Homebirth and Waterbirth

There are many advantages to having a homebirth. These advantages center on the principle that when a woman feels comfortable and in control of her environment, she will be more at ease and therefore birth more normally. Other advantages include:

• Continuity of care: your midwife will provide prenatal visits, attend your labor and birth and provide postpartum and newborn care
• More autonomy: you get to say what is right for you and your baby
• Be surrounded by those you love: anyone you would like to have at your birth is welcome at a homebirth
• The comfort of your own home: laboring in your own space, freedom to move about as you choose, eating and drinking is encouraged, and of course, your own bed to crawl into after
  your birth
• Your baby does not leave your side
• Homebirth is not messy: any “mess” at home is most often very well contained and will be cleaned by your midwife before leaving your home. She will even start your laundry for you!
• Fewer interventions: lower rates of cesarean, episiotomy, epidural, induction, etc.
• Safety on par with low-risk births in the hospital (see below)

The Safety of Homebirth

Many families, when contemplating a homebirth, are concerned about safety. There is conflicting information and opinions about whether or not homebirth is safe and those opinions are very strongly held. While the safety of homebirth remains a hotly debated topic, the research has repeatedly shown that homebirth, for low-risk women with a qualified attendant, is safe. However, each family must decide for themselves if they feel comfortable going forward with a planned homebirth.

The best research to date:

Landmark Study Reports Planned Home Births Are Safe

“Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America.” Kenneth C Johnson, senior epidemiologist, Betty-Anne Daviss, project manager. BMJ 2005;330:1416 (18 June). Published online at http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7505/1416?ehom

A study published in the June 18 edition of the British Medical Journal finds that when Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are the maternity care providers for low-risk women having planned home births, that these births are as safe as hospital births. The study also demonstrates that these women in the care of CPMs experience significantly lower rates of medical intervention than their counterparts having hospital births, as well as a much lower rate of birth by cesarean section.

This study is the largest yet of its kind. The researchers used prospective data on more than 5000 planned home births in North America attended by Certified Professional Midwives during the year 2000.

The researchers analyzed outcomes and medical interventions for planned home births, including transports to hospital care. According to the British Medical Journal press release, they found:

• Planned homebirths “had a low mortality rate during labor and delivery, similar to [rates] found in most studies of low risk hospital births in North America.”
• “Rates of medical intervention, such as epidural, forceps and cesarean section, were lower for planned home births than for low risk hospital births.”
• “A high degree of safety and maternal satisfaction were reported, and over 87% of mothers and babies did not require transfer to hospital” care.

-- From a press release from the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives

Other more current research:

From 2009 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal: “Outcomes of planned home birth with registered midwife versus planned hospital birth with midwife or physician” http://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/6-7/377.full.pdf

From 2009 in the BJOG: “Perinatal mortality and morbidity in a nationwide cohort of 529,688 low-risk planned home and hospital births” A study carried out in the Netherlands http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02175.x/abstract

Waterbirth

Waterbirth is available to families who choose it. Many of North Star Midwifery's families labor and/or give birth in water.

The benefits of water for labor and birth include:

• Pain relief in labor: warm water decreases stress hormones that can inhibit labor and increases endorphin release which are natures natural pain killers
• Potentially shorter labors: warm water helps the mother relax which then helps her uterus function more efficiently
• Comfort and mobility: the mother can change positions more easily
• Less tearing: warm water softens the perineum and vaginal tissue possibly reducing the risk of tearing
• Gentle transition for baby: easing of birth for mother means easing the birth for the baby

North Star Midwifery has birth tubs available for rent.

Why I Chose a Homebirth:

People often ask me why I chose a homebirth, especially for my first baby. I tell them that I have done enough reading and know enough women who have also given birth at home, but it was always their second, third, and/or fourth babies. There was this trend of women giving birth in the hospital to their first child, and having an unpleasant to a traumatic birth experience, and then switching to giving birth at home for subsequent children. After hearing this similar story time and time again, I thought, why not skip the potential negative birth experience at a hospital and give birth in an environment I'm most relaxed in (my living room) with people that I love and trust (husband, mom, midwife, doula, etc)? And thus my choice. I knew my body was designed to give birth and I trusted it, and so I provided my body the environment in which I knew it would function best - a warm, peaceful, and loving environment. And it happened - I had the best homebirth experience, and I cannot wait to do it again.

Aly, Our Midwife:

“I could go on and on about my amazing homebirth and Aly's incredible care, but I'll try to be succinct for her website. :) Upon first meeting Aly, she was immediately warm, professional, and competent. My husband was quick to tell me that he felt comfortable with her and trusted her skills and experience, which was huge for me - I needed my husband to back up my desire and decision of a midwife. What impressed me most about Aly is that I was living in South Korea for my entire pregnancy (until the last month when I flew back to America to give birth), and she still agreed to be my midwife. Throughout my pregnancy I would send her long emails, filled with numerous questions, and she always responded within a couple days with just as long of an email - I knew I liked her for some reason! ;) But that's how she cared for me throughout my entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum - with warmth, attention, and detail. I have referred my friends to her, which underscores my belief in Aly that she is able to provide the kind of care that women desire in a loving and attentive midwife.” -- Nikole M.