Showing posts with label homebirth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homebirth. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Slideshow of a Birth
I had the priviledge of attending many beautiful births this summer and we've made a new slideshow of one of them. Check it out on YouTube here. Feel free to share this link with your friends. Have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Benefits of Homebirth
Through my months of searching, I compiled this list of many of the benefits of a homebirth. I hope it proves useful to you.
A Comfortable Environment is a Safe Environment
In the comfort of your home, you are relaxed and at ease. The midwives attending you have spent much time getting to know all about you and what will support you through the birth process. You are intimately cared for and, in this setting, many of the interventions used in the hospital are not needed; simply because the stable, comfort of your home creates an environment where you feel safe and uninhibited and this allows the flow of labor to progress naturally.
Reduced risk of Cesarean Section
You have a one in four chance of having a c-section in the hospital, compared to 1-5% at home. Cesarean section carries a greater risk of death than do vaginal deliveries.
No episiotomies
Hospital episiotomy rate is about 70-80% in North America. Episiotomies are almost always unnecessary and take longer to heal than do tears, as they penetrate through many layers of tissue. They may cause you much discomfort after labor, making it more challenging to nurse your newborn.
No pitocin
Used to induce labor, this synthetic hormone can increase the pain of contractions, causing you to cry out in desperation for an epidural. When you're given pitocin, your body is unable to release the natural endorphins that help you cope with the sensations of labor. Without these natural pain relievers, bonding between you and your baby may not be optimal.
No epidurals
Epidurals come with many side affects. To start with, they rob you of the full birthing experience. You are less able to push and help the baby along, and when the baby does come, you are in a drugged state and not able to make that full connection with your newborn. Also, epidurals may leave you with headaches or prolonged numbness. They make your newborn sluggish and drowsy, making it more difficult to nurse. Without this pain killer, you'll find strength you never knew you had and be triumphant in this rite of passage.
Position Choices
In a hospital, you are generally asked to birth in a position that is most convenient for the doctor (usually on your back). At home, you are free to walk around and chose the positions that are most comfortable for you and most effective at getting your baby out.
A safe environment for your immune-suppressed newborn
The chance of your baby contracting an illness at home are far less than in a hospital.
The umbilical cord is cut only when it stops pulsing
Premature severance of the umbilical cord cuts the flow of oxygenated blood to the baby before the baby has established the lungs as the source of oxygen.
Baby is allowed to nurse immediately
Rather than having your baby taken from you moments after you deliver for routine examination and bathing, which are unnecessary procedures at this time, your newborn is immediately placed on your warm chest, next to your heart, where s(he) belongs! Bonding and breastfeeding begin naturally and without interruption.
You are the center of attention
Your midwife will not be watching the fetal monitor screen while you are laboring, she will be tending to you and doing all she can to make you comfortable and help you progress in labor.
You have the option of giving birth in water
Submersing yourself in warm water is an amazing way to ease the pain of contractions. It also gives you a greater sense of privacy and allows you to move with the contractions, helping your baby in his/her descent.
You create the mood
You can create a setting of low lights, calm peaceful music and choose who is in the room with you. You are in a familiar place with the people you love – just the way you want it.
A Comfortable Environment is a Safe Environment
In the comfort of your home, you are relaxed and at ease. The midwives attending you have spent much time getting to know all about you and what will support you through the birth process. You are intimately cared for and, in this setting, many of the interventions used in the hospital are not needed; simply because the stable, comfort of your home creates an environment where you feel safe and uninhibited and this allows the flow of labor to progress naturally.
Reduced risk of Cesarean Section
You have a one in four chance of having a c-section in the hospital, compared to 1-5% at home. Cesarean section carries a greater risk of death than do vaginal deliveries.
No episiotomies
Hospital episiotomy rate is about 70-80% in North America. Episiotomies are almost always unnecessary and take longer to heal than do tears, as they penetrate through many layers of tissue. They may cause you much discomfort after labor, making it more challenging to nurse your newborn.
No pitocin
Used to induce labor, this synthetic hormone can increase the pain of contractions, causing you to cry out in desperation for an epidural. When you're given pitocin, your body is unable to release the natural endorphins that help you cope with the sensations of labor. Without these natural pain relievers, bonding between you and your baby may not be optimal.
No epidurals
Epidurals come with many side affects. To start with, they rob you of the full birthing experience. You are less able to push and help the baby along, and when the baby does come, you are in a drugged state and not able to make that full connection with your newborn. Also, epidurals may leave you with headaches or prolonged numbness. They make your newborn sluggish and drowsy, making it more difficult to nurse. Without this pain killer, you'll find strength you never knew you had and be triumphant in this rite of passage.
Position Choices
In a hospital, you are generally asked to birth in a position that is most convenient for the doctor (usually on your back). At home, you are free to walk around and chose the positions that are most comfortable for you and most effective at getting your baby out.
A safe environment for your immune-suppressed newborn
The chance of your baby contracting an illness at home are far less than in a hospital.
The umbilical cord is cut only when it stops pulsing
Premature severance of the umbilical cord cuts the flow of oxygenated blood to the baby before the baby has established the lungs as the source of oxygen.
Baby is allowed to nurse immediately
Rather than having your baby taken from you moments after you deliver for routine examination and bathing, which are unnecessary procedures at this time, your newborn is immediately placed on your warm chest, next to your heart, where s(he) belongs! Bonding and breastfeeding begin naturally and without interruption.
You are the center of attention
Your midwife will not be watching the fetal monitor screen while you are laboring, she will be tending to you and doing all she can to make you comfortable and help you progress in labor.
You have the option of giving birth in water
Submersing yourself in warm water is an amazing way to ease the pain of contractions. It also gives you a greater sense of privacy and allows you to move with the contractions, helping your baby in his/her descent.
You create the mood
You can create a setting of low lights, calm peaceful music and choose who is in the room with you. You are in a familiar place with the people you love – just the way you want it.
A Mother's Journey through Pregnancy
As a client and now close friend of Paula Schnebelt, I'd like to take you on a journey with me through my experiences during pregnancy. I'll share with you many of my discoveries along the way, what it was like having Paula Schnebelt as my midwife, and the moment every first-time (and even second and third time) mom fears: the delivery. Before I get ahead of myself though, I'll start with the beginning:
My decision to birth at home
If you're like most women, homebirth wasn't your first thought when you discovered you were pregnant. For me, it was different. As a child, I was occasionally asked which hospital I was born in. When I responded that I and two of my siblings had been born at home, I would hear things like: "Wow, you have a brave mother!" Or, "I'm glad you're O.K.!" When I asked my mom why she had risked our safety to birth us at home, she'd tell me of the cold and impersonal experience she'd had with the birth of her first two children, then contrasted it with the more natural and warm setting of her three home births. She had been so grateful to have a midwife walk her through her pregnancies and care for her during her labor and recovery. She would have had it no other way.
When I became pregnant, there was no question in my mind: I would birth at home with a midwife. I knew in my heart that it was the right decision for me. What I didn't know, however, was how I would justify my decision to the multitude of well-meaning friends and acquaintances who would certainly challenge my resolve. I thus began my pursuit of knowledge - I would discover why homebirth is the safest, most comfortable, least painful method of delivery available today.
My decision to birth at home
If you're like most women, homebirth wasn't your first thought when you discovered you were pregnant. For me, it was different. As a child, I was occasionally asked which hospital I was born in. When I responded that I and two of my siblings had been born at home, I would hear things like: "Wow, you have a brave mother!" Or, "I'm glad you're O.K.!" When I asked my mom why she had risked our safety to birth us at home, she'd tell me of the cold and impersonal experience she'd had with the birth of her first two children, then contrasted it with the more natural and warm setting of her three home births. She had been so grateful to have a midwife walk her through her pregnancies and care for her during her labor and recovery. She would have had it no other way.
When I became pregnant, there was no question in my mind: I would birth at home with a midwife. I knew in my heart that it was the right decision for me. What I didn't know, however, was how I would justify my decision to the multitude of well-meaning friends and acquaintances who would certainly challenge my resolve. I thus began my pursuit of knowledge - I would discover why homebirth is the safest, most comfortable, least painful method of delivery available today.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Benefits of Homebirth
Below is an article I recently wrote on homebirth. Feel free to comment on your personal experience with homebirth!
The Benefits of Homebirth
There is so much controversy surrounding homebirth; many people in our country are simply appalled at the suggestion that homebirth still exists. At the same time, there are those who would not consider birthing any other way. There are several studies that indicate no difference in outcome for a healthy mother and baby experiencing a healthy pregnancy. However, homebirth is still very much the exception in the U.S.
I have no doubt that many more would consider homebirth if they understood more about modern birth practices. There is a new video available through most video rental stores called "The Business of Being Born.” It is a documentary by Ricki Lake and Abbie Epstein that depicts the history of modern birth practices and showcases the depth and power of homebirth, contrasting it with hospital birth. There is no doubt that a natural birth enhances mother/baby bonding and eases breastfeeding.
If women knew what they were giving up, I am certain they would overwhelmingly choose to birth their babies naturally. The difficulty with birthing naturally in the hospital is the unfamiliar surroundings, the unfamiliar staff, and the immediate "option" of pain relief. While birth is an intense process and it is difficult to not want relief, women who successfully birth naturally indisputably experience a "high" that is indescribable. Additionally, there is something about making it through, reaching deep into ourselves for an inner strength we did not know we had. It is a rite of passage that most women in America no longer get to experience. It is something that we can carry forward into those long nights awake with a sick baby, the difficulties of raising a teenager, all the challenges that life throws at us; we know where to reach inside for that place of strength we might not otherwise know how to access.
One thing is certain: mothers who birth naturally in the intimacy and familiar comfort of their homes generally experience greater bonding with their babies, greater success with breastfeeding, and closer-knit families. Perhaps this is all a reflection of who they are; perhaps it is because there was not a disruption of the natural hormones and pheromones present at a birth with no interventions.
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