The Push For Home Births: Is It Right To Encourage Women Into Midwife-Only Procedures?

It's a topic we've been contemplating a lot recently.

Just the other day, we looked into incidences of first time mums experiencing peer pressure to give birth the "right" way.

The News from NICE

Now, news has broken that NICE - The National Institute for Clinical Excellence, a government advisory board - will be encouraging thousands more women to give birth at home with a midwife, instead of in a hospital.

And all we can think is - doesn't this threaten a woman's right to choose what feels most appropriate for her?

Message for the Midwives

Before we jump to criticism, we should first take a moment to give midwifery some credit.

Despite the pedestal they sit on, doctors do not always do what is right by their patients. In a busy ward, with a lot going on and help thinly spread between patients, there have certainly been incidences of unwanted interventions, overuse of certain drugs and unnecessary C-Sections.

A midwife can be your biggest advocate - they can champion your decisions when you are too tired to speak up, they have plenty of experience of women in similar situations and the fact that they are not doctors in no way means that they are unqualified to do what they are doing.

We don't have any qualms with the choice to give birth at home or in midwife-led units and many women find the experience to be a much calmer, natural and more stress-free experience, for mother and baby.

What we do worry about though - in light of the news of a government push to encourage thousands more women to give birth either at home or in doctor-free environments - is that women will feel that they don't have the choice.

Pressure to Push at Home

As our previous article about the "right" way to give birth showed, there is already a culture in Britain surrounding the virtue of "natural" pregnancies.

Some women, especially young, first time mums are already feeling peer pressure from midwives and other mothers to choose a medicine-free labour.

[Why I Had A Home Birth And Why I Wouldn't Again]

A trend that we have labelled "epi-shaming" sees mums being made to feel embarassed or selfish for choosing to have epidurals and other pain management options.

And the peer pressure doesn't end there.

Rabit_Rabit_Rabit complained on Reddit of feeling pressured to have a home birth, despite being certain that she wanted to be in hospital. She explained that the midwife had a retort for every one of her arguments.

Speaking on the internet forum, she explained: "I eventually had to say my husband wanted it and I was on board with that choice - luckily he wasn't there to be argued with! That worked and she finally changed the subject."

"Mostly, I want the drugs and I want to be in a hospital in case anything goes really wrong. It's my first pregnancy so I have no idea how I will handle it," she continued.

It seems to us that with this latest initiative, more and more mums will feel coerced into situations they aren't completely comfortable with.

The Stats Aren't Completely Reassuring

Health care professionals have been quick to stress that home birthing options will only be encouraged among second-time mums in the "low-risk" category and that giving birth at home is just as safe as hospital births in these cases.

But, that's not the full story.

According to Maureen Treadwell, head of research at the British Trauma Foundation, the risk of "serious adverse outcomes, including death and brain damage" more than doubles for home births.

This is largely connected to instances of needing to transfer patients between home and hospital in emergencies.

Maureen continued by reminding us that not all interventions are unwanted.

Home births mean no "access to one intervention that women want, which is epidurals," she said. "There will not be epidurals available in freestanding midwifery units."

What is more, Royal College of Midwives' Louise Silverton admitted to the BBC Radio 4 programme that, at the moment, Britain doesn't actually have the midwives or resources to cope with this increased demand.

Mum of three Tina Bird felt the NHS pinch.

She explained: "My experience with the NHS was so disappointing. I think women are better off at home and having a relationship with the right midwife is important and can help with all sorts of things, even breastfeeding. But with the NHS, you very rarely see the same midwife twice."

The DOs and DON'Ts

DO - find the right midwife. A supportive midwife can be an incredible resource and there are many, many brilliant ones out there to help you through your pregnancy.

DON'T - let anyone tell you that there is a "right" way to do things. The most important factor, of course, is the health of you and your baby. Beyond that, you need to feel like you are making decisions that are right for you. If the thought of giving birth without a doctor is going to make the experience unnecessarily stressful for you, then don't do it.

DO - make sure that your husband or birthing partner is prepared to fight your corner. When you are too tired to stick to your guns, they need to be able to stick to them for you.

DON'T - fail to prepare your emergency back-up options. Choose a freestanding midwife centre that has a good track record for emergency hospital transfers. If you are giving birth at home, make sure you know exactly what you will do if medical intervention becomes necessary.

What do you think of this new drive for more home births? Do you have an interesting home birthing story? Let us know in the comments.

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