HOME BIRTH OR HOSPITAL BIRTH

First off all I’m the last person that would ever tell someone they should have a home birth.

Everybody has to decide for themselves what they find best suiting them.

But why wouldn’t you have your baby at home?                             

I want to put my energy in informing people especially mothers or mothers to be, so they can make conscious choices and support them in their choice.                                                                                So I’m not going to tell you why you should or shouldn’t have a home birth. You will have to ask yourself.

The questions below might help you making that choice, to find out what suits you and your (birth)partner best.

HERE ARE, WHAT I BELIEVE, 3 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF :

1)Where do you and your partner feel most secure?

This is a big one, because it all comes down to being relaxed during birth and feeling comfortable and secure.

Some women are very clear about this and know they need to be in a hospital to feel secure. They need doctors close by and/or the option to have medical pain relief like an edipural.

Others don’t like hospitals and are very afraid they won’t have the birth experience they desire in a hospital and that hospital staff will take over their birth.

But lots off us are somewhere in between and this is usually because due to a lack of/ or wrong information. So make sure you educate yourself. And if you decide on a home birth or hospital birth, always make sure you have a team assisting you that makes you feel secure.

2)Do you want to have a natural birth?

First off all, what do I mean with a natural birth?

I mean, no or little interventions, no drugs, no epidural, no medicated induction,…The natural birth process is respected, you have the freedom to give birth the way you want to, move around as you like, eat, drink,…

If you choose a home birth, there are no drugs and most midwifes will do very little interventions.                                                          This doesn’t mean there’s nothing else that can help you, there are lots off relaxation techniques like massage, breathing and ‘visualisation’ excersises, bathing/showering, freedom of movement and having a doula with you throughout the birth,… these can help you lots with the intensity of the contractions and helps the birth process to go more smoothly. 

If you choose a hospital birth, chances are bigger you won’t have that natural birth. Midwifes and doctors are following routine and protocols and doing what they are used to do. So depending who is assisting you things might go differently. You will need a birth plan and to speak up about your preferences to make sure things go the way you like them to go. It’s very important to go prepared if you like a natural birth in a hospital and to understand all the usual interventions that could happen, so you can make conscious decisions about them.

3)Do you trust yourself and your body to have a natural birth?

This is a very important one.

Lots off women trust there doctors more than they trust their own bodies. This is very normal if you live a lifestyle where if you are ill you go to a doctor and he gives you some medicines.

If you live a lifestyle where if you are ill you try to understand the signs your body tells you and try to find out where the illness comes from, you are already much more used to listening to your body.

If you are not used to listening to your own body it can be very hard to do so and trust it during childbirth. Also believing your body is made for birth and you are strong enough to bring your baby into this world. This is why for lots of women, birth can be such an empowering experience. Finding out how strong there bodies and there mind can be.

Offcourse there are many more questions you can ask yourself. And you need to have a low risk pregnancy to have a homebirth. But listen to your gutfeeling and most of the time the closer your due date the better idea you will have about your preferences.

Homebirth or hospital birth, Doulas support all births!