My Home Birth — The Decision
When I was around 15 weeks pregnant I began thinking about my birth plan and where I wanted my little nugget to be born. Initially, I had no idea of the options, but as I was seeing an OBGYN, I assumed that my first child would be born at the hospital, like most other women in America.
Roughly 99% of U.S. children are born in hospitals each year. That is no surprise as The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends hospitals or accredited birth centers as the safest option for having a baby. Regardless of the ACOG’s recommendations, every woman in the U.S. and the world has the right to make a medically informed decision about how and where she would like to deliver.
After going to a number of prenatal doctor’s appointments, my husband and I decided to tour a maternity ward.
The beginning of the end
Pressing the freshly printed visitor sticker on my chest and standing behind a group of pregnant women and their partners, I felt proud and excited that I was in their club and awaiting the maternity ward tour. Walking in a group, we entered the elevator and ascended to the top floor. A nurse showed us around and brought us into a delivery room. As the group shuffled through to surround the bed, my eyes started to wander. I looked at the stark hospital bed with white sheets that many other people had used, I squinted at the bright clinical lights above, and my heart nervously jumped when I saw the tiny baby CPR unit in the corner. I knew right at that moment that I didn’t want to give birth here or in any hospital for that matter.
Intervention rates
My decision wasn’t made purely because I didn’t like the look of that one room, I also knew that in hospitals, particularly across America, they have a very high intervention rate and 30% of all hospital deliveries are done by C-section, which is a lot higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended 10–15%. Also, at the hospital, a mother is at a higher risk for an episiotomy (vaginal incision) and infection, whereas during home births, perineal tears are less likely to be so severe.
Home birth popularity
Home births are gaining more traction and popularity and the number of home births in the U.S. has been on the rise, yet only about 1% of babies are born at home each year and one fourth of those are unplanned. I started looking online; mainly Instagram, and I found beautiful and powerful images of women giving birth at home in birthing pools, surrounded by candles and their chosen birthing team. Although I personally didn’t know anyone who had given birth at home recently, seeing these images and knowing that many other women around the world have had confident and successful home births (my Grandmother being one of them with her second child) with zero intervention confirmed my decision.
Telling my family
When I shared the possibility of a home birth with my family, some were kind of freaked out, as I mentioned before, home births are not the norm. I was bombarded with questions like, ‘how safe is it?’ ‘What is the mortality rate?’ And ‘what if something goes wrong?’ Even scary stories about a friend of a friend of a friend they knew who had to be rushed to hospital during a planned home birth were told. I kept calm and made sure I had an answer to each question, debunking myths surrounding the topic and putting them at ease with facts and reasoning behind my decision. Funnily enough, these shocked reactions and negative remarks made me even more determined.
The search was on
Finding a home birth midwife in Chicago, IL wasn’t easy. Unlike California for example where the State allows certified midwives to practice even if they are not already nurses, the State of Illinois limits the number of legal practitioners available, so finding a midwife home birth team was very hard.
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Another factor I had to consider was cost, which varies widely depending on the type of insurance you may or may not have. Home births are not all covered on insurance. I was lucky and some of my expenses were, although I would be out of pocket at least $5000, which to me was still a small price to pay for the birth that I wanted and imagined. It’s a shame though that insurance companies focus only on hospital births, and in terms of reproductive justice, it makes sense for all women to have the same array of options around birth like you would in a country similar to England, where there’s national insurance. Women should be able to choose their place of birth based on preferences and risk level rather than financial means.
My home birth team
After researching further and asking nurses and doulas, I finally tracked down The Gentle Birth Care team based in Oak Park, IL. My first appointment with them was amazing, I felt as though I had known them for years and that they were family who really cared about me and my wants and needs during pregnancy and birth. After finding out that I was a perfect candidate for a home birth, with no diabetes or high blood pressure and no other conditions that could complicate delivery, I prepared for an at home water birth.
Having a home birth means NO DRUGS, nothing! I chose early on to feel the full experience with no pharmaceutical pain relief. I wanted the least amount of medical intervention as possible and I knew that it was a marathon task, literally. It would be challenging and exhausting but at the end of it all, very rewarding. I knew I could do it!
Hypnobirthing
Seeking out more information and help, my husband and I enrolled in a Hypnobirthing class where we learnt more about the home birth process and birthing as a whole.
My course teacher Robin Ross from Blissful Births and Babies spoke passionately at every session about how birth is not a medical procedure and that women all over the globe have been giving birth without drugs or hospital intervention for centuries. Her underlying belief in midwifery is that birth is a physiological process, versus a medical view that birth is something that can be high-risk at any moment and a disaster waiting to happen.
I learnt through the hypnobirthing process that the mother needs to be relaxed and mentally prepared at all times about her birthing decisions. A mother is more likely to dilate and embrace difficult surges (contractions) if she feels comfortable and supported by her surroundings, and if she feels safe it will lead to a more positive experience and even a faster delivery.
Your individual birthing journey
The more I read up on home births and the more I spoke and understood other women’s birthing hopes, I realized that what was best for me would not be right for the next woman; some women feel more at ease in the hospital surrounded by doctors and medical experts, because it gives some people security and assurance. For me, I wanted to be on my own turf, somewhere I was comfortable and somewhere I called home.
There is no right answer and the decision is totally individual to each woman’s journey. Wherever you choose to give birth, your story will be totally unique and totally yours. Just know that there are many options, and that following the crowd even when you know you shouldn’t is not the way to write your birthing story. Be confident in your decision and always listen to your gut, you know what is best for you and your baby, so do that, because you can do whatever you imagine!
Get in touch with me, I would love to talk you through more about my decision to have a home birth and answer any questions you may have. Follow us on Instagram to @InfinitiTouchBra.
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Francesca
