Homebirth is a place where the rhythm and timing of a laboring woman's body are honored and waited on by patient and compassionate midwives. It is a wonderfully joyful and transformational experience for many women and their families. At home you are free to labor and birth how and where you instinctively desire and feel 'in charge' of the situation. You create your own little nest, deciding for yourself whose faces, what sounds, and aromas will surround you. Having your baby in the comfort of your own home in familiar surroundings can be very supportive and promote an easier birth. Homebirth also allows for full participation of family members. In fact, your baby can be born into the loving hands of Daddy under the guidance and assistance of the midwife! At home you get to experience the bliss of greeting your new baby and never being separated. When it’s all said and done, you crawl into your freshly made bed and cuddle with your newborn.

You may be surprised to find that for the majority of women, homebirth is just as safe, in fact, safer than giving birth in a hospital. Recent studies show definitively that there is no improvement in outcome, for the mother or baby, in hospital birth as compared to those births that happen at home or in a birthing center with an experienced midwife. The data actually supports that outcomes are slightly better in low-risk births out of the hospital. Also, if you are hoping for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean), giving birth at home or in a free-standing birth center offers you the best opportunity to achieve your goal.

Women and their families can gain comfort from the following research on the safety of homebirth:

· High quality controlled trials and descriptive studies have shown strong evidence that planned homebirths in the care of a qualified health care provider achieve superior perinatal outcomes, with no increase in risk to mother or baby.

· Planned homebirths with qualified providers have also been found to result in a large reduction in the use of medical interventions. These include C-section, use of forceps and vacuum, labor induction and augmentation, spinal-epidural anesthesia and unnecessary separation of mother and baby during postpartum recovery.

· A decrease in unnecessary C-sections may in turn decrease risk of newborn complications such as respiratory distress, prolonged hospitalization and transfer into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Recent research has shown that unnecessary C-sections may increase the risk of such complications.

You and your baby also have a reduced chance of getting an infection when birthing at home. In your home you are less likely to be in contact with infectious organisms. "The 4th leading cause of death in America today is incidental infection caused in hospitals due to improper hygiene by doctors and nurses." - Prime Time - ABC News, October 23,2003.

If you are transported to a hospital during a homebirth, statistics indicate that you and your baby are just as likely to have a good outcome as if you had started out in a hospital setting

A few more reasons why 'There's No Place Like Home' to birth your baby:

• You can choose your labor and birthing positions

• You can choose who YOU want to be present at your birth (even siblings!)

• You can avoid unnecessary, and often 'routine' procedures (i.e. induction, episiotomy, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, 'nothing by mouth' policies during labor, newborn vaccinations)

• You can rely on continuous assistance throughout your labor (no staff shortages)

• You can take your time (no 'time clocks' to monitor your progress)

• You can eat and drink your favorite meals & beverages during labor

• You can be assured of no separation from your newborn

• You can nurse your baby immediately at your breast (no formula substitutes)

• You can rest in the cozy, quiet, comfort of your own bed (no sharing a hospital room)

• You can be assured that your midwife will also provide your postpartum care

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''Birth - - There is no place like home!'

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