Would you plan a home birth for your first pregnancy?

[daniela]

The idea of a home birth can be frightening to some while it can be the dream of others. First pregnancies carry a lot of uncertainties and fears that can affect the decision of one having a home birth. Safety has been held up as the reason why women should give birth in the hospital. This view is in spite of the fact data supports that a planned homebirth is as safe , if not safer than a hospital birth. Yet the lack of trust women have in their ability to give birth makes a lot of us worried about having a homebirth.

In most cultures throughout history, women have given birth at home. The majority of women worldwide continue to birth their babies in non-hospital settings today. Though doctors and hospitals take credit for statistics that indicate that births are now safer than in previous centuries, in reality better nutrition, sanitation and disease control improved outcomes.

A mother choosing a homebirth must have a deep desire to give birth at home, but above all, she needs to trust her body to do what was designed to and believe in herself.