Is it safe to give birth at home?
The short answer is yes. In addition, there are many advantages to giving birth at home.
In recent years, more and more and better scientific studies have been published, showing that it is possible to screen healthy pregnant women who want to give birth at home so accurately that there is no reason to worry about security.
Midwife present
This applies as long as a midwife assists the person giving birth, and the midwife has good ongoing cooperation with the nearest maternity ward, should a transfer to the hospital prove to be necessary during the birth.
Fewer interventions
The mentioned studies also show that the birth proceeds better when it is planned to start at home. There are 20-60% fewer interventions, e.g. fewer caesarean sections, epidural blockades and vest stimulation for women who plan to give birth at home. There are also 10-30% fewer complications, e.g. less bleeding and fewer severe ruptures. It also seems that more mothers who give birth at home get breastfeeding off to a good start.
Midwives give birth at home
A study by the Midwives' Association also shows that the midwives themselves have embraced home births in line with the ever increasing number and ever larger studies in the field. This provides insight that both scientific research and experienced professionals support home births for healthy, pregnant women as long as they are attended by a midwife and are in contact with a maternity unit in case of need for transfer.
----
Source: Article by Ole Olsen, senior researcher at the Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health Science, published by Parents and Birth