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2009 June 8 girl June 9 girl June 15 girl June 29 boy Aug 10 boy Aug 27 girl Oct 6 girl Nov 2 girl Nov 7 girl Nov 9 boy Nov 10 boy Nov 11 boy Nov 26 boy Dec 4 boy 2010 Jan 2 girl Feb 25 girl March 14 girl March 15 boy May 13 girl May 18 boy May 22 boy May 25 girl June 6 girl June 12 girl June 19 girl July 28 boy July 28 girl Aug 5 boy Aug 7 girl 
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& the Columbia River Gorge |
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Sorting out Truth from Myth:
When people who know nothing about normal birth try to frighten you with what-if's and strange scenarios that would not even apply to home birth, what facts are there to dispell their myths? Unfortunately, this often includes educated "experts" who should know better, but don't because they have never actually had the privilege of seeing a truly normal birth! Where do you go for the reality? Turns out this is no problem at all, because home birth has been VERY extensively studied, and more of those studies are being published every day.
A large retrospective study published in the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery that reaffirms the safety of home birth with midwives for low-risk mothers.
Study of home births with Certified Nurse Midwives done by Columbia University concluding that home births with qualified practitioners are safe.
World Health Organization report "Care in Normal Birth" recommends midwives as primary birth attendants.
A study that included every birth in 2000 that occurred at home with a direct-entry (non-nurse) Certified Professional Midwife (U.S. and Canada).
American Public Health Association's position paper affirming the need for more access to out-of-hospital midwifery care.
Citizens for Midwifery summaries regarding the safety and benefits of planned home birth with midwives for low-risk mothers and babies.
Compilation of studies: "Every study that has compared midwives and obstetricians has found better outcomes for midwives..."
2007 joint statement from the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives, supporting home birth.
A webpage by California midwife Ronnie Falcao containing many links to sources of information about the benefits and safety of home birth.
Study published in An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of over a half million births reaffirms safety of home birth.
A 4 year study done in British Columbia, matched and compared all midwife home births with similar hospital births with same midwives.
Science and Sensibility: Choice of Birth Place in the United States. A hard-core logical analysis of safety studies that sets the record straight. Great read!
The Journal of Perinatal Education: They Said So on the News: Parsing Media Reports About Birth. Don't trust a source until you check facts for yourself.
A nice discussion about home birth; safety studies, midwives, how to prepare your home, links to more information.
We cannot say it better than with photos, and these links offer some very revealing and accurate examples of the basic differences between hospital and home births. Note the relaxation and joy of the mothers laboring and birthing at home in their own environments. 'Nuff said.
Yes, studies and experience both show that water birth is safe. Babies do not try to take their first breath until air hits their face - that is what stimulates them to take that first gasp. What water birth does for mothers is ease the discomfort of contractions better - and more consistently - than anything I have ever seen. Medications have risks and side effects, epidurals also have serious risks and often fail to provide relief, but nice warm water soothes the pain of contractions every time. It also provides wonderful buoyancy and support for the laboring mom so she can get into the best and most comfortable position for her, which keeps her relaxed and helps to prevent her from tiring during a long labor. What water birth does for baby is ease the transition from the womb to the outside world. Instead of two shocks at once, birth and first breath, baby slips smoothly into warm fluid similar to what he or she has been in for months. Then as baby adjusts and relaxes after the Big Squeeze is over, you can gently lift your baby out of the water for that first breath. These babies usually have their eyes wide open looking at their mother's face, and typically don't even cry. When you reach 37 weeks gestation, I bring a 150 gallon birth tub to your home for you to keep until the birth, and use or not as you wish during labor. It is easy to set up when your labor starts, and easy to empty and clean afterward. There is no charge for use of the tub. We believe in the Midwives’ Model of Care which states that “At the core of the Midwives Model of Care is deep respect for the normalcy of birth and for the uniqueness of each childbearing woman and her family. This approach to maternity care promotes health and helps prevent complications. Care providers who practice this model of care have excellent outcomes while providing safe individualized care.” “The midwives’ model of care includes: ● monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle; ● providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support; ● minimizing technological interventions; and ● identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention.” “The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.” |
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