Childbirth at Home as Safe as Hospital Delivery: Study

[Katia]

THURSDAY, June 16 (HealthDayNews) -- Women who choose to give birth at home with the help of a certified midwife have deliveries that are as safe as those done in a hospital, Canadian researchers report.

"Home birth is a reasonable option for low-risk women," said lead researcher Kenneth C. Johnson.

"In this low-risk group of women who had births with midwives at home, we found that the overall safety was similar to what you would find in a hospital in a similar low-risk group," added Johnson, a senior epidemiologist with the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control at the Public Health Agency of Canada, in Ottawa.

Moreover, evidence from the study supports the
American Public Health Association's recommendation that home deliveries with certified midwives should be increased in the United States, he said.

The study appears in the June 18 issue of the British Medical Journal.

Johnson and colleague Betty-Anne Daviss collected data on over 5,400 women who had planned to deliver their babies at home in 2000. These women all had the help of a certified midwife.

When it came time to deliver, 655 of the women transferred to the hospital instead at the start of labor, the researchers reported. "Only about 3 percent of these women had what the midwife perceived as an urgent transport," Johnson said. "The outcomes of these transfers turned out to be fine, by and large."

For the remaining women who had a home delivery, the death rate of newborns was 1.7 per 1,000 planned home births. This rate is similar to that of low-risk home and hospital births shown in other studies done in North America, the researchers noted.

Johnson pointed out that in Canada and Europe, midwives deliver most babies. "It's only in the United States among developed countries that midwives are still involved in only a very small percent of deliveries, and that home birth is rare and unacceptable to the obstetric and gynecology profession," he said.

Despite these findings, one expert thinks home delivery is not a good idea. "I am not a big fan of home deliveries," said Dr. Rachel Masch, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine.

"I understand why women want to have them," she said. "And I understand that the literature we have today supports that there isn't any worse outcome for them versus the low-risk hospital delivery if you are screened properly. Although, as an obstetrician who sees a lot of things that happen bad quickly, I think that I have somewhat of a jaded view," Masch said.

Masch is concerned that when complications set in, they do so quickly and need immediate attention. Women who appear to be at low-risk can fall prey to problems during birth that weren't anticipated, or may have conditions that were not known, which can affect the delivery. Being in a hospital allows these women to get immediate care, which can save their lives and their babies' lives, she said, adding, "There are examples that I see frequently."

But another expert finds nothing but positives in increasing the numbers of home deliveries.

"The data we have so far suggests that over-medicalizing the process of labor and delivery adds cost without improving outcomes," said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center and an associate clinical professor of epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine.

"Building the option of home birth into the routine of obstetrical care for women at low risk of complications is worthy of serious consideration," he added.

[texas heathen]

Katia,
My son was a complete home birth with a MidWife. The Greatest/Scareist experiance of my life. I would not trade it for the world, I got to be truley involved in the del. as well as the conception ;). My daughter his older sister was born in a hospital and it was a very negative experiance. My wife ( now ex) felt tottally excluded from what should have been a very moveing time in our lives.
I say it was scary, cause it is supposed to be it is very primal. It made me really appreciate my wife and she got to appreciate me cause me and the two MidWifes were working together with her. I highley recomend it to every one on this list, the laws vary by state but if any of you need help or advice just e-mail me and I will try and help.
It is a true shame that the woman Masch A woman has been so malligned against her own body. The male centered medical comunity has done much to destroy that which is a natural event in a womans life. Sorry to rant I hate Doctors.
FFF
Clif
PS
Thanks for bringing this up Katia, it is something very important to me and I can go on for hours about it.

[Eirasdottir]

Katia,
PS
Thanks for bringing this up Katia, it is something very important to me and I can go on for hours about it.

Yes, Thank you!!!! It is a subject close to my heart as well....my third baby (born Jan 27th) was a homebirth...and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I cannot wait to experience it again!

FFF
Louise

[Canuck]

I can hardly belive they needed a study to tell them this. :eek: What exactly do they think women did before that great blessing of a medical community came and saved us all? .

I was born at home and I think it did me nothing but good. What's next, a study proving that breast fed babies do better.................oh wait. :p

[beowulf]

It's has to be cheaper, that's for sure. My son was born in a hospital, even with good insurance,big $$$$! :(

[Katia]

I would love to hear from you whom have had homebirths, like a detailed account if you're willing to share.. It is something truly amazing to me and I can't wait to experience it one day! There was a great article in the latest Sigrdrifa about a waterbirth that made me want to try that, too... I just love the thought of my family being in the next room and being able to start the family life right away like our ancestors did, wow!! Plus I have read studies that the stirrups position they put you in at the hospital can actually make your labor more painful and long as you are working against gravity, and that squatting is the best way to go.. I dunno, hospitals are so cold and sterile, it seems like any type of pain you experience there would feel 10 times as bad as it would if you were in the comfort of your own home... Just me 2 cents on the topic!

[llllissallll]

I would love to hear from you whom have had homebirths, like a detailed account if you're willing to share.. It is something truly amazing to me and I can't wait to experience it one day!

Yes I would also love to hear from women who have gone through this experience. When I am ready for children I have greatly considered having a homebirth. I've looked up a few things on it. It just seems like such a personal and amazing experience. Not to mention the costs of a hospital. Thanks for bringing this topic up.

[aud_friggsdottir]

Well....I don't have time to go into all the details...but I had my last two children at home and it is AWESOME!!!

After having four in a hospital and two at home....all I can say is I don't know how I had them in a hospital in the first place.

Darryl absolutely LOVED it too...he recommends it to EVERYONE....:D

[freya3]

I have been reading these posts about homebirths and do see why you guys are so passionate about them.

Being new to Odinism, is it wrong that I feel differently about having a baby @ home than the rest do? My first child was a hospital delivery and I am so glad that it was. It was difficult, and my daughter ended up in NICU overnight and in the hospital for 5 days following that. Now that I am 17 weeks pregnant, I would not think to have this baby any other way.

I will say I am a nurse and my husband is a doctor, so we do have some sort of tendency to want to have the medical aspect with us, cause we feel more comfortable that way. We do NOT agree with everything the medical field tries to cram down society's throat...

I know in Odinism, we are to worship our past and our ancestors who got us here, by natural ways. However, would the Gods and Goddesses not want us to preserve our future by using all the technology we have discovered? And isn't the whole point of Odinism to strengthen our heritage by bringing new lives into this world?

Just a question...

[texas heathen]

Freya 3, child birth is a very personal thing and the choices you make for you and your family are exactly that, your choice. There are some cases that need a doctors attention, though they are a lot more rare than people are led to believe. I am a big believer in Midwifery, and if you have to have a hospital delivery I believe the parents should have a Douala. Birth is a natural process in most cases that baby will come out no matter where the mom is when it is time it will come.
As far as using advances in medicine or whatever, by all means yes use what is there. I am very distrustful of doctors and the global pharmaceutical industry, but if I break my leg I am going to a doctor. Though I try and use Herbs as much as possible because of my job and my inability to just rest for a few days I do take over the counter ***** at times. A lot of this is based on experience and my particular world view be it wrong or right it is mine, and though I will gladly share what I know it is in ultimately up to the individual.
FFF
Clif AOR

[aud_friggsdottir]

I would suggest that maybe do things now that will allow the most natural birth as possible...I believe in whole health where one works now to prevent later problems. Whole food vitamins (not concentrates), exercise, healthy diet, no smoking, moderate drinking, taking whole food minerals, purified water ONLY, etc... basically doing what is inconvenient now (working at health) so that good health is "convenient" later. If you are lacking something...beef it up, if you have a weak something...strengthen it, etc... :)

Hakon was 16 hours of labor, if I was in a hospital...it would have been a "problem" labor...he was face up with his thumb in his mouth and his fist by his ear or on top of his head. Was it an emergency at home...no. My midwives were awesome and made it and awesome experience.

Freydis was 3 hours of labor...got stuck on the way out (her shoulders were a full inch bigger than her head...:)) was it an emergency...could have been, but again my midwives knew what to do....natural birth is their lives...

Hospital exacerbate the problem instead of being solution oriented.

With that said...we had an emergency plan in place to ensure that if we need doctors and hospitals...they were there for us. I am thankful for that.

Freya, I will send positive energy your way so you have a healthy, happy pregnancy and easy labor and birth :D!

As for being wrong...not in the least...like Cliff said...birth, family, etc... is very personal. I would say that if someone was to tell you, you were "wrong", they were very Odinist. :)

[Katia]

I definitely think that we have evolved as far as medical research and resources are concerned, and we shouldn't ever put ours or our baby's life at risk when we do indeed have these resources available to us. But there should also be a balance, so we don't lose touch with our natural side either, and our society is so focused on treating childbirth as if it is a sickness when it's a natural part of life! I would love to experience a home birth one day, but I will also be smart about it by making sure there is a hospital nearby and that the midwives have all the necessary equipment to immediately let them know when something is wrong. The machines and tools that there are in hospitals are also used by many midwives. But I would also never judge a woman for wanting a delivery in a hospital, to each their own definitely, and as long as you are comfortable that is the most important thing. No sense in having a homebirth if you are going to be terrified the entire time and it is going to be a miserable experience for you. I wrote up an article about women which is coming out in my hubby's book in a few weeks/months, and I addressed this issue there as well..

[freya3]

Thanks for the replies...

I too agree that pregnancy & childbirth, many times, are treated as an illnesses. There are so many friends of ours that have opted for c-sections to keep from feeling the pains of labor or for scheduling purposes :confused: . I think that is sad. I was just wondering how using a hospital versus home would be viewed in Odinism.

Look forward to the article your husband is working on Katia! Your website is great!!!!

Carla

[pinlighter]

freya3, no-one would presume to call your choices wrong!!! As texas heathen said, it's a personal thing. :)

[SaraN]

I'm six months pregnant with my second child. I had my daughter in a hospital and she was happy and healthy but this one I am having at home. I'm a nursing student and this past semester we were in the mother/baby unit. If I can help it I will never have another child in a hospital again. So many babies lying in plastic bassinets crying!! Hospitals have policies and protocol. you can make some requests but they don't give in easy. I am looking forward to having my baby with me 24/7. I highly recommend the book "Magical Child" by Joseph Chilton Pearce. he talks a lot about how hospital vs. homebirth effects babies. It's a bit philosophical and takes a few chapters to get into but ultimately extremely informative and empowering.
I'll give all the details when our next baby is born- end of March is my due date- Just in time for Ostara!

[freya3]

Congrats on your little one coming! I am 1 month behind you (I am due in April). I am going to have this one in the birthing center where my hubby works, and it is a very peaceful and positive environment(much better than last time). Thanks for the info on the book! I wish you and your family the best :D !!!!

[SaraN]

I didn't even think of suggesting a birthing center. Definitely a better alternative for someone nervous about not delivering in a hospital. You have the comfort of knowing your baby will be with you as well as the staff if you have any problems. Where I live (Virginia) there is only one CNM available for home-births because of crazy laws so most of us have to use underground midwives. I would have ended up at the birthing center if my insurance would've covered it. Since it didn't I kind of took it as a sign that I was supposed to have this baby at home. (The one legal CNM is hardcore christian and I didn't my child welcomed by her!)

[aud_friggsdottir]

I didn't even think of suggesting a birthing center. Definitely a better alternative for someone nervous about not delivering in a hospital. You have the comfort of knowing your baby will be with you as well as the staff if you have any problems. Where I live (Virginia) there is only one CNM available for home-births because of crazy laws so most of us have to use underground midwives. I would have ended up at the birthing center if my insurance would've covered it. Since it didn't I kind of took it as a sign that I was supposed to have this baby at home. (The one legal CNM is hardcore christian and I didn't my child welcomed by her!)

We just paid for our midwife as well....our insurance is a little messed up because we live in Washington, but my hubby works in Oregon. My midwives are a bit on the hippy side ;). The main one is Brittish Israel or something like that...lol....and the other is one of those "bit of everything type" read...hippyish. They both were outstanding and were so professional and knowledgeable.

We are lucky in the NW. Alternative health here really isn't all that "alternative" rather more mainstream. Even doctors here don't get to uptight when I say no vaccines and no allopathic medicine (antibiotics mainly)...diagnosis only.

Btw, Freya...I noticed a horrible typo in one of my posts:

"As for being wrong...not in the least...like Cliff said...birth, family, etc... is very personal. I would say that if someone was to tell you, you were "wrong", they were very Odinist."---that should say "...they WEREN'T very Odinist." So sorry...lol.

[freya3]

When my hubby gets out of his residency, he is really wanting us to look @ Montana to settle down. The NW is supposed to be a lot better as far as medicine goes and your available options.

You would think that someone w/insurance should have the right to pick how they want to have their baby...so sad! Especially since it would be saving them $$$. We are lucky in that perspective( to be able to use a birthing center), and it does give me peace of mind know that if something goes wrong, we are still in the medical facility to get it and fast. The hospital my hubby works at now just opened it 2 years ago and the people that I have talked to that have used it, LOVED it! Hopefully, things with healthcare will go that way(preventative and holistic care instead of the mess it is now :confused: )...

[freya3]

Btw, Freya...I noticed a horrible typo in one of my posts:

"As for being wrong...not in the least...like Cliff said...birth, family, etc... is very personal. I would say that if someone was to tell you, you were "wrong", they were very Odinist."---that should say "...they WEREN'T very Odinist." So sorry...lol.

No problem ;) I am the WORST @ type-Os!