Is homebirth safe for low risk mothers and babies? This question has been the focus of numerous studies since the late 1960’s when the majority of women began birthing in hospitals. Prior to middle of the 20th century most women gave birth at home under the care of a midwife. As the specialty of obstetrics grew the number of women choosing to give birth in the hospital increased. In 1940 56% of births happened in the hospital, by 1969 that percentage jumped to 99% where it remains today (Boucher, Bennett, McFarlin, & Freeze, 2009). These studies have shown that among low risk women, planned home birth results in lower intervention rates with no increase in adverse outcomes for the mother or the baby (Boucher et al., 2009). Giving birth at home is just as safe as giving birth in the hospital, if the mother is healthy, at low risk for complications, has planned a home birth and is under the care of a certified professional midwife.
Women who give birth at home under the care of a trained midwife benefit from the Midwives Model of Care (MMC). One of the advantages of the MMC is the superior prenatal care that the mothers receive. The MMC model of care also focuses on holistic care and promotes shared decision-making. A midwife’s prenatal appointments are longer, allowing mothers to express their concerns, share their excitement, and have any questions answered. Prenatal care focuses on the growth and development of the baby and on educating the mother about the changes her body will go through, what will happen during each stage of pregnancy, good nutrition, exercise, and preparation for childbirth. When a mother is well cared for and educated she is able to partner with the midwife in her care, making decisions that prot...
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...ternity care in practice. BIRTH, 37(2), 160-167.
Johnson, K., & Daviss, B. (2005). Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in north america. BJM, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7505.1416
Leslie, M., & Romano, A. (2007). Appendix: Birth can safely take place at home and in birthing centers.Journal of Perinatal Education, 16(1), 81-88. doi:10.1624/105812407X173236
Phillippi, J. (2009). Women’s perceptions of access to prenatal care in the united states: A literature review. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health,54(3), 219-225. doi: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2009.01.002
Sandall, J., Devane, D., Soltani, H., Hatem, M., & Gates, S. (2010). Improving quality and safety in maternity care: The contribution of midwife-led care. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health,55(3), 225-261. doi:10.1016/j.jmwh.2010.02.002
Johnson, K. C., & Daviss, B. A. (2005). Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. Bmj, 330(7505), 1416.
To choose for their children, the world’s wealthy class will soon have options such as tall, pretty, athletic, intelligent, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Occasionally referred to as similar to “the eugenics of Hitler’s Third Reich” (“Designer Babies” n.p.), the new genetics technology is causing differences in people’s opinions, despite altering DNA before implantation is “just around the corner.” (Thadani n.p.). A recent advance in genetically altering embryos coined “designer babies” produces controversy about the morality of this process.
Holmes explained that he was really concerned with both theorizing social categories and their relationships with bodies and with the possibility that suffering might be alleviated in a more respectful, egalitarian, and effective manner. Additionally, he cites Kleinman’s writings on illness narratives and the explanatory models of patients as well as Farmer’s essays on pragmatic solidarity and structural violence. Kleinman’s work focuses on the ways in which patients somatize social realities and on the importance of clinicians listening to their patients understandings of illness. Farmer’s work basically explains the importance of structural determinants of sickness and calls for more equal distribution of biomedical resources. Moreover, chapter
Two-thirds of infants die during the first month of life due to low birth weight (Lia-Hoagberg et al, 1990). One reason for this outcome is primarily due to difficulties in accessing prenatal care. Prenatal health care encompasses the health of women in both pre and post childbearing years and provides the support for a healthy lifestyle for the mother and fetus and/or infant. This form of care plays an important role in the prevention of poor birth outcomes, such as prematurity, low birth weight and infant mortality, where education, risk assessment, treatment of complications, and monitoring of fetus development are vital (McKenzie, Pinger,& Kotecki, 2012). Although every woman is recommended to receive prenatal health care, low-income and disadvantaged minority women do not seek care due to structural and individual barriers.
How do you feel about home birth? When it comes to most peoples minds they most likely think that is just horde, and that they world never even think of baring there child that way. After reading this I hope that you will change you mind, or reconsider it. home birth is better then the hospital in many ways, and i'm going to share with you many of those ways with you. In the articular ( Midwifes alliance) is says, (Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH), a landmark study** confirms that among low-risk women, planned home births result in low rates of interventions without an increase in adverse outcomes for mothers and babies. This study, which examines nearly 17,000 courses of midwife-led care, is the largest analysis of planned home birth in the U.S. ever published.The
Before watching The Business of Being Born in class this week, I never really thought about in home or natural births. I learned that American women are losing the right to have a natural birth. More and more hospitals are pushing for caesarian surgery during labor when it is not necessary and it is not as safe for the mother or child. Hospitals are encouraging these unsafe procedure to make more money. Hospitals want to get people in and get them out as quickly as possible. Medical professionals frown upon home births because they find it to be unsafe. This is almost laughable considering how much safer the home births are compared to the standard hospital birth in America. However, I had some concerns with the movie as well. As a film about women’s reproduction, they did not really accept the other choices women may make concerning their bodies. I know that this film was specifically comparing home births to hospital births, but I feel that they should have been more careful with the language that they used about women and
Throughout history mankind has come up with some wonderful inventions and innovations, but out of all the creations by far the most beautiful and precious is human birth. I first developed an interest in nursing and in particular midwifery years ago. I believe it is a great service within the health profession because of the privileged position to assist in human childbirth. The word midwife means with woman. Centuries before obstetricians delivered babies, midwifes assisted women in having at home births. But it was only formally established as a profession in the early 1900’s. A nurse-midwife is a registered nurse that specializes in midwifery. The job of midwife is to assist in family planning and birth control advice, provide general gynecological services (such as pap smears and breast exams), aid women in childbirth, and help women by providing prenatal and postpartum care. Nurse-midwives are required to have a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and pass the American College of Nurse Midwifery (ACNM) board examination to obtain certification.
It is important to understand what women commonly experience during pregnancy. With a better understanding of what happens during prenatal development and childbirth, physicians can competently develop the best plan for the mother and baby. I interviewed two women who have been previously pregnant in order to evaluate how the ideas in the book translate into real-life experiences.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
Pairman,S., Tracy, S., Thorogood, C., & Pincombe, J. (2013). Theoretical frameworks for midwifery practice. Midwifery: Preparation for practice.(2nd ed, pp. 313-336). Chatswood, N.S.W. : Elsevier Australia
Many women today are doing more C-sections, also known as cesarean, than they are natural. Whether the reasons being because it’s more convenient or that some moms did not really have a choice, the percentage is still growing. “The cesarean delivery rate increased from 26% to 36.5% between 2003 and 2009; 50.0% of the increase was attributable to an increase in primary cesarean delivery (National Partnership for Women & Families, 201.)” There are many things to consider when deciding which is the right or safer choice. With both choices comes risks for the baby like, possible respiratory problems with a C-section. The mom has many risks to worry about for herself as well, like possibly hemorrhaging. There is also the recovery and the long-term effects that a woman has to put into consideration. They both have their pros and cons that should not be taken lightly.
Chances are that terms such as “midwife” and “home birth” conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one?
Through observations during my first clinical day I have realized that nurses play many roles while caring for mother, and baby during the post-partum period. What set these nurses apart from other nurses was how large of an educator role they played during this time. As nurses, and student nurses health teaching should be a fundamental part of the care we provide. However, the teaching may differ unit to unit; on this particular unit the theme of breastfeeding is central. By providing teaching on breastfeeding the nurse can educate, reassure, support, and assist the mother in being successful with their latch and baby’s nutritional intake while developing her breastfeeding confidence. This reflection will explore my health teaching experience, as well as the importance of the role the nurse plays as a breast feeding educator for new moms or moms with multiple children.
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
Child Birth can be a beautiful, yet unimaginable experience any mother and family member can encounter. It is a process of emotional and social involvements that make-up a natural human being. The familiarity of childbirth can play an important role in life for every individual, especially the mothers who are in labor or in delivery. Each moment during labor will become memories for the mothers to share with their grown up child in the future. Childbirth is a breath taking experience that can change someone’s life forever. The process of childbirth does not occur in a blink of an eye; in fact, it is more of a procedure that may take a few steps. Some mothers during labor, experience a severe amount of pain that medication can control and some