why are homebirth rate so low

[McHappyPants2012]

www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/health-and-beauty-in-wales/2011/02/05/wales-delivers-on-home-birth-rates-91466-28109298/

after watching 'call the midwife' it seems to me homebirth was quite common in the 1950.

when did hospital birth become a common

Thanks also shagmund.

Oh I see what you mean LaVolcan - the midwife could get in, but the homebirth was incredibly quick - i.e oh is that a twinge - oh yes it is - oh shit they are coming fast now - oh crap I need to push! Within the space of half an hour or so. So what made the midwife not arrive was the snow - ie caught in slow blizzardy traffic. She did arrive eventually, as did the ambo who was probably called by the midwife who detected that she had torn.

Its not really relevant except people were talking about homebirth's being "faster" and as it only happend this Saturday gone by I thought I'd mention it because its such a great story and a fab visual with the dangly cord I reckon

home birth in the snow

Is that your friend tattyDevine?

I don't understand all this stuff spouted about how you are putting YOURSELF at risk by making the CHOICE of a hospital birth. Where I live, you can't choose to have a hospital birth. You can only have a hospital birth if you already have additional risks, so of course the intervention rate is then higher.
Everybody else has to go on either the MLU or have a homebirth.

I am sure I could have a lovely homebirth in the houses of some of the posters on this thread. But that isn't an option for me or lots of other women. I have to give birth in the house I actually live in, which is not cosy. At least when I was in hospital there wasn't water running down the inside of the walls, there was heating, somebody made me cups of tea and brought me 3 meals a day and there was a cleaner. A lot of people pushing hospital births live in a bubble. Many, many mothers are not in your position, and like having other new mothers around us and staff on hand.

There are things wrong with hospital care; that isn't in itself a reason for homebirths - it is a reason to make hospital care better.

Women got an education and realised that giving birth without drugs hurts a lot!

Why risk it?

Clothes, are you in the Netherlands?

Because if you're in the UK, I can assure you, you don't get much personal attention in most hospitals once you've given birth, unless (sometimes) you are quite poorly. Women are discharged within 3 to 6 hours of a MLU birth if all goes well. If they've been on the labour ward and have had a normal birth they are usually expected to do EVERYTHING for themselves and their baby in the very short period they're kept in.

And FWIW, my house is artic, even in summer (no carpets, no double glazing, no radiators in the bedroom). I was still more comfortable than when I was in hospital because I had my dh to help me, my own bed to sleep in, and access to a loo that wasn't covered in other people's blood.

And if your house is so unsanitary, cold and uncomfortable you can't safely give birth in it, I think I'd be more preoccupied about trying to care for a newborn in that environment, which of course you have to do whether you have a hospital or a home birth.

"I don't understand all this stuff spouted about how you are putting YOURSELF at risk by making the CHOICE of a hospital birth"

Because in the UK women have a choice.

Most low risk women choose to go to a CLU.

Well, haven't read whole thread but for me the choice was simple, I can't think of anything more frightening than giving birth without plenty of equipment and men in white coats! I had one to one care with both babies (in fact two to one beacause there was also a nearly qualified student in both cases). I also felt much safer looking after my 1st dd in hospital for a day or two, I had no idea what to do and would have completely freaked out if I'd been at home - thinking she was breathing too fast /too hot/too cold/trying to bf etc.
I can't see that babies care where they are born so can't really see any advantage in a homebirth.

Do they really have a choice though shagmund? My local MLU was closed down a number of years ago so that was one choice out of the window.

How many women being booked for the CLU are told of the risks involved in hospital - interventions, hospital aquired infections - so that they can make a fully informed choice?

"I can't see that babies care where they are born so can't really see any advantage in a homebirth."

Presumably because you've not read the thread, or any of the medical evidence looking at outcomes connected with place of birth.

If you had you'd know that babies born at home are less likely to start life being cared for by someone who's also in the process of recovering from emergency abdominal surgery. Less likely also to experience fetal distress in labour, and less likely to be exposed to opioids immediately prior to birth. So - some advantages for baby. Also for mother.

"Do they really have a choice though shagmund? My local MLU was closed down a number of years ago so that was one choice out of the window."

No - you are right LaVolcan, not everyone has a choice. Sorry for the sweeping statement. Some women don't have access to an MLU, and many areas run a restricted homebirth service.

You are also right that most women aren't aware of the risks of booking a hospital birth.

"There are things wrong with hospital care; that isn't in itself a reason for homebirths - it is a reason to make hospital care better."

I think this is a really good point.

LadyMintdore, just because you freaked out and cannot see the advantage does not make that true for others. There are benefits for a planned homebirth for the Mother and the baby - mine have all been very relaxed and very quick to recover from. For all my homebirths I have had two Midwives here and much more attention than I would have had in hospital (and I know this because I have worked for a long time on a Labour Ward) - it was an amazing experience and for me, helps bonding and getting feeding established. If a calm and in control Mummy is giving birth in a place she feels safe and confident then how can that not be good for everyone? If you don't want one don't have one but I canot think of anything worse than spending the first few hours of my babies lives stuck in hospital. And again I am experienced at this because my first was born prematurely in hospital.

I do not feel that I need that sort of post natal support from anyone outside of my family (provided all has gone well of course) as long as it is not medically contraindicated I feel confident I am in fact safer giving birth to my babies in my own home surrounded by people who know me well and I trust than taking my chances in hospital. Bear in mind I have had all my Midwifery care this time and the other times from the Midwife who has delivered me. Soon my Midwife will be delivering my fifth and her third with me and I cannot think of anything more safe (as she knows me and how I labour etc) and for it to be such a fantastic experience with someone who has shared this with me twice already. My first two were delivered by the same Midwife, one in hospital and one at home. I for one cannot understand why the Home Birth rate is so low, the thought of turning up at hospital and being allotted a Midwife you have probably never met before fills me with horror - that is not a slight on their professionalism but I want to be with someone who knows me.

Clothes of Sand - seriously, how many people live in those conditions? I am not buying that as a reason that HB rates are low.

Clothes of Sand - If someone house is too appauling for a homebirth then its too appauling to bring up a child in.

Well, haven't read whole thread but for me the choice was simple, I can't think of anything more frightening than giving birth without plenty of equipment and men in white coats!

But some women can't think of anything more frightening than giving birth surrounded by men in white coats.

I think the reason more women don't chose it as an option is because they just aren't fully aware that it can be a safe choice. The first time round it's a very daunting prospect as it's the unknown and there's a feeling of better safe than sorry, then if you end up with lots of interventions in hospital, it's often a case of worrying that you'll need the same again, without considering the role that just being in hospital played in those interventions happening. I had an ok labour and delivery with DS, but it was a textbook case of a cascade of interventions.

I am really tempted by a homebirth this time, but I would also love to try a waterbirth and I don't think I could fit a pool in the house, and am concerned that my rather antiquated heating system wouldn't be able to cope with the hot water demand and also emptying said pool when we're finished.

"You are also right that most women aren't aware of the risks of booking a hospital birth"

Or, alternatively, they are and know they are small.

I don't get this whole "natural everything" crap, seems to be espoused by masochists and those unable to pick the good bits from living in medieval times from the bad and ugly.

They should have
More MLU within hospitals

IMO

(like Newcastle RVI - I was very impressed with the options there)

Sort of best of both worlds IMO

I think if we are seeing and promoting homebirth as a valid maternal choice, we should also be doing the same for other choices, such as elcs.

I started having a homebirth , had two midwifes with me , it was lovely . Until i heamorraged big style and had to rushed to hospital in an ambulance . Got to hospital , had a crash section , both myself and my son are fine . I know for a fact that on the night this happened , the ceo of the trust had been contacted as they wanted to shut the unit to admissions as they were so busy . If i had managed to get into the unit as a normal person in labour , i would of been left by myself for most of the time as it was my third child and previous labours were unremarkable . I believe that if i had chosen to go to hospital as with my previous births , either my son or myself would probably not be here .

I don't get this whole "natural everything" crap, seems to be espoused by masochists and those unable to pick the good bits from living in medieval times from the bad and ugly.

That's a bit patronising. I am not a 'natural everything' person at all I just don't feel that I am having a medical emergency as such, I don't have a bad time with pain and I do use tens and gas and air (this time I am having a pool which I am very excited about) - I know for some people labour is very stressful and painful but it is not like that for me I do really feel very calm about it all and very in control. I do not feel like that in hospital, not at all.

That's not my friend Belgo. But I must admit when I heard that story come on the TV yesterday I whipped my head up as they read the headline just in case she'd got herself on the TV!