Is Home Birth for You?
One of my first thoughts after seeing the plus sign on the pregnancy test was, “Oh no—does this mean I’m going to have a home birth??” It was one thing to read about it, but a totally different thing to sign up for it. I took a month or two to read, pray, and discuss with Rob to decide what was the best choice for us.
An important factor if you
are considering home birth is whether you are considered high or low
risk. This may vary some from midwife to midwife, but here are
some factors that would probably rule out home birth: a chronic
medical condition (like heart disease, diabetes, or lupus), confirmed
HIV or AIDS, a history of premature babies or low-weight babies, or
if you’ve had a C-section less than a year before. Doctors often
include women over the age of thirty-five, first time mothers, and women
who have previously had a C-section in their high risk category, while
a midwife may still find these women to be good candidates for home
birth. If you have questions about whether or not it would be
safe to give birth at home, a good idea would be to talk to a midwife
about your specific situation.
Choosing where to give birth is a very personal decision, one that you should make in conjunction with your husband or partner. Whatever your choice is, you should be comfortable and at peace with it. We will all have some worries and fears, but you don’t want to choose a birth place that makes you anxious or uncomfortable—that will just make labor and delivery more stressful! My advice would be to research, pray, and decide what’s best for you.
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