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The end of Homebirth Awareness Week is upon us and I hadn't put anything up as I tend to think about all of the negative connotations and rhetoric, and always hold back - but f#@k it .... I have had 2 incredible Homebirths myself and as a student, attended many Homebirths (plus cared for countless women in the hospital system)
Then it dawned on me that the operative word is Awareness. Homebirth IS an option and the latest research has shown that it is equally as safe as hospital birth in terms of outcomes (please read the below article for more info on this)
I remember being in a pregnancy aqua fit class when I was pregnant with our first baby and we all had a chance to introduce ourselves and where we were birthing. I was birthing at Kaleeya hospital and this was only as my friend had chosen it and I hadn't put any thought into it - I'd watched my Mum give birth like a bloody warrior and had no doubts that I would be fine
Two women mentioned that they were birthing at home and I remember thinking "why would you want to do THAT?" I didn't know anyone who had birthed at home, had no idea about what that meant in terms of care/appointments safety etc so I blew it off as not something I would ever consider
Kam was born via Vacuum extractions she had her arm across her chest and her hand by her head. This meant that the pushing stage was long and progress was slow. I still had a very informed and empowering birth
Some would view this as a 'thank goodness you didn't have her at home...' outcome but there is something people don't realize about planning a homebirth - it isn't a "Homebirth at all costs" scenario. Highly trained and experienced Homebirth Midwives are able to identify when things deviate from the 'norm' and will suggest transferring to hospital if warranted
If I had been labouring at home, my Midwife may have suggested some active birth positions or movements that may have helped her rotate her arm down or perhaps suggest that we transfer to hospital once things slowed down a bit, where she would follow along with me and help advocate for me once there. The latest research show that even women who PLAN a Homebirth but end up transferring in to hospital have less unnecessary intervention than those booked at a hospital (and significantly less intervention than those who birth in a Private hospital)
My last two birth were planned at home. One with the government funded CMP Homebirth program and the latest was with an Independent Midwife
This last birth, I received WAY better care than I would have if I had birthed in a hospital - especially during COVID government restrictions. I had more frequent appointments, longer and more thorough appointments, offered all of the same tests and screenings as I would have in a hospital clinic appointment, appointments were all at my home, my personal Midwife was on call for me, I had a second Midwife at my birth to assist if necessary and I had almost 7 weeks of in-home postpartum care (even if I ended up birthing in hospital)... And Medicare rebates covered a fair bit of the cost - especially once we reached the medicate safety net
As I have said before, it IS an option, not necessarily for everyone but an option all the same. If you'd like to find out more about your options please feel free to contact me, I'm happy to share my experiences with you
(This isn't a debate topic, if Homebirth isn't for you great - don't choose it and scroll on! Life is all about informed choice Some couldn't imagine having a baby at home but others feel the same about hospital and I totally respect personal choice)
Photo by @gisellenatassia