Monika Stone - Why Choose Home Birth: Yes, It’s an Option, And Yes, It’s Right for Women Today

Lets address the elephant in the roomthe safety of home birth!

I like to address home birth safety with the following statement: Just because you are choosing a home birth does not mean you are reckless and putting your safety and the babys safety at risk. Your safety and the babys safety are my number one concern.

There are numerous quality studies confirming that home birth is a safe birthing option for mom and baby. The fact is, home birth is very safe.

The problem is not safety. The problem is that midwifery and home birth have an image problem.

For many generations, we have been told that home birth is a thing from the past, associated with death and despair, and that a hospital is the safest place to birth a baby. In chapter 1, I discuss the history of hospital birth, which shines a light on the evolution from home birth to hospital birth.

The unspoken truth is that women and babies are harmed in hospital settings as well as out - of - hospital settings. The US has the highest rate of maternal death in the Western civilized world. These statistics are related to hospital births. This fact is underreported, yet when out - of - hospital births have negative outcomes, the story is easily picked up by the media.

We have a double standard. It is more likely that you will find negative press on midwives who provided poor care in their out - of - hospital work than on a doctor who provided poor care in a hospital setting. The press leads us to believe that midwives are solely responsible for bad outcomes. The reality is that we have obstetricians who provide poor care with bad outcomes as well.

Pregnancy and birth are two of the most emotionally charged events in ones life. And yes, its truewomen and babies can be harmed and/or die in pregnancy, in childbirth, or postpartum no matter where the babies are born . I will absolutely not argue with this reality.

Just as there is bad hospital care, there are also midwives who provide poor care and have bad outcomes. It is important to understand that the midwifery profession is not immune to the reality of unprofessional providers.

So I ask you to please keep an open mind. Midwives are a small group with very little power, attached to a strong image problem, and therefore are an easy target for an emotionally charged article in the Sunday morning paper.

The midwives in my community do their work to make a difference in a womans life. They serve selflessly and with passion. Midwives dont become midwives to harm and hurt women and babies. Midwives become midwives to listen, respect, love, and provide excellent care to women and babies.

Women who seek midwives are often well - educated , informed, and looking for alternative care. Some have been hurt and/or disillusioned by prior hospital births, and while searching for another way to birth they came across midwifery. There are many reasons women seek midwives.

I wrote this book to shine a light on the midwifery model of care to give you unprecedented insight into my work as a home birth midwife. My hope is that you become informed about your choices in childbirth and that you go on to make an informed decision about the setting and provider that is best for you.

Two hours after giving birth at home, this mom requested to be standing in the picture. She had her first baby via C-section and two vaginal births afterwards.