Benefits of Home Birth

  • Pregnancy and birth are natural and normal processes for healthy women. Midwives trust the birth process and affirm each woman's ability to give birth.
  • Women experience less pain at home.
  • Mothers experience more autonomy and have a greater sense of control and security at home.
  • Mothers receive personalized and holistic care.
  • Mothers and babies receive less medical interventions.
  • Babies are born into a calm and comforting environment where they are treated gently.
  • Siblings can participate, and have greater bonding with the new one.
  • Midwives have an excellent record of safety with numerous studies associating midwifery care with excellent outcomes.

The family is encouraged to participate in the birth journey.

The midwife will provide continuous support during labor and birth.


Midwives Model of Care

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care includes:

  • Monitoring the physical, psychological and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
  • Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
  • Minimizing technological interventions; and
  • Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.

The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and cesarean section.


Copyright © 1996-2009, Midwifery Task Force, Inc., All Rights Reserved

 
 
 

Safety of Home Births & Home Birth Statistics

THE NEWEST STUDIES CONFIRM SAFETY OF HOMEBIRTH IN THE UNITED STATES

 A landmark study in Journal of Midwifery and Woman/s Health states that with a low risk pregnancy and planned home birth a women will have a lower rate of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes with mother or the baby.

This study examines nearly 17,000 planned homebirths with midwifery care and the results show an overwhelming benefit to positive health benefit.  Of particular note is a cesarean rate of 5.2% compared to the national average of #1% of term pregnancies.

Hombirth mothers had a much lower rate of interventions in labor.  While some interventions are necessary a cautious use of interventions results in a healthy outcome. Many interventions are unnecessary and lead to more complications.

Most importantly, babies were born healthy and safe with 97% of those 17,000 babies carried to full term, and almost all of them were breastfeed at six weeks.

Cheyney M, Bovbjerg M, Everson C, Gordon W, Hannibal D, & Vedam S. Outcomes of care for 16,984 planned home births in the United States: The Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004-2009.

The full study and others can be found at www.mana.org