Homebirth is Safe

Mayim Bailik contributed an article for TodayMoms recently about why women shouldn't fear homebirth.
http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/05/20/6682716-mayim-bialik-why-women-shouldnt-fear-home-birth
My favorite quote from the article:

"Natural birth is not for hippies; it's for anyone who wants to work hard at breaking down what they have been told is true about birth, pain, and the human body and spirit."
She precedes this by saying,
"Our culture has instilled in us a fear of the natural experience of birth and a fear of our bodies. In countries where women are supported in their desire and ability for a natural birth (Northern Europe leads this charge), babies and mothers have the lowest mortality rates"

There are a couple more articles released this last week talking about the 20% increase in homebirth over the last four years. The figure overall is still a small one, but the increase is encouraging. I saw tweets of birth proffesionals who were excited to see homebirth in the mainstream media. However, the experts cited are members of ACOG who say even though there is an increase, they still don't recommend this practice that carries untold risks. Lets address this right off the bat.
ACOG is NOT a scientific organization, the organization exists to further the financial success of its members. Homebirth is not good for business.
One article stated:"From our perspective, that's not the best thing for the overall health of babies and women," said Dr. George Macones, an obstetrician at Washington University in St. Louis who chairs ACOG's Committee on Obstetric Practice.
The studies do not back up this statement however, so we must take it for what it is, a blatant attempt to undermine homebirth as just a choice of experience over safety, which is untrue.

Many point to the recent study that made the alarming conclusion that homebirth is three times as dangerous as hospital birth. This is not an accurate study of the rise in homebirth that we are seeing, as most chose trained, skilled attendants and intend to birth at home as opposed to doing so by accident, or without a trained attendant.

“CIMS found that the authors of the study included confounding data, such as outdated and low-quality studies, low-risk and high-risk mothers, babies born preterm, babies unintentionally born at home, births attended by unqualified providers, and data from birth certificates that researchers have found to be notoriously inaccurate.”
This study cannot be looked to then as a true indicator of the safety of homebirth.

The study below shows that Homebirth is as safe or safer than hospital birth in most cases. In the early 1900's, obstetricians made a business decision to force women in the U.S. to give birth in hospitals, even though they knew that homebirth was safer.

Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America [Full-text article]
Kenneth C Johnson, senior epidemiologist, Betty-Anne Daviss, project manager
BMJ 2005;330:1416 (18 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7505.1416
Conclusions: Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States. [NOTE - CPMs are equivalent to Licensed Midwives in some states.]

Current ACOG recommendations on homebirth are no more then a contiuation of the smear campaigns of the early 1900's that served only to increase jobs and business for obstetricians, and drive midwives out of business.

The Citizens for Midwifery organization has a fact sheet on homebirth
that state homebith reduces the following
`the risk of infection
`risks from unnecesary interventions
`maternal morbidity from rates from complications and interventions
`risk of errors from hospitals
`interference in bonding and breastfeeding from hospital policies
`risks from poor staffing in hospitals
`the risks of tampering with the baby

Homebirth provides lower c-section rates,lower preterm birthrates, lower intervention rates. Better breastfeeding and bonding, lower rates of postpartum mental disorders including depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

This is why I chose homebirth!because it is a safer, more ideal location for mamas and babies.

If you have husbands that are concerned about the safety of homebirth, I encourage you to show them the figures and numbers.
Straight talk to husbands that are not supporting their wives in their desire to homebirth: Sending your wife to the hospital is not a chivalrous act of protection over mother and newborn. Especially if it is not an informed decision, husbands are opening their wives up to a greater likelihood of stress, coersion, and trauma by not supporting them in their desire to birth at home.
Read the books, research, listen to your wife's desires and wishes. Make an informed decision. Talk to other homebirth dads. If there aren't any in your area, look to facebook and the internet for a wide community of men who have supported their wives through homebirth. Natural Papa asked 10 questions of homebirth dads that you can read here

More homebirth info and resources:

The Business of Being Born

Doctors Need Midwives: Ina May Gaskin on the U.S. Maternity-Care Crisis
Several articles and resources from Mothering Magazine