Is Out of Hospital Birth Safe?

Yes. For low-risk pregnancies, it has been shown to be as safe as physician-attended births in hospitals, yet with even lower intervention and infection rates. In fact, the countries with the lowest mortality and morbidity rates are those countries where midwifery is an integral part of obstetric care and where home birth is commonly practiced.

Healthy childbirth is a natural, normal process, which can be safely attended at home by a trained professional. By having your baby at home with a midwife you are 90% more likely to avoid an intervention in your birth, you are 88% more likely to have a successful breastfeeding relationship with your baby and you are much less likely to receive a caesarean section.

A study from the US Center for Disease Control and, another published in the British Medical Journal and a statement issued by the World Health Organization all concur.

A two-year study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control indicates that a planned home birth with an experienced attendant is safer than a hospital birth. The results of the study showed that the infant death rate in hospitals was 12 per 1,000 live births, whereas the death rate for planned, attended home births was 4 per 1,000 live births. *Center for Disease Control, "Live births by place of delivery and race of mother, 1992", section 1, Natality, page 246

A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2000 concluded that planned home births for low-risk women was associated with less intervention, no additional neonatal risk than that of hospital births, and a much higher degree of satisfaction by the birthing women.

In 1990, the World Health Organization stated that using midwifery care during pregnancy and childbirth led to more favorable outcomes for mothers and babies and urged all countries to offer midwifery education, confident that the increased availability of midwives would improve birth outcomes throughout the world.

mothersnaturally.org

Is Midwifery Care covered by Insurance?

In the State of Alaska most insurances cover Midwifery care, including Denali Kid Care.  Be sure to to talk with your midwife about payment options if you don't have insurance.

What about complications?

Occasionally, there will be complications during labor. The midwife can recognize the early stages of complications and to take the necessary action. Transport to the hospital during the course of the birthing process may be necessary for the health of either the mother or baby.

The rate of cesarean deliveries is very low for midwives and out of hospital births compared with hospital births. Part of the reason for this low rate is the fact that most out of hospital births are kept low risk by good care. Furthermore, midwives aren't in a hurry. They want to take time with their families. They generally don't hurry the birth either, which, ironically, often speeds it up. When a midwife and mother build a personal relationship, this trust helps women let go and have their babies more easily. Labor and childbirth are a natural process, and unless distress to the mother or baby is indicated, this process is not interfered with through drugs, medical equipment or cesarean intervention.

Midwifery Today