Home birth
More and more women are opting for home births assisted by midwives. What are the advantages of having a home birth?
Woman may feel more in control as she is in her own environment
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She will be assisted by the midwife of her choice
It is cost-effective
More relaxed and peaceful atmosphere
No unnecessary intervention
Use of natural ways of relieving pain
She can have as many people present as she wishes to
Never being separated from the baby
Less distraction
Avoiding episiotomy
Birth is seen as a natural process rather than a “medical” event
Older children don’t have to deal with the absence of their parents
Make sure that you are assisted by an experienced, qualified nurse/midwife or by a qualified physician. In case of a medical emergency, you should be within 20 minutes of the nearest hospital.
According to Dr Martin Puzey, gynaecologist, a woman should be cleared as being a low risk case for home birth by her gynaecologist. “People tend to forget that giving birth is a very dangerous process and is a time in a woman’s life when things can go seriously wrong,” he says. “Many years ago, the first thing a father asked of the delivering doctor after the birth was ‘how’s my wife … did she survive the birth?’. If a woman has a high risk pregnancy, she should examine her alternatives.”
Hospital birth
You may want to consider the following advantages of a hospital birth:
Baby can be delivered by obstetrician
Different pain relief options available
Well equipped in case of emergency
Breastfeeding clinics or lactation consultants are available in most hospitals
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