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Home Birth

Dr. Panagiotis Polyzos MD PhD MSc

Obstetrician Gynaecologist
Doctor of Medicine, University of Athens Medical School

Panagiotis Polyzos, Gynaecologist Obstetrician, is active at the Institute of Life - IVF Unit of Iaso Maternity Hospital.

Contents

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Home Birth

Know the pros and cons

Are you wondering whether a planned home birth is right for you?

Get the facts about the potential risks and how to prepare for the big day.

If you’re considering a planned home birth, you probably have questions:

  • Is it safe?
  • Will you need a midwife?
  • How do you create a backup plan?

 

Learn what it involves and how to decide whether this method of childbirth is right for you.

Why do women choose planned home births?

If you give birth at home, the management of labor may differ from what you would experience in a hospital setting.

During a home birth, your healthcare provider will monitor your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and your baby’s heart rate periodically — rather than continuously.

You may choose a planned home birth for many reasons, including:

  • A desire to give birth without medical interventions such as pain medication, labor induction, or continuous fetal heart rate monitoring
  • A wish to give birth in a comfortable, familiar place surrounded by family
  • Dissatisfaction with hospital care
  • A desire for freedom and control during the childbirth process
  • Cultural or religious concerns
  • Lack of access to transportation
  • Lower cost
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What might require transfer to a hospital?

During a planned home birth, you may need to be transferred to a hospital for monitoring or treatment if complications develop. Your healthcare provider may recommend hospital transfer if:

  • Labor is not progressing
  • Your baby shows signs of fetal distress
  • Your baby is not in a head-down (cephalic) position
  • You need pain relief
  • You have high blood pressure
  • You experience bleeding
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What are the potential risks of a planned home birth?

While most pregnant women who choose planned home births deliver without complications, research suggests that planned home births are associated with a higher risk of infant death and seizures compared with planned hospital births. Several factors may reduce the risks of these complications, including:

  • Assistance from a certified nurse-midwife
  • Access to a practicing obstetrician
  • An emergency transfer plan to the nearest hospital

How do I prepare for a home birth?

You can prepare for a planned home birth by:

  • Choosing trained healthcare providers. Select a certified midwife, a midwife whose training meets specific standards, or a doctor who practices obstetrics within an integrated and regulated healthcare system.
  • Ensuring access to consultation. Make sure your provider has access to consultations with doctors or specialists at a collaborating hospital.

Create a birth plan

  • Will you use specific methods to manage pain? Do you want a water birth in a tub?
  • Will you breastfeed your baby immediately after birth?

Discuss your birth plan with your healthcare provider and ask about supplies you may need, such as protective coverings for your floor or mattress.

Prepare for hospital transfer

Talk with your healthcare provider about the signs and symptoms that may require going to the hospital and how a transfer would affect your birth plan.

Ideally, your home or other planned birth location should be within 15 minutes of a hospital with 24-hour maternity care.

Make sure you have access to transportation

Ask your healthcare provider to make arrangements with a nearby hospital to ensure that you can be transferred immediately and receive treatment if necessary.

Hospitals or certified birth centers are the safest facilities for childbirth. However, you have the right to make an informed decision about your preference.

Keep in mind that life-threatening problems can occur during labor without warning.

In such cases, the need to transfer you and your baby to a hospital could delay care, potentially putting your life at risk.

Understand the risks and benefits of a home birth before deciding where your baby will be born.