Sharing Birth and Mothering wisdom straight from my DNA to yours.

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Sharing Birth and Mothering wisdom straight from my DNA to yours.

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Hospitals are NOT the safest place for low risk births.

Mother's Musings Newsletter

May 04, 2023•4 min read

Hospitals are NOT the safest place for low risk births.

Hospitals are NOT the safest place for low risk births.risk births.t

Hi, Its good to have you back ✨

Today we are talking about the safety of hospital birth vs home birth. Many believe that giving birth in a hospital is the safest option due to access to medical equipment and professionals. However, this assumption may not always be accurate. We tend to think that medical professionals can always save the day, and that everything that happens during a baby's birth at the hospital is for the benefit of the mother or the baby.

TV shows and movies have also portrayed birth as a terrifying and dangerous experience that we can barely endure and definitely need saving from. Well, evidence suggests that giving birth at the hospital may not always be the safest option, especially for low-risk pregnancies.

What does the evidence say?

Canadian-based research analyzed the records of more than 45,000 low-risk births attended by midwives at home and in hospitals. The study found that mothers who gave birth at home with a midwife had a lower likelihood of experiencing hemorrhage, requiring a c-section, or needing other interventions such as forceps or vacuum. They also had a decreased risk of perineal tears.

For babies, home birth was associated with a decreased likelihood of requiring resuscitation, having birth injuries, or experiencing interruptions in breastfeeding.

You can read the study here:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19720688/

Medical professionals are trained to treat pathology. However, when women with low-risk pregnancies give birth at the hospital, they are subjected to many procedures and protocols that are routinely performed on all patients. Women in the low-risk category do not actually benefit from extended testing, monitoring, and routine medical intervention. These extra protocols increase stress in the mother, can often result in misdiagnoses, and can cause more harm than good. This is known as the cascade of interventions.

When low-risk women give birth at a hospital, they increase their chances of being subjected to medical interventions that they don't actually need. Giving birth at home while being supported by a midwife allows for birth to unfold undisturbed, in a comfortable environment, under the individualized care and expertise of a medically trained professional.

It’s time to ditch your OBGYN for a Midwife.

If you live in Canada, midwives are covered by provincial insurance. If you're in the US and have medical insurance, you'll most likely be covered as well.

As soon as you find out you're pregnant, it's important to check out the midwiferies in your area and interview them to find the right team for you and your family.

Remember that a low risk pregnancy is not an illness. Our bodies have been giving birth for thousands of years and know how to do it.

Educating ourselves about birth mechanics and physiology is empowering and helps us release fear. Birth classes, available in person and online, can provide a great understanding of how and why birth works.

Photography Credit: Jennifer Mason

https://www.jennifermasonphotography.com/birth-photography-gallery

Here are three things we all need to do to have the best outcomes in birth:

#1: Become aware:

Note that not all hospital procedures are solely for the benefit of mom and baby. Some protocols exist to protect doctors and nurses from liability. As a result, they may offer tests or procedures that are not medically necessary to fulfill their due diligence.

#2: Take charge and get educated:

By seeking knowledge about how birth works and what it takes to curate an environment supportive of the birth process, we realize that natural birth is best suited for a different setting than a hospital room designed for medical emergencies. Low-risk birth is not a medical event.

#3: Trust your body:

Your body already knows what to do. Your intuitive wisdom paired with good education and a loving, qualified birth team, are the best tools to help your home birth dreams come true.

The big take-way here is

Let’s not let outdated programming or lack of information discourage us from having a loving and sacred home birth. There are many resources available to dispel these myths and support families in bringing their babies into the world in more gentle, peaceful, and joyous ways.

I invite you to continue asking yourself the tough questions, educating yourself, and becoming curious about what's possible when we trust our bodies. There is ample evidence showing that the safest place for low-risk pregnant women to give birth is at home.

Let's take back our power and remember that the way a baby enters the world will leave an imprint on their soul forever. Imagine what a peaceful birth could do for peace in the world.