Home Birth versus Hospital Birth: Pros and Cons to Consider

Home-birth and hospital birth are two different ways of delivering a baby. While some women prefer the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, others prefer the security and resources of a hospital. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of both home-birth and hospital birth.

Home-birth:

Home-birth is becoming increasingly popular among women who want a more natural and relaxed birthing experience. Here are some of the pros of home-birth:

1. Familiar environment: Home-birth allows women to give birth in a familiar environment, surrounded by the people they love. This can help them feel more relaxed and reduce stress.

2. No medical interventions: Home-births are often less medicalized than hospital births, which means that there is less likelihood of medical interventions such as epidurals, forceps, or C-sections.

3. More control: Women who choose home-birth have more control over their birthing experience. They can choose who is present, what position to give birth in, and what kind of pain relief they want.

However, there are also some cons to home-birth:

1. Lack of medical resources: Home-births do not have access to the same medical resources as hospitals. In case of complications, the mother and baby may need to be transported to a hospital.

2. Higher risks: While home-births are generally safe, there is a slightly higher risk of complications compared to hospital births. This is because medical interventions are not available if needed.

3. Limited pain relief: Home-births do not offer the same range of pain relief options as hospitals. This can make the birthing process more difficult for some women.

Hospital birth:

Hospital birth is the traditional way of giving birth, and it offers a number of benefits:

1. Access to medical resources: Hospitals have access to a wide range of medical resources, including pain relief options, emergency equipment, and staff trained in dealing with complications.

2. Safer option: Hospital births are generally considered to be safer than home-births, especially for high-risk pregnancies.

3. Support: Hospitals offer support from a team of medical professionals, including doctors, midwives, and nurses.

However, there are also some cons to hospital birth:

1. Less control: Women who give birth in hospitals may feel like they have less control over their birthing experience. They may not be able to choose who is present, what position to give birth in, or what kind of pain relief they want.

2. More medical interventions: Hospital births are often more medicalized than home-births, which means that there is a higher likelihood of medical interventions such as epidurals, forceps, or C-sections.

3. Less comfortable environment: Hospitals can be noisy, bright, and uncomfortable. This can make it difficult for women to relax and feel at ease during the birthing process.

In conclusion, home-birth and hospital birth both have their pros and cons. Ultimately, the decision of where to give birth should be based on the needs and preferences of the mother, as well as the safety of the baby. Women should discuss their options with their healthcare provider and make an informed decision based on their individual circumstances.

Here is my personal experience with both home birth and hospital birth:

There is a lot of talk about women's health, and how we should Birth and where should we should birth. in my honest opinion, I feel that women should take a deep look at what they value when it comes to the cure they want to receive and what their environment looks like in their desired birth space. I became a mother at 19 years old, and I did not have much knowledge on hospital birth or home birth. So, I started asking myself what I wanted from my pregnancy experience and my birth experience. These were profound questions to ask myself as a teenager. However, I know that the answer from these questions would potentially lead me in the right direction in order for me to decide if I wanted a hospital birth or a home birth.

When I broke it all down, have my first baby at home and when I calculated the out-of-pocket class I was also scared of the price. So I went with my next best option, which would be a hospital birth. I did have some unsettled feelings about not being able to afford a home birth, and not having a lot of resources to help perform a home-birth. I feel that if you're gonna be in a hospital to birth your bundle of joy, you should go in with a doula who is consider to be a labor coach. I had a Doula for three out of four children and I will say it makes a huge difference when you're going through the different milestones of labor and your partner is doing everything in their power to assist you in anyway possible, that's when the Doula comes in and ads that extra support that can see the world of a difference in your experience of birthing your baby. In the hospital, I did feel that if anything were to happen to me or my baby that I was in the right place for me to receive the care I needed immediately. But I still felt uncomfortable and felt like I was being treated, as if I was sick or ill.

I did not feel a connection with the nurse staff or the delivery doctor . I want to be clear it wasn't anything specific that was said or done and that made me feel like there was a lack of connection. It was just the environment the environment was it meant for birth which is a natural occurrence that has happened outside of hospitals for thousands of before we use propaganda to scare the shit out of mothers, an expectant fathers. I hated that I didn't have access to the food I wanted. I didn't feel comfortable in the bed or the clothes that I was wearing. I didn't like the lighting all the beeps and little noises that you heard because of the machinery. A big thing also was hearing all the other woman screaming in pain when I was there trying to deliver their babies, you would've thought they would've made it through soundproof. But that's just me being extra. I really didn't care for the bed. It was super uncomfortable. Now if we turn our attention to the medical treatment aspects of giving birth in a hospital , if you want a medicated birth, you were in the right place, if you want pain free delivery, I can't guarantee that but if you want pain medication to help lessen the pain, then they have that for you there . Let's just say they're not your average Drug dealer they got all the good stuff . I chose the option to have no pain medication, I wanted to deliver my baby with no medical intervention if possible.

However that's not what happened, let me give you a little education, my first baby I had went in at 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant to L&D (labor and delivery) shortly after my prenatal visit. I let my OBGYN know that I think I lost my mucus plug and that my doula suggested I come in to checked out for any preterm labor symptoms. She definitely agreed that it's always better to get assessed by a midwife or obstetrician that can tell you that your experiencing preterm labor and to head to the hospital. When I was checked on the table she said that I was definitely effaced and had began dilating so I should get my hospital bag, head over to L&D. It took me about 52 hours in early labor, having contractions that were not strong enough to kickstart active labor which is the most frustrating part for me with birth. I wanted to try all the natural remedies before my nurse told the doctor I've accepted their offer of Pitocin. Pitocin is a drug that they commonly use to treat GBS and Kickstart them contractions lady! Oh my goodness when I tell you it works like heck it works.

*If your interested in learning more on Pitocin and other drugs that are used to induce labor visit these links found below:

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/pitocin-induction

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/pitocin-induction/

Anyways, the issue is that was when I felt that I couldn't manage my pain from the contractions and I thought I wasn't going to make it through the contractions without pain medication, but I stuck to my birth affirmations then voila pushed him right down and out. I received excellent postpartum care and lactation support but there was something missing from the human connection and I honestly felt like another number in the system like I was apart of some birthing factory. In December of 2022, I had my son at a hospital due my pregnancy being high risk I could not elect for a home birth. I was extremely let down by that not being available to me. I had no complications other than my son having an extra finger which once he came out was not a complication at all. The hospital birth for this baby number 4 was short and sweet. I showed up to the hospital at 7.5 cm dilated and an hour later I moved into a deep meditative state. I knew my body was ready and I trusted my body to do what it needed to. The staff at first tried to keep me busy with questions and I had to ask for silence while I birthed my child. I didn't like that I was almost being forced to take pain medication and I had expressed I want a natural vaginal delivery with low medical intervention or assistance as long as it was safe to do so. My husband explained to them the birth plan and they worked with us as much as they could although they informed us that they do follow all hospital protocols and procedures.The postpartum room stay was nice. Postpartum care was excellent and the staff were all nice . The stay was short primarily brief because we did not have the option to have our other children with us we had to get back to them in a cerise amount of time.

Overall, my hospital birth experiences have been met with a lot of western medicine protocols , self awareness and advocacy. Hospitals offer a variety of services and benefits to a mother who may need special treatment during her pregnancy, labor and delivery. I would like to say that no hospital experience will be the exact same as for it depends on each individual basis.

Home birth was very different but similar in a lot of ways. There are a lot of preconceived ideas of home-birth what it looks like and how it is. But I'm here to tell you as a mother who has given home-birth. I truly loved it. My story goes like this....

It was the dawn of the Covid-19 pandemic and I became pregnant. Not only was I afraid to be in the grocery store 12 feet away because I was glued to every news channel, I did not want to give birth to my baby in the hospital. So, my husband and I went over some things such as research on home birth and watched some videos on YouTube. We decided to move forward with interviewing all our local midwives we could get on the phone. Once I landed on practice I felt I liked we went to our first appointment. I loved the office it was just meant for prenatal visits and all my labs were still able to be done at the hospital. We did land on the decision to have continued care with my OBGYN at the hospital up until my third trimester which was to rule out any complications. This is not required but it helped with our transition from hospital birth to home birth.

I chose to give birth in a birthing pool, my midwives were both very supportive and knowledgeable being in the field for 20 years. It was a plus that they had detailed diet plans for my preference and informed me of what to expect up until the big day. I love that when I made 36 weeks they came to my house to set up the room where we planned to have the baby and went through our checklist of things we mentioned we wanted to make the experience unique.

At 40 weeks, I went into labor. We called them and let them know that my contractions were coming in every 20 minutes. They assured me that they would be on their way shortly. We had everything set up just as the hospital would. All medical equipment needed including IV Fluids, oxygen, required newborn immunizations and emergency medical supplies. We were very grateful that the labor and delivery of our baby was smooth and safe. The environment was very intimate and comfortable. I was able to eat the food I had prepared during early labor right after I had my baby, take a shower, have lactation counseling and more right from the comfort of my own bed. Our other children were sleeping in their rooms while we had the baby. My sister was there to watch the older children and we had a doula who is also a RN present. I loved my home birth experience.

When your expecting a baby deciding on whether you want a home birth or a hospital birth can be a difficult decision. I believe that if you are at a crossroads with this decision then you should ask yourself a few questions before deciding.

What is my pregnancy's risk status?

How will a home birth benefit me ?

Why do I not want a home birth?

Do I have the space for a home birth or should I go to a birth center?

How far is the hospital that I will be delivering my baby at?

How will a hospital birth benefit me?

Why do I not want a hospital birth?

Will my insurance cover my home birth ?

*If your insurance doesn't cover it find out if payment plans or financing options are available to you.

There are so many more questions I feel that you should ask yourself before deciding on where your giving birth, and as well as making a birth plan. If your interested in getting coaching on how to navigate the world of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum while still accomplishing your educational or professional goals, schedule a session with a life coach for moms at https://beautifullmommiez.wixsite.com/beautifulmommiez.

Check out the awesome midwives that made my home-birth a reality!

https://www.bigvalleymidwives.com/

Yours truly,

Whitney W.