There are many reasons why more and more women are choosing to stay home and birth their babies rather than going in to the hospital when they are in labor. Below are 10 reasons’ I think a homebirth just makes more sense.
1. It’s cheaper. Overall homebirths are much cheaper than hospital births. Whether or not you end up paying more out of pocket depends on if you have health insurance and if so the amount they will cover. But the average hospital vaginal birth with no complications or pain relievers is still more expensive then hiring a homebirth midwife. Even without an epidural or other added expenses it still costs more because you will be in the hospital for at least 24 hours and they have staff members to pay. Nowadays many insurance companies will cover most if not all of the cost of a homebirth. They would much rather pay $1500 then $15,000 (just examples, the price varies).
2. There are less interventions with a homebirth which means you have a better chance of avoiding induction, artificial breaking of your water, IV fluids, c-sections. You are much more likely to have a natural birth when you stay home.
4. It is healthier and safer for you and your baby. You both have less chance of infection or catching any sickness from hospital germs. You are used to whatever is in your own home environment and while you can sterilize equipment used to help with the birth everything else in your home should be just fine. At the hospital you have an increased risk of a whole bunch of foreign germs. There have also been several studies done that prove that having a homebirth with a midwife is safer then a hospital birth.
5. You can get more rest and have more time to bond with your baby. In a hospital setting you will have people in and out of your room at all times, day and night. Nurses will check your temperature, blood pressure and so on as well as poke and prod the baby. It’s hard to get any sleep when you are interrupted every 2 hours. At home you can sleep and snuggle with your baby for as long as you like.
6. The average birth is not a medical event. Hospitals are for sick people, surgeries, and so on. Of course you have the option of transferring to a hospital if complications were to occur but in most cases labor and delivery goes smoothly and with the help of a trained midwife you will be just fine staying home.
7. You own home is more comfortable. You can eat, sleep, go to the bathroom on your own time, enjoy your own bed, your own couch, television, books and your spouse is likely to be more comfortable in his own familiar environment. You can bring bags and bags of stuff to the hospital but it still won’t compare to staying home.
8. Because you are in your own environment and on your own terms it will be more relaxing which usually means a better laboring and birth experience. Women tend to tense up once they get to the hospital; many times contractions will slow down or stop all together once you are lying flat on your back and hooked up to an IV. When you stay home you can relax and let things flow naturally.
9. When you stay out of the hospital you avoid unnecessary routine newborn procedures such as eye drops, Hepatitis B shot, first bath too soon, pressure to circumcise, baby placed flat on his back in a cold hard scale among other pokes and prods usually done. Some hospitals even require your newborn to be taken to the nursery to be examined and monitored which means they are separated from their parents at such an important time. Of course any thing you do want done, maybe a hearing test or PKU for example can be done either by your midwife or your pediatrician, but it’s on your own terms.
10. Birth can be such an intimate time and it’s hard to feel as close and connected to your husband and new baby when you are in a cold, bright hospital room surrounded by nurses and other staff you don’t know. When you stay home you won’t have any strange people you don’t know coming in to bother you, it can be just you and your husband if you prefer.
Homebirth is not for everyone and sometimes there are high risk pregnancies or situations that may require you to have a hospital birth but there are definitely many advantages to staying home.
