Many women prefer to go to the hospital to give birth to their babies in a medically controlled environment – a hospital. However, there are some very important advantages to home birth that more and more mothers-to-be are experiencing every year.
- You are on your own territory. Your home is your comfort zone. When the time comes to birth your baby, you don’t have to rush to take a car and get to the hospital. You can do everything at your own pace, without having to fit into other people’s routines.
- You can eat or drink whatever you feel like. Many hospitals forbid you to eat during labor. As this can be a very long journey, you may become hungry and thirsty before your baby gets born. At home, you can do what you want, so you can cater to the needs of your body without having to ask for permission or to argue with nurses and other medical staff.
- No interventions from the outside. Nobody is going to give you an IV or an electronic fetal monitoring. Besides, you won’t risk to get some substances injected without your knowledge to speed up your labor a little bit. This may be one of the greatest advantages of home birth!
- You can choose the position you want during your labor. You don’t have to lay down in bed, if you’d rather squat to birth easier. You can walk when you need it, bounce on a birth ball or take whatever position makes you feel more comfortable. You can even stand up while hugging your partner. Anything is allowed. Besides, you are welcome to make noise, if it makes you feel better.
- Your baby is born in your home, away from all germs that may be present in hospitals. It’s common for mothers and their newborns to get infections from the hospital. At home, this risk is much lower.
All these advantages of home birth are very good for you and for your other family members. Since your body is going to be allowed to follow its own rhythm, your body’s hormonal response is also going to be the normal one. The birth will be smoother and safer. Besides, the cocktail of hormones that get released into your body in the moment of birth is priceless, as it’s going to help you bond with your newborn much faster. Your baby is going to be calm and safe, as nobody is going to pull it away from you. Everything is going to happen naturally, with no artificial interventions.
