The right to deliver babies at home
Every women should have the right to deliver their baby at home, says new guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellance.(NICE)
The guidelines state that for a healthy woman experiencing a normal pregnancy, birth is generally safe whether it happens at home, in hospital or a maternity unit run by midwives.
Giving birth at home, or in a midwife-led unit means that women have a greater chance of giving birth naturally with less intervention. If problems do arise, however, both mother and baby could be worse off than if they were in a hospital with specialised care.
The guidelines also state that clinical interventions should not be offered or advised where labour is progressing normally. NICE also puts a stronmg emphasis on the need to communicate with mothers before and after labour and says that women should be given supportive one-to-one care. It should also be made clear that Epidurals in particular can lead to a longer second stage of labour and needs a greater level of monitoring.
Andrea Sutcliffe, deputy chief executive of NICE, said: "We want to make sure every woman's experience of birth is as good as it can be and have used the best available evidence to set a national standard on how midwives and doctors can make labour a positive experience for women."
Thanks to The Times, 26/09/07
Did you have a positive experience with a hospital birth or do you wish that you had given birth at home? Let us know what you think by discussing this article below or visiting our Chat Forum.
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Last Modified: 26/09/2007
Related Chat 8
Everyone has the choice to have a home birth and every town has community midwives who will deliver your baby at home. Whether is is your first baby or not you have the right to a home birth if you wish. As for the risks there are risks of being hospital like the spiraling intervention that so often happens and the infections that we have in our hospitals! Iwould choose to be at home every time! There is not a lot they can't do for you at home that they can do in hospital and at least you get the constant care of the community midwife rather then sharing your hospital midwife with 6 other people! I felt so safe when I was labouring at home in July this year with 2 community midwives present, they were great and when they suggested I transfer to hospitel I agreed as my contractions had slowed down as I was de hydrated (should have drunk more) the bumpy ambulance ride did the trick and my son was born an hour later in hospital and my community midwife transferred with me. He is my first child and as my midwife said they are also arguably the safest to have at home because if something is going to go wrong it goes wrong slower then with subsiquent babies, she did say my second would be easier as my muscles will have 'done it before' plus he was a big baby at 9lb 8.5oz with a 38cm head !!. I didn't have to transfer and it was my choice as was everything with my birth experience and I wouldn't change anything about it. Hopefully next time I will get my home water birth! But remember it is our choice and all you need to do is let your midwife know you are going to have a home birth and they have to support you though it, no one is 'not allowed'!
I think it is important that women have the choice of a home birth if they want one, but that they are also made aware of the risks should anything go wrong. It is good to have choice, but it has to be an informed choice. Keep these things in mind:
- Let your GP and Hospital know that you would like a homebirth.
- Does your local hospital have a home birth team? There are NHS midwives who do homebirths, called community midwives.
- Get in touch with the home birth team to talk about your options
- Look into Birthing units (hospital) where all the care is provided by midwives in a more relaxing and personal setting. Make sure you go and have a look around.
After speaking to your community midwife, it will help you to make your choice to have a home birth or not.
I think a lot of the problem here in the UK is to do with the number of midwives. When I gave birth in hospital I probably had someone with me for about 20m total of the eight hours I was there before starting to push. During that time that midwife was looking after half a dozen women, which obviously she couldn't have done if she had been in someone's home.
I'd really like to have a home birth if I'm lucky enough to have a second child, but I can understand there's a real issue with resources.
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