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We have had all 5 of our children at home.
My wife actually delivered our last child herself. The midwife got there about 10 minutes later. Still, my wife is good at it.
The problem is in those fairly rare cases: If you're not in a hospital & the baby & afterbirth come out in the wrong order-you're dead.
It worked fine for thousands of years.. Of course the mortality rate has gone way down since most mothers decided hospitals are the way to go.
If there are no complications it's as safe as sitting in a nice grassy field as long as no bombers are overhead dropping bombs. ;)
Its relatively safe for a low risk pregnancy where the doctors can confirm it will be safe and the baby is the right way up, and has no health problems and the mother is healthy. Midwifes who assist the birth are normally very well trained and experienced.
Occasionally there can complications with home births however and the mother and baby may have to be transferred to a hospital.
On the other hand not all hospitals have a neonatal unit and even fewer have a neonatal intensive care. Some maternity units are not consultant led either so this can also pose a problem.
We had a close one one our first child and even though I was there I didn't really know there were any anything wrong. I only found out later that our daughter was in distress. It all turned out fine but because we were in a hospital
My child's birth was in a hospital, which was a good thing because he was in fetal distress and I started running a fever. After 30 hours of labor I had to have an emergency cesarean. So I wouldn't recommend at-home births, for that "just in case" scenario!
It is very safe and has been done successfully by midwives for centuries. Studies have shown that childbirth is traumatic for the soon to be child,and that the surroundings of the hospital with bright lights,the doctor with a mask,the smells,etc,is even more stressing for the child.
If they are at home,not under intense light,and without someone wearing a hospital mask,then when born the stress level is considerably less for the fetus.
On the 2nd child, and only with alot of classes, information...practice, preperation...and the right nurses that will be there.
Yes, although I beleive it is not recommended for a first pregnancy. My sister had her first son in a hospital and the nurses actually caused several problems themselves by interfering with the natural process and so my sister and her son had a really hard time. She had her second at home with a midwife and it went very smoothly and no stress. If you are having regular check ups, have a good midwife and are in good health then go for it. There are risks no matter where you give birth.
It is safe provided you have an experienced midwife or doctor there to deliver the baby. +4
i think hospiteal safer if anything goes wrong they have equitment to try and help
No I don't. They have all these services and technology available at the hospital in case something happens. If you have a baby at home and they are in trouble or the mom starts bleeding severely chances are they will die before getting to the hospital. I would never risk my life or my child's life by having a baby at home
NO! Absolutely not. There are too many things that can go wrong and needs split second decision making. The way they have hospitals set up now with there birthing centers it is almost like being at home. Plus, why would you want the mess. Seriously though, it is much wiser and safer to deliver at the hospital. What IF something happened? You have to live with that the rest of your life. I had a friend who was in labor and it was a completely healthy pregnancy and she was at home and was laying on her side. She rolled to her back and was dead. She had a pulmonary embolism that ruptured. Since she was at home, they couldn't get to the hospital in time to save the baby. Needless to say I am not in favor.
My wife and first son would be dead.
As long as there are no complications during pregnancy I think a normal home birth with a midwife is relatively safe. As long as the midwife is experienced and knows to call the ambulance at the first sign of complication.
If you live 5-10 minutes drive away from a hospital
statistically safer
If it weren't, humanity at large would have perished at birth a looooooooooooooong time ago
It is a well established fact that planned home births does not increase infant or maternal mortality rates for healthy women with normal pregnancies. I'm a midwife in the UK and although I am now hospital based I have worked in the community and attended many home births and they are less stressful than in a hospital setting where the midwife may have other patients to care for, at home the woman will get more individualised care and there are two midwives attending. As midwives we are well trained to spot when the normal becomes or is becoming abnormal whether working out on the community or in the hospital and we have expert clinical skills required to deal with emergency situations in relation to the mother and baby. There were some cases where the woman had to be transfered to hospital, however, transition was smooth and we never wait until there is an actual emergency situation the woman would be sent to hospital long before a life and death situation arose. As long as the woman is low risk and both her and her baby are healthy and they pass the criteria for a home birth then I would support them.
Have you done at home child birth and what was your experience?
by Chris the other white meat on June 2nd, 2008
| 4 people like this
Which is better a midwife of the hospital?.
by Charnai on September 22nd, 2008
| 4 people like this
Should i have a home birth?
by libby on August 29th, 2008
| 2 people like this
I will be 9 months next tuesday... Is having a baby natural really as painful as everyone puts it out to be?
by maemae on December 3rd, 2008
| 1 person likes this
I dislike the birthing practice in the place I live (overseas) as it is too medicalised - they use drugs and epistiotomies. How safe is it to attempt a home birth - i.e. not to go to the hospital and then call the doctor when it is too late to travel?
by Anonymous on January 17th, 2009
| 1 person likes this
You're reading Do you think a home birth is safe?
Comments
Oh my goodness so calm & collected I wouldn't be able to do that.
by lovebettafish on June 10th, 2009
Well, the first one is the most difficult. Everything is so new. Once you know what to expect it gets better each time.
The first time she got a pediatrician, ultrasound, midwife and dula, nursing consultant, LOTS of baby stuff and books.
For the last kid, we didn't even tell our midwife until the last trimester 'oh, by the way, we have a kid due in a couple months, want to deliver it?'. Then she missed it anyway... But the pregnancy and delivery didn't change our lifestyle hardly at all. My wife took it easy for a day or two afterwards then back to business as usual. We do thank God for healthy children :)
by sprky777 on June 10th, 2009
Children make a life a blessing don't they?
by lovebettafish on June 11th, 2009
It is definitely a life changing experience.
by sprky777 on June 11th, 2009