All Posts tagged Risks of home births

At Home Birth: Is it the best plan for mom and baby?

By 11 Nov, 2018 Pregnancy , , , , ,

Hospital or Home Birth - Traffic sign with two options - Planned assisted childbirth with midwife at home vs delvery with obstetrician at clinic. Question of danger and safety of mother and childWhether the baby you’re carrying is your first or your fifth, you may be considering planning for an at home birth, a trend that is rapidly growing across the nation. While the comforts and privacy of home may sound appealing, before you arrange to give birth at home, you should familiarize yourself with the benefits and risks involved with this delivery strategy and then heavily consider what is truly best—and safest—for you and your growing family.

What Happens During an At Home Birth

During a planned home birth, a midwife will supervise your delivery. You may choose to have the attendance and support of anyone you’d like with you, from your baby’s dad to your entire extended family. Some women also elect to incorporate a warm water bath into their home delivery, which requires the temporary set up of a birthing pool. Women who choose an at home birth are typically not given prescription pain relief.

The Benefits of an At Home Birth

For centuries, at home births were the norm. (If you’ve ever watched Call of the Midwife, it’s amazing to see how mainstream at home births are!) At home births should only be considered for women with healthy, low-risk pregnancies. If you are considering an at home birth, here are a few benefits of this type of delivery plan:

  • Most women are able to avoid an episiotomy, cesarean section, epidural and other similar interventions.
  • You will be able to experience the birth of your new baby with family and friends.
  • You are free to move around, change positions, take a shower, and eat or drink freely during labor.
  • You are in the comfort of your own home.
  • It costs less than a hospital birth.

What are the Risks of an At Home Birth?

Data shows that at home births increase a woman’s risk of a medical complication and ultimately the need for escalated medical intervention. More specifically, at home births pose a risk for:

  • Necessitating a labor induction
  • A cesarean section (C-section)
  • A delivery that requires a vacuum extraction or the use of forceps
  • Vaginal tears or lacerations
  • Severe bleeding that requires a blood transfusion
  • Infant seizures
  • Infant nervous system disorders
  • Infant death

The Potential for a Hospital Transfer

Your motivation to plan for an at home birth may surround the fact that you believe you will feel more comfortable at home, not surrounded by doctors, nurses, beeping machines, and a roommate who has dozens of visitors or likes to chat loudly on the phone. Understand, however, that at home births with complications may result in an emergency hospital transfer, which means you may ultimately end up in the hospital despite your desire to remain at home. A midwife may transfer you to a hospital if:

  • Your labor is not progressing
  • Your baby is not positioned head down
  • Your baby is in distress
  • You experience extreme pain or bleeding
  • You have high blood pressure

Are There Cases When an At Home Birth is Not Recommended?

Yes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cautions against an at home birth in cases of:

  • Multiples
  • A baby that is not positioned head-down
  • You have had a previous C-section
  • You are delivering earlier than 17 weeks or later than 41 weeks
  • You have diabetes or high blood pressure or other high risk pregnancy conditions

If you have been hearing stories from women in your social circle or reading on social media about the perceived benefits of at home births, talk to your OBGYN. He or she can provide you with all of the information—including a thorough explanation of the benefits and risks—you need to know before you choose how you want to plan for your delivery. At our practice, we believe that a hospital birthing plan is best for mom and baby, but ultimately it is your decision.

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There’s No Place Like a Hospital

By 01 Jun, 2015 Pregnancy , , , ,

Newborn baby sleeping in hospitalWhy You May be Safer Giving Birth in a Hospital than at Home

The birth of a child should be comfortable, and emotionally satisfying life experience. More importantly, however, it should be a safe experience for both mother and baby. While the number of planned home births is increasing, women considering delivering their babies in a non-hospital setting should be aware of the risk factors associated with home births before they make their delivery plans.

The reasons that women cite for wanting a home birth include:

  • The perception that it will be more cost-effective
  • A desire to receive minimal, or no medications during delivery
  • Religious, philosophical, and cultural preferences
  • A desire to have access to their own space, clothes, and bathroom

The most common reason that women give for wanting a home birth however, is a desire to feel the comfort and security of their own home where they are surrounded by family, friends, and health care providers of their choosing.

While the number of planned home births has risen, recent studies have shown that the lack of access to hospital critical care services may put the mother, though more likely the newborn, at a higher risk of complications and even death. New research indicates that the risk of a baby dying at birth, or shortly after, is nearly four times higher when delivered by a midwife in a home setting, compared to deliveries by a midwife in a hospital. Women experiencing their first delivery are at an even greater risk for infant mortality when delivering in a home setting.

If complications with the birth occur during the delivery, a home setting does not provide immediate access to critical care services. During a delivery, every second is crucial to obtaining a successful birth outcome. One of the most common complications with any delivery is stillbirth. When urgent conditions occur, babies are in need of critical care that cannot be issued in a home. If any type of emergency occurs during labor, a woman and her baby would need to be transferred to a hospital setting for emergency care. This delay of critical treatment may make the difference between the life and death of the infant, or its mother.

For women considering a home birth, know that additional risks exist in certain circumstances. Home births are strongly cautioned against for women who:

  • Have diabetes, chronic hypertension, a seizure disorder or any chronic medical condition
  • Have previously had a cesarean section
  • Develop a pregnancy complication, such as preeclampsia, prior to labor
  • Are pregnant with multiples, or whose baby does not settle into a position that allows for a headfirst delivery prior to labor
  • Are less than 37 weeks or more than 41 weeks pregnant

If you have concerns about the comfort and security that you will feel delivering in a hospital setting, know that your birth will be made most comfortable when you choose an OBGYN who you know and trust. Have a discussion with your chosen OBGYN regarding your birth plan. He or she will work with you to make the birth of your baby as comfortable, and safe, as possible.

And if you are looking for a doctor who puts the health and care of moms and babies first, please call Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD. We are currently accepting patients at all three of our locations in Western New York.

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