Home birth is becoming an increasingly
attractive option for families who want to
claim more responsibility for their health care,
want to have a safe natural birth in an infection
free environment and who value the intimate,
spiritual and family centered nature of birth.
Childbirth at home protects the integrity of
the most important event in a family's life and
honors a woman's right to give birth in her
own environment and with the attendants she
chooses.
Research comparing home births and hospital births indicate that planned home birth with a trained attendant have the same or better outcomes than hospital births. The well-being of the mother, the baby and the family is the midwife's primary concern. She provides women with complete prenatal care, labor, birth, immediate postpartum care and watches over the mother and her newborn up to six weeks postpartum. Midwives view their relationship with each client as a partnership. The best way to have a healthy baby is to be a healthy mother. Home birth is cost-effective, personalized and continuity of care (care given by one person throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period) is the norm.
As with any major decision in our lives, it is important to become educated
about the choices we have to make. Too often we forget to become educated
consumers when it comes to our health care, yet it is one of the most important
decisions we make when thinking about the birth of our babies. We encourage
women to consider their priorities for the birth of their baby and interview
the person who will be providing their care closely. Take a list of questions
to an appointment, listen to the responses of the care provider and remember
they are being hired by you to provide your care, therefore, they need
to provide the kind of care that you would like to have.
The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) has created the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative which is a guideline for good maternity care. It states that birth is a normal, healthy process and that women have both the right and the responsibility to receive the best care, both physical and emotional in the most supportive environment. We agree with this principle and encourage you to use this as a guideline for choosing the people who will work with you during your pregnancy, birth and postpartum period.