Ask the Midwife: Can all women have a homebirth and do you encourage all women to do so?
First and foremost, I believe in a woman’s right to be empowered, informed and supported in however she chooses to birth.
Now, I promote a homebirth model of care. This means that we support physiologic birth without disturbance when all is well; we do things as naturally and holistically as possible, without intervention unless medically necessary. The care is sensitive, kind, personalized, family centered and evidence based. The setting is as close to home as a woman desires, and most importantly, a woman feels supported, heard, and her choices respected.
She brings her sensuality, her ways of coping, and spiritual practices to her birth; she is free to eat, drink, vocalize and move in a way that helps her labor and feels good to her, and she is being treated with compassion and care. A physiological birth is advantageous to a woman and her baby so I promote a birth and health care provider who encourages this.
Photo by @home_grown_photography.
Not all women are candidates for a home birth. Some women may have a health condition like high blood pressure, seizures or insulin dependent diabetes, have preterm labor that cannot be stopped, or baby is found to have a heart defect that makes birthing at home inappropriate or unsafe, as it would pose a risk to mom and or the baby during or immediately after childbirth. In these cases, I suggest they give birth under the guidance of a health care professional in a hospital setting which is well equipped to handle the situation and potential risks involved. But these mamas and babies will still benefit from the homebirth model of care in the hospital, a model of care I am passionate about for all settings.
Some women don’t feel comfortable birthing at home. When I meet a woman for the first time, I never try to convince her to plan a home birth. I ask that she convinces me, because a woman needs to feel safe and committed to this experience in a way that will best serve her as she labors and brings her baby into the world.
If a well woman is experiencing a healthy pregnancy, like most women, she is a candidate for a homebirth; she will most likely do well birthing at home if she is well prepared and takes responsibility for her health, feels comfortable with her midwife and support system – a doula or other close family members or friends of her choosing to mother her, and a general conviction about wanting to have her baby at home.
Photo by @alwaysmatilda_katie
Although I do not encourage all women to have a home birth, I am passionate about restoring humanity to the childbearing experience, maternity and newborn care; I am devoted to promoting home birth like care at home, birth centers and hospitals, and the offices and clinics where mamas go for their prenatal and postpartum visits. Any woman, no matter where she births, can take the philosophies and practices of a home birth, create a birth plan she feels empowered by, and have a homebirth like experience in the hospital. I help mamas locally and around the world make this happen. To schedule a consult or consulting package with me go to: http://homesweethomebirth.com/chat-with-anne/.
Image by Megan Hancock Photography
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Regardless if you are planning a birth at home, a hospital, a birth center or need a cesarean section, or if you are taking another childbirth education class…
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Understand the sensations of your body and connect your intuition with how your body is communicating and leading you towards what to do during labor
Tap into your inner calm to deeply relax yourself, letting go of busy, stressful and fearful thoughts on demand for the health of baby
Speak your truth from your heart in a way that deepens your relationships, sets clear boundaries, and has people listen to you and support you before, during and after pregnancy
Trust yourself, connect with your body wisdom andcommunicate with baby in belly
Connect with natural time and sync your body and mind up with your unique biological clock for ease from pregnancy to postpartum
Reprogram negative patterns, stories, and beliefs that undermine your confidence, strength and self trust so you can rock your birth
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It is based on my years of experience, as a midwife and yoga teacher, helping thousands of women tap into their calm and live and birth from a place of grounded relaxation and joy.