Let me paint you a picture...envision inhaling then softly letting that breath float away as you rhythmically sway to the melody of your favorite song humming in the background of your home all while being held by your support person as you are surrounded by ambient candlelight, aromatic air, and familiar comforts.
A home birth can allow you to experience birthing in the way that you imagined. It is your space where you are in complete control of how you labor and birth your baby. No fluorescent lighting, no being rushed, and no unnecessary medical interventions. Just you trusting in your body's natural ability to birth, your support village, your doula, and your midwife.
Imagine...having an in-home prenatal visit from the comfort of your couch or bed.
The Home Birth Experience
What comes to mind when you think about birthing at home? Do images of women writhing in insufferable pain while simultaneously shrieking uncontrollably fill your mind? Does a slight fear tingle across your heart with thoughts of birthing at home to be barbaric? Why, that's what hippies do...right? Well...we can all thank Hollywood for that imagery. Media is flooded with visuals of excruciatingly painful births where a woman is not in control of her experience. Why would any woman believe that a beautiful birth is possible?
What if birth did not have to be a negative experience? As if it is a woman's right of passage to endure immense pain and almost die for her to be considered a warrior in birth? What if you could have a different story? A different outcome? Dare I even say...a beautiful birth experience (insert dramatic gasp)? Mama, you can have the beautiful birth that you dream of. It does not have to be a horrendous experience like those portrayed in the movies. Having a home birth places you in complete control. When you are in control, you feel less afraid, less anxious, less stressed. All elements that are conducive to a pleasant, positive, and empowered birth experience. Is birth challenging? Yes, but it does not have to mean suffering.
When you have a home birth, it is attended by a certified professional midwife or a certified nurse-midwife (CNM). According to the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), a certified professional midwife (CPM) is a skilled and independent midwife practitioner who is professional, knowledgeable, meets their standards for certification, and is qualified to provide the Midwives Model of Care. A CPM is highly trained and qualified to attend home births and work at private birth centers. A certified nurse-midwife is someone who is clinically trained in nursing and also midwifery. A CNM's training is hospital-based, and they typically practice midwifery within a hospital or clinic setting; however, some CNM's choose home-based or birth center practice. There are independently practicing CPM's who have established professional relationships with hospitals and their medical service providers; this is helpful in facilitating a smoother transition should an emergency transfer be necessary during a mama's pregnancy or labor and delivery.
Mama, should you choose to have a home birth, your prenatal and postpartum is provided by a CPM or CNM. Picture receiving quality pregnancy care where you are intimately known by your midwife, as well as your family. Patient-centered care is a standard in midwifery care. You are not shuffled about a hectic hospital system where you are subjected to unnecessary tests and long wait times to see your provider, who can hardly recall your last prenatal visit. You can have peace of mind knowing that your midwife knows you and remembers you. Midwifery care is highly personalized for this reason. Your appointments should not feel rushed, and you can build an authentic relationship with your midwife. Your midwife not only cares about having a positive outcome, but they also care about how you are doing in the journey; this makes midwifery care unique and special!
Your midwife will also help to prepare you for your precious baby's arrival and ensure that you have all of the necessary equipment. When that time comes, your birth will be attended by the same midwife who you have been seeing throughout your pregnancy. If for some reason your primary midwife is unable to attend your birth, your birth will be supported by another midwife who you are also familiar with. That can be very reassuring to a mama during this precious time. As you are laboring, your midwife protects your autonomy in birth by allowing you the freedom to move and labor in a way that feels right to you. This hands back approach encourages mamas to be in control of their bodies and how they birth.
Why Choose a Home Birth?
The home birth experience is uniquely empowering and beautifully liberating! God handcrafted women's bodies to journey through pregnancy and to endure birth, and midwives allow it to unfold just as He designed. Your birth vision is respected and honored by all who are in attendance. If you also choose to have a birth doula present, they will also help to ensure that your birth plan is adhered to and support you in advocating for yourself should things need to change. Since you are in the comfort of your home you are free to labor your way. You are not connected to monitors or IV's. So, you can move, you can sleep, you can dance, you can labor and birth in water, it is your choice. You can also eat! As you labor your body is expending a lot of energy which will need replenishing. Your village of support has the ability to ensure that you are properly nourished and hydrated as you go through the labor and delivery journey.
The beauty of a home birth is that you have the ability to birth in a cozy atmosphere where time is slowed and your body is allowed to unhurriedly move through the labor and birth process naturally. Furthermore, you have an opportunity to give birth while being surrounded by those you love and who love you. There are no restrictions on who is allowed to be there. Visualize who you would want to catch the baby as they emerge! Who has the honor of cutting the umbilical cord? If you have other children, how would you like them to be involved in the birth experience? It is your home, your birth story, and you are in control. Once baby has gloriously arrived, you both can be warmly snuggled together in your bed where you are given unrushed time to be enamored with your precious gift while bonding, and your family can be with you as well. Beautiful...isn't it? Mama, birth may be one of the most rewarding challenges you will ever journey through, but it does not have to mean a loss of control, suffering, or fear. You can have a beautiful birth story!
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