Choosing Where to Give Birth Home vs. Hospital

A little over five generations ago, practically every birth happened at home. During the 1900s, a significant change occurred that encouraged expectant mothers to give birth in a hospital with obstetricians due to improved safety and the availability of medicalized healthcare. Though 98.4% of US births take place in hospitals these days, home births are becoming more and more popular!

Between 2004 and 2017, the number of births at home rose by 77%, while the number of newborns in birthing centers climbed at a comparable rate. This article will discuss the distinctions between giving birth at home and in a hospital, and how each setting shapes the support you receive from your birth team.

Please take note that the topic of this post will be planned home births. As we all know, babies do follow their own schedules and sometimes our best-laid plans don't work out, leading to an unplanned and unattended homebirth.

Candidacy for Homebirth

Though many are, it is important to remember that not all pregnant women are suitable candidates for homebirth! While each practitioner may have different standards for determining someone is "low risk" enough to give birth at home safely, some standard factors to keep in mind are as follows:

• a full-term pregnancy that lasts 37–42 weeks
• a pregnancy with only one gestation (that is, without twins or triplets)
• a newborn with its head down
• A placenta that does not cover the cervix during labor; no continuous, chronic medical illnesses that require treatment, such as diabetes or high blood pressure; and no clotting issues
• absence of prior C-birth history

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Benefits of Homebirth

• More control over the birthing process, especially with regard to timing, mobility, and food and drink options
• more alternatives for how they can give birth, including waterbirth
• A sense of security that comes from having their own personal area can also make it easier to notice the small physical changes of pregnancy, like a gentle pregnancy glow
• There is no cap on the number of people who can enter the birthing area, so more family members—including children—can participate in the delivery.
• Reduced prevalence of medical procedures such as cesarean sections, epidurals, and episiotomies
• Decreased chance of infections acquired in hospitals
• Cheaper than giving birth at a hospital without health insurance

Risks of Homebirth

• Delay in getting emergency medical attention in case of a crisis or problem can also intensify emotional stress, making it helpful to rely on simple anxiety coping skills
• Restricted availability of epidurals and other medical procedures for pain alleviation
• A perinatal death rate that is twice as high as that of hospital births, despite the extremely low absolute risk
• The majority of health insurance policies do not pay for home births and classify homebirth midwives as out-of-network providers. Certain insurance policies, like as Medicaid programs, will cover the cost of prenatal and delivery treatment once the expectant patient has made the initial payment to the physician.

Hospital Birth

In the US, hospitals are the most common places for expectant mothers to give birth, making it especially important to know how to choose a maternity hospital. Obstetricians and/or midwives will attend deliveries in hospitals. Learn more about What's the difference between an OB-GYN and a midwife. and However, What Exactly Is a Midwife? A pediatrics team, an anesthesia team, a surgical team, an operating room, a neonatal team, and NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) are also readily available in most hospitals. Hospitals are equipped to provide a broad range of medical treatments, such as epidural pain relievers, labor inductions, and the capacity to conduct C-births and operative vaginal deliveries (OVDs).

Benefits of Hospital Birth

• Quick access to emergency medical care in case of an emergency or complication
• Having access to a variety of medical treatments to treat problems and suffering
• less chance of perinatal death when giving delivery at home
• Decreased possibility of subsequent obstetrical emergency issues such bleeding, cord prolapse, or shoulder dystocia

Risks of Hospital Birth

• Higher rates of medical intervention, including epidurals, episiotomies, and cesarean sections
• Increased risk of hospital-acquired infections
• Increased cost compared to homebirth without medical insurance
• Restrictive hospital policies that may hinder a pregnant person’s feeling of autonomy including visitor policies, eating/drinking, movement, delivery positions

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Improving the Hospital Birth Experience

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing push to restore autonomy to labor and delivery.  Although giving birth at a hospital might seem regimented and sterile, there are ways to incorporate the lovely aspects of giving birth at home.

Homebirth vs Hospital birth

Where you give birth is a personal choice that should only be chosen after carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages — a process that often requires building gentle confidence in your decisions. Early in your pregnancy, research all of your alternatives and make a ton of inquiries.

For many parents, emotional support remains just as important as medical care, which is why tools like Soula’s Mental Health AI can make the transition into parenthood feel steadier and less overwhelming.