The Pros and Cons of a Home Birth

by | May 5, 2022 | Uncategorised

Up until the 1960s around 40% of births were home births – you’ve seen Call the Midwife! From the 1960s onwards, community midwifery services were run down and nearly all babies were born in hospital as births started to become medicalised.  In the last 20 years home birth has again become a choice for women with no underlying medical conditions and a  straightforward pregnancy.  But still only a small percentage of women opt for this. Interventions are fewer with planned home births and overall safety is good. So what are the pros and cons of having your baby at home.

Pros:

  • You are happier, more relaxed and more comfortable in your own “nest”. You are free to do whatever feels right in your space –  watch what you want, listen/dance to your favourite music, cuddle up with your partner, stay in the bath/birth pool, do some gardening, eat what you want and all without  anyone’s permission. This relaxed “nesting” promotes the flow  of good hormones, oxytocin and endorphins which you need to labour effectively
  • You can choose to have whoever you want to be with you. Maybe that’s just your partner, or… you can have your own support team around to rub your back, sponge your brow, love and encourage you as you labour
  • The above means your pain threshold is higher when labouring at home
  • Importantly you have continuity of care. Once your labour is established, two community midwives (who hopefully you have got to know beforehand) will stay with you quietly checking both you and baby are fine

Cons:

  • If labour is not progressing smoothly or there are any problems during or after labour you will be transferred by ambulance to hospital
  • If you need any intervention (ie waters being broken by midwife) you will need to be transferred to hospital for this to happen
  • If you want pain relief more than gas and air, you will need to go to hospital to have that
  • In fact 49 % of first time mums opting for home birth end up transferring  to hospital but only 7% of second or subsequent births do so

Checking how far away from your home  your maternity unit is may well influence your decision as to whether or not to opt for this. But overall most women who plan and prepare for a homebirth are happy to have done so.

Jackie Whitford