The advantages of a home birth, for a woman with an uncomplicated pregnancy, are too many for me to list here :-)Would you like to take a look at this website:www.homebirth-uk.org for lots of information about the subject.Sometimes I ask myself, what are the advantages of hospital birth?Around half of women give birth with no more pain relief than can be offered at a home birth and with no need for a doctor.A good midwife spots complications early on and transfers the mum into hospital in good time. The common sense reasons women give for choosing a home birth are - I'm more comfortable at home, I want my own stuff around me, I don't want to contract an infection, birth is a natural healthy event and not an illness. Scientifically however, we could also say: labour and the production of hormones necessary for a smooth labour are interrupted by moving a woman in labour. The woman's primal brain - the bit of her which "does the birthing" - needs to feel safe and secure and in familiar surroundings. Otherwise she is programmed to stop or slow down her labour. All mammals are programmed to slow or stop labour when they feel threatened because it's the most vulnerable time of life. Ever heard a woman say, "I though I was really advanced, but when I got to hospital it all stopped" - she's made to feel a failure but in fact her body is responding the way it's meant to. Vets are very strict about not moving a cat or dog in labour. Yet we expect women to jump into a car and be driven through traffic (including over speed bumps!), go up in a lift and hang around a hospital reception area waiting to be seen...while in labour!My youngest was born at home and it was the happiest day of my life - incredibly fulfilling and empowering. We have tremendous support incidentally from the head of midwives at Queen Charlotte's because it is a known fact that encouraging home births increases the overall number of normal and straightforward births.
Sarah Johnson ● 6182d