The Problem Of Home Birth

There are many things in life are great gifts, and being a parent is one. Getting the news that you are expecting a child is a speechless moment. It is a very joyful occasion and everyone is happy about what to expect over the next nine months. Baby names start flowing and in every magazine you are looking at outfits and furniture and things of that nature. But has anyone stop to think about what is cost to have this baby? What medical expenses that will be incurred during this forty weeks process. The answer is no. No one probably really cares but the hospital and the insurance company. Now it’s time to take a look at some of the cost behind the blessing of labor and delivery.

Research shows that it is the most expensive place to have a baby, “The hospital delivery fee costs $9,775 and close to $15,000 for cesarean section,” (Snyder, 2011). There is also evidence of poor infant mortality.

This essay demonstrates significant factors, a midwife and the women may face within Australian public hospitals. As a midwife the key skills are understanding of what supports and impacts the normal physiological process of labour and birth. This essay will discuss two influencing factors that have a negative effect on the normal progress of labour and birth. This will be seen, firstly by discussing the cultural and environmental impacts of labour and birth. Then, examining how the midwife may best support and facilitate the adverse effects of normal physiological process. This essay also discusses a positive labour and birth environment within the Australian standard model of care.

Giving birth to a baby is the most amazing and miraculous experiences for parents and their loved ones. Every woman’s birth story is different and full of joy. Furthermore, the process from the moment a woman knows that she’s pregnant to being in the delivering room is very critical to both her and the newborn baby. Prenatal care is extremely important and it can impact greatly the quality of life of the baby. In this paper, the topic of giving birth will be discussed thoroughly by describing the stories of two mothers who gave birth in different decades and see how their prenatal cares are different from each other with correlation of the advancement of modern medicine between four decades.

The Birth House by Ami McKay tells the story of a young midwife named Dora, living in rural Nova Scotia during the early 1900’s. Dora is trained in midwifery by Ms. Babineau, the midwife of Scots Bay until her death when Dora takes over. Dora is challenged by Dr. Thomas, a professional doctor who opens up a modern hospital in the community who encourages the women of Scots Bay to abandon traditional midwifery as a means of giving birth. Dr. Thomas persistently attempts to convince the residents of Scots Bay that modern medicinal technology is a safer and cleaner means of giving birth than allowing Dora and Ms. Babineau to deliver their children, despite their vast knowledge and experience of women’s reproductive health. The novel discusses

However, Ricki Lane, the producer of the film, “The Business of being Born,” hopes that viewers will see that economically, births out of hospitals and at home is cheaper with a midwife, who will charge their patients only $4,000 for everything, including post-natal care. Whilst, a normal vaginal birth can cost up to $13,000, and a birth with multiple drugs involved, which typically leads to C-Section costs up to $35,000. However, with the American Medical association’s relationships with the hospitals and insurances, they are actually discouraging home births and midwifery, when the truth is that, statistically, it is safer and cheaper with home births and midwifes. It kind of makes you wonder just what exactly is on their agenda when it is a common practice to give births at home in both, developing and under developing countries, and has been for hundreds of years.

In America, most of the childbirth 's take place in a hospital. I am talking about 99 percent of delivery and off that percentage 34 percent is c-section. An article by Lisa Selin Davis states, “Well, it turns out that we’ve exported this model to the far corners of the world; in Japan, Korea and China, Western-style hospital births have all but replaced traditional home birth in the last few decades.” Meaning that these other countries mentioned above also practice hospital childbirth. Contrary to other where home birth is still an option. One example is Uganda;

One of the main reasons that some women decide to choose home birth is safety. Not only for the mother, but for the baby as well. According to the CDC, in 2012, the risk profile of out-of-hospital births was lower than for hospital births, with fewer births to teen mothers, and fewer preterm, low birth-weight, and multiple births. Since the mother and baby are not near as many pathogens,

According to “Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America,” women and couples planning the birth of a child have decisions to make in variety of areas: place of birth, birth attendant(s), medication, preparedness classes, circumcision, breast feeding, etc. The “childbirth market” has responded to consumer concerns, so its’ important for prospective consumers to fully understand their options. With that being said, a woman has the choice to birth her child either at a hospital or at home. There are several differences when it comes to hospital births and non-hospital births.

There can also be a huge financial difference between home birthing and hospital birthing. A homebirth, using midwives can cost approximately $2,000 to $3,000. For some midwives, the fee covers all of the pre-birth consultations as well, which can present significant savings. With a homebirth, you generally give birth naturally, so you would not be paying for medicines, nurses, or doctors. If you do not have insurance, a hospital birth- without complications and vaginal- would cost approximately $7,600. That being said, with insurance, most women pay about $1,500 to $2,300 out of pocket. This also depends solely on your actual insurance coverage. With a hospital birth, keep in mind, that you must not only pay for your hospital stay, but also for your practitioner for services the day of the birth as well as everything else leading up to the birth, and everything that the hospital provides for the new arrival.

In the United States giving birth has become medicalized and it is because the medical community has convinced women that having a baby in a medical facility is mandatory and better for the baby. Medial birth is not natural birth. The American populace is uneducated about the natural process of labor. The overwhelming amount of women having babies in hospitals is unique to the United States. Most other nations including first world nations, women give birth in the presence of midwives rather than a doctor. According to experts documented in the film, “The United States has the second worst newborn death rate in the developed world.” Also “The US has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among all industrializes countries.” The makers of this film link those fact with the common practice of hospital birthing. According to the film makers, Doctors should only be used in high risk pregnancy and births.

Dr. Neel Shah, to start, is a certified medical doctor (MD) and also has earned a masters in public policy (MPP), all of which were obtained through Harvard Medical School. In addition, he is an accredited as a professional assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, through Harvard Medical School as well. Furthermore, Dr. Shah believes that home births and births that don’t occur in a hospital are for the best compared to if they were taken care of in a hospital.

Australia may be one of the safest countries in the world to give birth in, but it is far from reaching the needs of consumers (Dahlen, et al., 2011, p. 21). In Australia, three main settings are available for birthing mothers: hospital, home and birthing centres. The choice of a preferred birth setting is influenced strongly by (a) “belief Systems”, (b) “convenience” (c) finances and (d) “reputation” (Dahlen, et al., 2008, p. 24). There has been considerable discussion and criticism focused on personalised non-fragmented care outside bureaucratic

Home births in comparison to hospital births are “associated with reduced rates of cesarean birth and medical interventions, and similar rates of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality” (Declercq, & Stotland, 2016). Home births in the Netherlands account for 20% of all births and studies conducted there showed no increased risk for neonatal adverse outcome (Zielinski, Ackerson, & Low, 2015). Studies have also shown that “satisfaction with the birth experience is also high in the home birth setting” (Zielinski, Ackerson, & Low, 2015).

Two years ago, I was introduced to midwifery when my brother and his girlfriend were considering options for the impending birth of my nephew. Since that time, everything I’ve pursued and studied has helped bring me a step closer to becoming a midwife myself. I find pregnancy, childbirth, and babies to be the most fascinating things in the world. I spend heaps of time independently researching different aspects of childbirth. Last year, I wrote a research paper on the differences between home births and hospital births, and I’m currently working on a podcast about home births and the role midwives play. There's so much knowledge out there that I was oblivious to; once I figured out that pregnancy, birth, and even postpartum care need not be