Describe your image
Home Birth
Why Choose a Home Birth?
​I worked as a midwife in various hospital systems for over ten years. I felt that my job as a hospital midwife was to protect physiologic birth as much as possible, and to intervene only when medically necessary. Until I experienced out-of-hospital birth, I thought that I did a pretty good job. What I did not understand is this:
In the hospital setting, even unmedicated births are influenced by multiple interventions.
​
-
IV insertion is an intervention.
-
Continuous fetal monitoring is an intervention.
-
Rules and devices that inhibit movement and physiologic positioning are interventions.
-
The presence of medical equipment that flashes and beeps and alarms is an intervention.
-
Observation by medical personnel who are there "just in case" (the respiratory therapist, pediatrician, anesthetist, etc..) is an intervention.
All of these interventions, even when no medication is administered, alter the body's perception of privacy and safety, and inhibit the natural ebb and flow of hormones that promote labor progress and your ability to cope with pain.
​​
...and don't even get me started on continuous electronic fetal monitoring...
​
All this is to say: interventions have side effects that lead to other interventions. This is one reason why the C-section rate in American hospitals is over 30% while maternal and infant mortality rates remain some of the worst in the developed world, and why home birth is proven to be safer than hospital birth for low-risk women and babies.
​
Midwifery Care
Midwifery care prioritizes building relationships and providing personalized care that is respectful of the autonomy and values of the expecting family.
Prenatal visits with home birth midwives are longer than appointments with doctors or even midwives associated with larger medical systems. This means there is more time to build trust with the person who will deliver your baby, to communicate your thoughts, ask questions, and to obtain true informed consent.​
​
​​Home Birth Midwives do not change shifts and do not delegate to a nursing staff. Your midwife will be with you throughout your active phase of labor and for several hours afterward. She will visit your home to check on you and your baby 1-2 days after your birth. And at any time if there is an urgent concern, you can contact your midwife directly without going through a phone tree or an answering service.
Home Birth Midwives are highly skilled in facilitating natural births and have extensive experience in supporting women through labor without interventions. They are also trained to recognize deviations from normal that might require transfer to a different level of care, and to effectively manage emergent situations should they occur. Healthy women cared for by midwives are less likely to miscarry, deliver preterm, be induced, need pain medication, have a C-section or episiotomy, and tend to be happier with their care overall. Newborn outcomes are similar to birth in the hospital, though rates of breastfeeding are higher with midwifery care.
​
Water Birth
Waterbirth is a safe and gentle way to bring your baby into the world. It involves laboring and delivering in a pool of warm water, resulting in increased comfort, privacy and buoyancy against gravity. Many women feel that water birth allows them to better follow their natural birthing instincts.
For babies, the effect is a more peaceful transition from the womb to their mother's arms. Water births are generally calm and quiet. Water babies are likewise calm, quiet and alert after birth. Interestingly, healthy babies are born with a "dive reflex," meaning they instinctively hold their breath until they come out of the water and their faces are exposed to air.
Benefits of water birth are well documented:​​
-
Decreased levels of stress, anxiety and pain.
-
Shorter labors.
-
Less use of medications such as narcotics and Pitocin.
-
Decreased risk of operative birth (C-section, vacuum and forceps)
-
Decreased vaginal tearing.
-
Greater satisfaction with the birth.
​​
Home Birth
There are numerous advantages to giving birth at home with a midwife you trust. Foremost among these is feeling safe and relaxed in a familiar setting. In nature, animals typically give birth in secluded, dark places, away from predators. If they sense danger, their labor may stop. Similarly, the intricate hormonal changes that orchestrate human labor, newborn bonding, and breastmilk production can be disrupted by stress. This is one reason hospital births often take longer and/or require narcotic pain medications and Pitocin.
​
​
Another important factor to consider is the microbiome. The term microbiome refers to the millions of bacteria that colonize our bodies, inside and out. Most of these bacteria are helpful, even essential to our physiologic processes and overall health. In fact, scientists refer to the gut and bacteria contained there as our "second brain." In a homebirth, newborns are immediately exposed to their family's healthy microbiome as they are born in your sheets, dried with your towels and swaddled with your blankets. This exposure jumpstarts your baby's immune and digestive systems, and even plays a role in brain development. In a hospital setting, everything that touches the baby is sterilized with chemicals. On the one hand, this is a very good thing as it protects you and your baby from being infected with strange viruses and bacteria that are present in the hospital but not in your home. On the other hand, it decreases the beneficial effects of exposure to healthy bacteria.
Myths about Home Birth
Myth 1: At-Home Birth is Expensive
​
-
Insurance often covers both hospital and home births, though you’re likely still going to be on the hook for at least part of the bill (You’d have to check with your provider for specifics in your case). However,
-
At-home births are frequently less expensive than mainstream hospital-based care.
Myth 2: Laboring at Home is Dangerous for Moms & Babies
Certain health or personal conditions may make a hospital birth a safer option.
However, for many women and babies, at-home birth isn’t riskier and may actually be a better option. At Salmonberry, we do an extensive screening and intake questionnaire to ensure you’re a good candidate for home birth.
​
Home births may be suitable if you have PCOS, a thyroid disorder, are 35 or older, have had a Cesarean, or used IVF or other fertility treatments to become pregnant. We take it on a case-by-case basis to make sure home birth is a healthy fit for each mom-to-be.
​
It’s also important to note that — for those for whom home delivery is deemed safe — emergencies are rare. Plus, we monitor the well-being of both moms and babies throughout labor.
Myth 3: At-Home Birth Means No Medical Oversight
​
If you include a Nurse Midwife in the childbirth process, you and your baby are getting qualified healthcare attention. Midwives are highly trained, licensed, and certified. Moreover, they spend all day every day providing prenatal care and facilitating healthy deliveries.
Midwives also carry many of the same supplies as hospital nurses and doctors might use. For instance, our midwives’ kits contain IV equipment, antihemorrhagic medications, newborn resuscitation equipment, suturing equipment, and lidocaine.
Myth 4: Home Births Are More Painful than Hospital Births
You aren’t going to get an epidural with an at-home birth, but midwives have plenty of other ways to help reduce pain. Water birth, for instance has been shown to significantly reduce the experience of pain during labor.
Additionally, if you need sutures, your midwife can administer lidocaine.
​
Many women are more comfortable and at ease during childbirth when they’re at home. Being in your own space, with people you care about, can be a truly special experience that you can’t have in a hospital setting. Plus, you have a lot more say in what happens with a home birth.
Myth 6: Only Flower Child Hipster Types Do Home Births
​
Oh so wrong! All kinds of people opt for home births for all kinds of reasons.
Myth 7: Home Births Are Messy
​
You probably won’t have too much to clean up. Your Salmonberry midwives have done this routine many times and know how to keep the mess contained and minimal.
Myth 8: Home Births Aren’t Legal
​
Is it legal to give birth at home? Yes, it is! There’s no requirement to go to a hospital or birthing facility. It is always your choice where to have your baby.
Myth 9: The Pros & Cons of Home Birth Prove Hospital Births are Better
​
This just isn’t so. Each family has its own needs and preferences. This means that for some, the balance tips in favor of a home birth. The determination is personal and requires careful evaluation of available, relevant information.