I Am a Homebirth Advocate and This is Why

This week I received a comment about looking for homebirth blogs, as I seem to be geared towards those planning a hospital birth.  It's true, the last several posts have been geared towards alerting the hospital birthers about certain practices/policies to be aware of.  I certainly don't want to be known as a Bradley birth blogger though!  Statistically, up until this last year, 25% of my students have birthed in the hospital.  Over the last year, it has gradually flip-flopped to 75% are out of the hospital.  This is what happens when a birth center makes your class required for their clients though! 

I have birthed two babies in the hospital and two at home.  I believe that a woman will birth "best" where she is most comfortable -- physically, and more importantly, emotionally.

Over the years, the normal progression for people that take my class has been this:

Baby #1:  Switch from an OB to a CNM, remaining in the hospital (just in case).

Baby #2:  Switch from a CNM to a CPM and birth in a freestanding birth center.

Baby #3:  Birth baby at home with a CPM and wish they had done that from the very beginning!

I decided to go through the homebirth blog posts I have written over the last three years and link to them this week.  Enjoy!

"Why Would You Choose a Homebirth?"

Homebirth vs. Hospital Birth

ACOG vs. Homebirth

The Needs of a Laboring Woman are more Easily Achieved at Home

Types of Midwives

I found so many other posts that were related to homebirth -- dozens when it was mentioned -- but these are probably the ones that homebirth is the main focus.  Still aggravated after all these years that "homebirth" is flagged as not being a word.

Romy's Birth Story from Ceci Jane on Vimeo.

This video of my co-chapter leader for TCBN, Shannon, about sums up the beauty of homebirth. Ceci is another TCBN chapter leader and she did this amazing video. Shannon had an incredible team of women there, all hand-picked. Her husband was incredibly touched by the love and support they received as they welcomed their new baby into their family. It is evident on everyone's face this was a glorious homebirth. I am so lucky to work with such talented people. If you haven't seen this video yet, grab your tissues. Then go read all these homebirth posts I've written over the years!