Why I Chose a Home Birth

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, I finally felt empowered to share my decision to have a Home Birth. The month of April is recognized in the United States as National Minority Health Month – a month-long initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities.

I think pregnancy is such a beautiful experience, and it’s amazing what woman’s bodies are capable of.  I will say years before even becoming pregnant, the pregnancies and births that I had I would have never envisioned for myself. Quite honestly, if it were more socially acceptable, I would have hired a Gestational Carrier in a heartbeat.  So how is it that someone who would take six Tylenol at the beginning of a slight headache or call out of work during the first day of her cycle would choose a Home Birth?

One of the biggest reasons for choosing a homebirth was my honest evaluation of the Healthcare System's racial disparities in the United States; the statistics are alarming. Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women – and this disparity increases with age, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

A recent report from 13 state Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRC) determined that each pregnancy-related death was associated with several contributing factors, including access to appropriate and high-quality care, missed or delayed diagnoses, and lack of knowledge among patients and providers around warning signs. MMRC data suggest the majority of deaths – 60% or more – could have been prevented by addressing these factors at multiple levels.

These alarmingly high statistics further cemented my choice to choose a Home Birth. I would have the power to advocate for myself in the comfort and safety of my home.

Other Reasons I chose a Home Birth:

·         Healthy and Low-Risk Pregnancy – my exam and lab results were all normal, and I didn’t have any preexisting conditions that would impact my labor.

·         I wanted to be involved in deciding my labor; I know a Midwife would be more in-depth and empowered to make the best decision for me.

·         I wanted fewer medical interventions – I feel birth is natural and not a medical procedure.

·         I felt confident in my body’s ability to give birth - I wanted to give birth how nature designed my body to do so.

In everything I do, I realize that research and planning are key to a successful outcome. When approaching the Home Birth option, I knew that this would be no different. There were so many practical steps I took to prepare. I also knew that sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and I would have accepted that outcome as well.

In my next blog post, I will discuss the tips I took to have two successful Home Births.

Would you ever consider a Home Birth?