birth.
Jen
Aug 16, 2008 at 9:31 am
I was very happy that we finally decided on a home birth (we changed our minds at 36 weeks!). I just felt more comfortable at home, in my bed, my bathroom, with the windows open and people I knew and trusted around me. The farthest my little guy got from me was Daddy’s arms in front of the computer for long distance grandparents to “meet” him for the first time while I was being stitched for a minor tear. Hours later after a well deserved sleep we were all sitting in our own back yard soaking up the last of the summer sunshine. It was wonderful!
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