Home birth with a midwife is a no-brainer -- government statistics since statistical compilation began a century ago show the superiority of non-medical midwife-attended home birth. Yet, a government license does not ensure competence or safety ? licensure is about limiting and controlling who can give health care information. For example, the hypocrisy of this licensure myth is obvious in the choice of "expert witness" chosen by the Lake County Illinois State's Attorney for a recent home birth midwife case. Tabora v. Gottlieb Mem. Hosp., No. 92 C 8179, 1996 WL 563709 (N.D. Ill.) (explaining that a woman died from a hemorrhage following a cesarean section because her obstetrician refused to acknowledge her desperate condition due to his prejudice against the Asian anesthesiologist). The "expert" continued as an instructor for medical students and his Illinois license is pristine. State licensure encourages a false sense of security and denies the public necessary information about the true qualifications of practitioners.
ACOG's (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Wisconsin position paper and urgings claiming home birth to be unsafe, are more fodder for a gullible public led to believe only non-physicians are quacks and charlatans. When the Florida legislature was considering a non-nurse midwifery licensure bill, the state medical society claimed midwives were unsafe. However, when pressed to bring forth its proof, nothing was produced. Sadly, Certified Nurse-Midwifery organizations, themselves marginalized by their medical brothers, promote themselves as superior to non-nurse midwives in order to keep the midwifery turf for themselves.
The brains of pregnant women continue to function throughout their pregnancy, even during labor. Instead of legislators paternalistically "protecting" competent adult women from health care choices, states could ensure all women access to the full spectrum of childbearing alternatives and demand unbiased medical back-up for the women's decisions. Full disclosure of alternatives ensures that an individual's childbirth choices are wisely made. Legislator's efforts to diminish our nation's sorry birth statistics ? we are chronically among the worst of industrialized nations - would be better directed at increasing opportunities for educating the public about the benefits of good nutrition, judicious use of technology, and providing access to a wide variety of child birth attendants.
It can be a safe and satisfying choice if you think it through and have everything you need in place.
What does it take to have a home birth?
Second pregnancies are better.
You really never know what's going to happen during your first labor, it is sometimes advised to have your homebirth for your second child instead of your first.
Of course, every birth is different, but once you have had one baby you know you can do it, your confidence is boosted and you know what it is going to entail.
You also will already know if you had complications or problems that may require medical attention the first time around.
A Certified Midwife
Unless you are going unassisted you are going to need a midwife to catch your baby at a home birth. It may not be as easy as you think to find a midwife who will be willing to do a homebirth, so make sure you find a qualified midwife early in your pregnancy so you can freely plan your homebirth.
A Doula
This is not a must, but a doula makes the process of birthing much easier and she can help you in so many ways.
Having a doula can decrease the time of your labor and can increase your feelings of well being and your overall mood about birthing.
She can help you stay on track, and stay focused on your breathing and whatever other tools you are employing in your natural childbirth.
A large tub for a waterbirth
If you have decided you would like to labor or birth in water you will need to get a large pool. You can use a kiddie pool, these will generally work, but there are birthing pools available. The sides of the birthing pool are generally more sturdy so you can sit and lean on them without worrying they might cave in.
As you can see there is not much that goes in to having a home birth. What you will need more than things is a willing and open attitude and to have managed and disolved any fear you have around the birthing process.
The people involved can help you with that as well. Giving birth at home, at your pace, with no directives or threats of medical intervention can be a wonderful experience and a gentle way to bring your baby in to the world.
Both Yvonne Lapp Cryns & Jackie Lee are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Yvonne Lapp Cryns has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parental Care, Pregnancy Problems and Brain. Yvonne Lapp Cryns is the owner of Midwives .net - Yvonne is the co-founder of Nursing Programs Online at. Yvonne Lapp Cryns's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.
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