Why Homebirth...
What does a Midwife do?
The word Midwife comes
from a French word meaning “with
woman.” A midwife assists throughout the whole of pregnancy,
birth, and postpartum as a diet counselor, obstetrician,
friend, advocate and teacher.
What is home birth like?
If you
are at home giving birth, you are given freedom to choose
what position you want to deliver in, what is or is not done
to your baby, and who is or is not present for your birth.
In addition, you and your baby have the entire attention
of your midwife, for as long as you need her. As a rule,
how you are treated in a hospital is very different.
A few comparisons:
In the hospital, you are expected to
follow their policies & procedure.
At home, you get to set the policy & procedure.
In a hospital, the father is “allowed” to be
in the delivery room.
At home, the father is regarded as a necessary labor support
person.
In a hospital, if you want to depart from the status quo,
you have to fight to do so.
At home, your wishes are respected without conflict, as long
as safety is not an issue.
In a hospital, you are more likely to have a C-section because
of liability concerns.
At home, if you end up having to go for a C-section, it truly
was warranted.
With routine doctor/hospital care, the pre- and post-natal
care is limited to 15-minute office visits.
At home with a midwife, an average visit lasts an hour.
Physicians & hospitals focus on TREATING problems.
A midwife’s goal is to PREVENT
problems.
(Comparisons made by a mother of three after having her
first home birth.)
Is home birth safe?
In June of
2005, the British Medical Journal published a study on home
births in North America attended by direct-entry midwives
(no nursing degree). It was a year-long study that showed
outcomes at home to be just as safe as at a hospital, with
fewer interventions, and much higher client satisfaction.
BMJ 2005; 330: 1416 (18 June) http://www.bmj.com
Authors: Kenneth C Johnson and Betty- Anne Daviss.
“In The Netherlands, which has
the third lowest infant mortality rate (3 per 1000), about
two thirds of all babies are born at home with trained
midwives usually doing the deliveries.”
Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin
“The USA has an infant mortality
rate of 5 per 1,000, the same as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia
and Malta. Of 33 developed countries, America is just above
Latvia, the bottom of the group.”
Medical News Today, May 9th 2006.
The BMJ study showed that midwifery
care in the US for the year 2000, had an infant mortality
rate of 2 per 1000. Of course, this only includes low risk,
healthy women & babies.
This is the same rate shown in US hospitals for low risk
births.
What does is cost?
Most midwives
will charge about the same or slightly less than obstetricians
in their area. The midwife’s fee
includes the birth, whereas the hospital charge is separate
from the doctor’s fee, typically doubling the cost.
Included in my fee:
* 20 prenatal
visits on average. (I come to you.)
* Unlimited phone consultations.
* The birth.
* At least 5 postpartum visits.
* Prenatal vitamins, Lab costs, birth kit & herbs or
medicines are not included in fee
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