My Birth by Design is happy to offer homebirth services to families in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are a traditional homebirth practice and also offer waterbirth. Jennifer is a Direct Entry Midwife: "A direct-entry midwife is an independent practitioner educated in the discipline of midwifery through self-study, apprenticeship, a midwifery school, or a college- or university-based program distinct from the discipline of nursing. A direct-entry midwife is trained to provide the Midwives Model of Care to healthy women and newborns throughout the childbearing cycle primarily in out-of-hospital settings". Jennifer plans to eventually become a CPM.

For more about midwifery and the types of midwives, click here.

homebirth, is it safe?

First, let us look at the evidence:

Olsen (1997) examined several studies of planned homebirths with hospital backup compared to planned hospital births. Nearly 25,000 births in 5 countries were studied. Fewer home-born babies were born in poor condition. Mothers were less likely to have had labors induced or augmented, or to have had c-sections, forceps, or vacuum extractor deliveries. There was no difference in survival rates for babies born at home, and no maternal deaths in either group.

An analysis of 4500 home births and 3300 hospital controls indicates that a woman who is appropriately screened for home birth is putting herself and her baby at no greater risk than similar mothers who deliver in a hospital. Chamberlain, et al, 1999.

976 planned home births were compared to 2928 planned hospital births in Australia. Planned home births appear to be associated with less overall maternal and neonatal morbidity and less intervention than hospital births. Woodcock, et al. 1987

In 2005, a study was published in the British Journal of Medicine that concluded: " Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States. "

Aidan McFarlane, a British physician, notes that while 68% of hospital mothers experience postpartum depression , only 16% of home birth mothers do.

"It has never been scientifically proven that the hospital is a safer place than home for a woman who has had an uncomplicated pregnancy to have her baby. Studies of planned home births in developed countries… have shown sickness and death rates for mother and baby equal to or better than hospital birth statistics for women with uncomplicated pregnancies." World Health Organization.

“No evidence exists to support the claim that a hospital is the safest place for women to have normal births.” National [U.K.] Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, 1994.

Sources: A Good Birth, A Safe Birth by Korte and Scaer, 1992. Alternative Birth: The Complete Guide by Carl Jones, 1991. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simkin, Whalley, and Keppler, 2001. Recent research on homebirth safety is available on-line. For links, see www.aboundingjoy.com/insstats.htm; www.geocities.com/Wellesley/5510/studies.html; www.gentlebirth.org/ronnie/homesafe.html#safety;  www.changesurfer.com/Hlth/homebirth.html., http://transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/birthed/birthplace.htm

Then, let us look at a few more interesting tidbits:

Did you know that 90% of the people in the world today were NOT born in a hospital?

Here are some names of Famous People who have had a homebirth:

Cindy Crawford, Lisa Bonet, Pamela Anderson, Meryl Streep, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Demi Moore, Carol King, Mrs. Michael Landon, Jade Jagger, Mrs. Woody Harrelson, Lucy Lawless, Lindsey Wagner, Mare Winningham, Kelly Preston, Liberty Phoenix, Tania Joy Gibson, Tyne Daley's daughter, Tracey Reiner, Ellie Scheider, Knute Rockne, and Mihai Bagiu's wife Kris(Olympic medalist)

Famous People Born at home:

Everyone in the Bible (think about it, this includes Jesus, Abraham, Moses, Paul, Peter, etc. ), All the Kings and Queens of England (including the present one...Dianna was the first princess to birth her babies in the hospital), Mohammed, Buddah, Mother Theresa, Chaucer, Guttenberg, John Wesley (all the Wesleys, lol), Martin Luther, Albert Einstein, George Washington, Mozart, Daniel Boone, Pocahontus, Sitting Bull, Ghandi, Picaso, Emerson, Disney, The Wright Brothers, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Richard Nixon, Sir Elton John, Ann Landers, Elvis Presley, All of our Founding Fathers in the US, Duke Ellington, Bach, Beethoven, and Many More!!!

how do I find a homebirth midwife?

Please feel free to contact me at Jennifer@Mybirthbydesign.com for information concerning homebirth options in the Poconos of Pennsylvania and the greater Lehigh Valley area. You can also find other contact information for me here. Or, visit my favourite links page for links to other websites that list midwives by state and specialty.

 

For more information, check out my favourite links or my client information page.

Disclaimer:The materials provided at this site are for informational purposes and are not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional.