Benefits of Homebirth
Prenatally
-1 hour prenatal visits so you can ask all the questions you want or need to
-Gives you time to bond with and build a rapport with your midwife
-No waiting for appointments
-Informed consent on all procedures
-Decisions are made as a team
-All done in the comfort of your own home
In Labor
-Ability to move around in labor which helps speed labor, helps with pain management, can turn a posterior baby and is a normal function in labor
-At home there are no time limits and you can labor peacefully without worrying that you may not be progressing fast enough
-You get to give birth in the comfort of your own home- women labor more comfortably in their own surroundings
-Waterbirth option- great for pain management, some feel it is an easier transition for the baby
-You get to avoid unnecessary medications and procedures
-Eating and drinking in labor is encouraged
-The woman feels more in control and is able to follow her intuition in labor
-The midwife comes to you- no riding in the car with contractions
-The cord won't be cut until it stops pulsating or longer, as long as it isn't wrapped too tightly around the baby's neck
-Mother and baby are never separated
-Siblings or other family members can be present for the birth
-You or your partner can catch the baby if you like
-No possibility of losing the baby or an unknown person stealing the baby
-Most midwives are professionals at perineal support and do not do episiotomies
-Able to breastfeed immediately after baby is born and no one will give the baby formula
-When you hire a midwife, your midwife comes to the birth- no on-call doctor that you don't know or random interns or nurses
-Midwives are trained to handle most complications that require immediate care, i.e. hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, baby that needs resuscitation, etc.
-You don't have to be in a germ-infested hospital with the possibility of coming home with an infection. At home you are already immune to the germs because they are yours.
-No unnecessary cesarean sections
-Ability to have photos or video of your baby's emergence- a lot of hospitals won't allow this for liability reasons
-Babies are born drug-free and trauma-free
-You have the same care provider throughout your whole pregnancy, labor and postpartum.
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