Almost every human being who comes in this world dreams about getting married and starting a family one day. Having a complete family means having children. The phenomenon of giving birth to a child and fears linked with it started with the birth of first child on this planet. Children have always been given birth at home till the time until maternity hospitals in modern day world became common. Hospitals have sometimes made the process of child birth a cause of fear and constant psychological pressure for women.
In last century, shift from home birth to hospital birth had been on rise in developed countries. In USA home birth went down from 50% to less than 1%. Similar kind of results can be found in other developed countries. With the passage of time hospital birth has become more of a culture in these countries. At the same time this culture of hospital birth has given birth to labors induced, augmentation and unnecessary caesareans. These practices don not create any alarm of side effects on health of the mother in immediate future but in the longer run these practices prove to be hazardous for mother’s health.
The number of women preferring home birth over hospital birth has increased during last decade for many obvious reasons such as lower rate of maternal morbidity and lower rate of instrumental vaginal birth and cesarean birth. Research results have shown that if hospital birth and home birth are put through a comparison, there is no difference in intrapartum fatal deaths and neonatal deaths. It means home birth is equally safe as compared with hospital birth. National Institute of Health and Care in UK says that women with uncomplicated pregnancy should prefer home birth because it is as safe for the baby as in hospital. On the contrary, rate of intervention is lesser in home birth. The environment being friendly and conducive at home makes the women feel relax, confident, satisfied and more in control. It leaves its positive effects on the health of mother as well as baby.
A study published in British Medical Journal shows that ’’safety rates both in hospital and home birth are same.’’ Home birth has its many inbuilt advantages like a normal birth at home costs 60% lesser than that in a hospital. Moreover, at home, women are surrounded by those who love and they feel comfortable where as in hospitals they are treated more like patients resulting in more psychological pressure. Home birth allows immediate breast feeding which creates a bond between mother and new born. It also transfers disease fighting antibodies with milk.
Many prefer home birth over hospital birth as there are no unwanted medical interventions and risk of surgical birth is less. In home birth a midwife is available to watch over during labor, birth and recovery without any shift changes. There is no one to wake the mother up to check the vitals and no one separates the baby from mother. Last but not the least, birth is a natural process and it should be without any interference.
