Tips for Planning a Home Birth
Pregnant women learn that there are plenty of options for their birth experience. There are hospital births, births with and without epidurals, water births, home births, and more. Women can choose to have doulas, midwives, doctors, and other support people if they so choose. Every woman is different, and every birth experience is unique. There is no right or wrong way to deliver a baby, and the only thing that matters is that the mother is safe and comfortable with her decisions in delivery. One option that expectant mothers have is to deliver their child via home birth. This is a trend that is growing rapidly with the new restrictions put in place at hospitals during the pandemic. Check out these tips for planning a home birth if you’re considering one.
Have A Plan B In Place
While your birth plan may be to have your baby naturally at home, sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances that come up, and you may have to be transferred to a nearby hospital. Just in case you or your baby need immediate medical attention outside the realm of what your at-home birthing team can provide, you’ll want to have a plan already in place. This can be preplanned transportation, a designated driver, premade decisions of who will accompany you and baby, and more. It’s best to plan for the just-in-case so, if it happens, you won’t feel rushed or pressured.
Decide Who You Want There With You
The beauties of giving birth at home include the luxury of choosing who you want by your side while you deliver your little miracle. Your partner, other family members, and even the baby’s soon-to-be siblings are all popular choices to have surrounding you. Beyond familial support, you’ll want to pick out your medical care team such as a midwife, OBGYN, or doula. Ultimately, with a home birth, you are in control of who is there with you. While a doula isn’t necessary, many women choose to have one because their main job is to support the mother emotionally throughout this difficult process.
Plan For After Birth
One last tip for planning a home birth is to look beyond the birth itself.The first few moments after giving birth will be spent having skin-to-skin contact with your baby. Plan for the aftermath of birth as well so that you feel prepared and ready to take on early parenthood. Plan ways to get relief from postpartum pain and to heal from your labor.
