Deciding to give birth to your child at home is a huge decision but is one that increasingly more mothers to be are making. Giving birth at home is an appealing option because you can be in your own environment, it is private and you have all those home comforts at your disposal. If you are considering taking this method to welcome your child into the world, here are some tips.
Do your research
Just like with anything, the first step is to research your different options to find out as much as you can. Visiting your doctor can help because they can give you the information and advice, and then the decision is up to you for which type of labour is best for you.
2. Pick an experienced midwife
Giving birth to a healthy child is the most important thing you will ever do, and because of this you need to make sure that the midwife you choose is seasoned in the field. Find out how many births she has attended, and if she works with an assistant. At this point you may also want to ask for any advice that you can be doing in the meantime to either induce labour or keep your body as strong and healthy as you can. Using vitamins like Prenatals.com can benefit you and the baby, and eating spicy food can induce labour.
- Plan for emergencies
Ask your midwife what complications they have had to deal with in the past. Your midwife should have encountered multiple types of emergency in her time, and she should be prepared if necessary to suture a laceration in your body, stop a postpartum hemorrhage and resuscitate a child if needed.
4. Make a plan
If you do plan to give birth at home,you need to be aware that if something does go wrong, you won’t have immediate access to a doctor like you would in the hospital. Make sure that between you and your midwife you make a plan that if something does go wrong, you will be able to get yourself to the hospital and treated immediately. You midwife should warn the hospital that you are coming so that when you arrive, you are ready to be treated.
5. Where will you give birth?
It could be a case that your home itself is a little too small to be putting a pool in the living room, so you might end up using a relative’s house. Make sure you discuss this all with your family to work out the best option, and also decide who will be attending the birth.
Have tests done
When you choose to have a home birth, your ultrasounds, prenatal tests and everything else will be put through your doctor’s office. This is because if you are transferred to the hospital for any reason, your medical records will already be on file ready for treatment. This is why it is also advisable to get some test done, so that when you reach the hospital in an emergency the doctors won’t need to run tests, they can just read your file. Here are some of the tests you can do: https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/prenatal-tests.aspx
Check your insurance
Many insurance plans will not cover you for a home birth if anything happens, so be aware of this. You will generally get six weeks worth of postpartum care after the birth paid for. If you suffer from any complications through the pregnancy or the birth, this might change. Make sure you have a buffer saved up in case you need to fork out for extra care.
8. Understand the risk
Before you choose to go down the home brith route, you need to bear in mind that a home birth is much more risky than a hospital birth. There is almost a double chance of a baby not making it when you are giving birth at home compared to a hospital, this is likely due to the fact you don’t have the same medical facilities available to you at home. Be very aware of the fact that even if you do travel to the hospital, because your body is vulnerable in transit, you could run a higher risk of a hemorrhage.
If you do choose to give birth at home, make sure that you have researched every option, that you know every risk and that you have a plan of action should things go wrong. Other than that, you should be able to enjoy your labour at home with your loved ones, and welcome a new member to your family.