In my opinion, there are way too many reasons to count. However, they can all more or less be included in these TEN reasons to have a homebirth:
TEN: Feel safe – Being without fear is the #1 key to having a successful, drug-free delivery. I personally would be scared to death of a hospital birth, while some women may be scared to be without the medical umbrella of a hospital.
NINE: Have it your way – When giving birth at a hospital, it’s hard not to let our doctors or midwives run the show. After all, you may be paying the bill, but you’re in their house. When you’re in your own home, it’s easier to remember that you are paying for a service, and that means you get to call the shots.
EIGHT: Involve siblings – Greeting a new baby can be a wonderful thing for the whole family. If a sibling changes his or her mind about being present, they can leave the room as they please. My daughter was not alarmed by my labor and stayed for the entire thing, because we were both in a familiar environment and were without fear.
SEVEN: Feel at home – how comfortable can a woman possibly be in a hospital bed? Comfort is the #2 key to successful natural delivery, and can easily be found in your own home.
SIX: All-natural – It’s natural or nothing at a homebirth! Just the way it was intended to be.
FIVE: Avoid complications – It is understood that things as simple as food denial and constant monitoring can interfere with labor. An epidural is a gateway drug, so to speak, and can lead to further interventions, one after another.
FOUR: Get what you pay for – If you really like your hospital setting, you need to like your doctor or midwife as well. With a homebirth, changing care providers doesn’t mean changing the place you deliver. That will always remain home sweet home.
THREE: Lower infection rates – Hospitals, for all that they are helpful, are for the sick and injured. A person can go in healthy and leave with a disease, even after all the precautions taken. When that person is only a few days or hours old, the infection can be life threatening. There are germs at home, but they’re your germs.
TWO: No need to pack- When I went into labor, there was no rushing for last minute items or worrying about making it to the hospital in time. My biggest worry was whether my birth tub would be filled in time. By the time I knew it was the real thing, I had everything set up and went to bed for the night. And then I woke up in my own bed in my own room and delivered my baby. I didn’t expend any energy on anything other than giving birth.
And the NUMBER ONE reason to try for a homebirth is:
Your Baby – Babies that are born naturally without use of drugs, forceps or other means of extraction are more alert, nurse better and have higher APGAR scores, so all that pain is worth it. There is no separation whatsoever between your family and your new baby for as long as you wish. There are numerous profound benefits to this, not the least of which is a serene and non-invasive grand entrance into the world.
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