Articles
Home birth: Know the pros and cons
What happens during a planned home birth?
Content
Why do women choose planned home births?
Are there situations when a planned home birth isn't recommended?
What might cause the need for a hospital transfer?
What are the possible risks of a planned home birth?
How do I prepare for a home birth?
Why do women choose planned home births?
If you deliver at home, labor management might differ from what you experience in a hospital setting. During labor at home, your health care provider will periodically — rather than continuously — monitor your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and your baby's heart rate.
You might choose a planned home birth for many reasons, including:
- A desire to give birth without medical intervention, such as pain medication, labor augmentation, labor induction or fetal heart rate monitoring
- A desire to give birth in a comfortable, familiar place surrounded by family
- Dissatisfaction with hospital care
- A desire for freedom and control in the birthing process
- Cultural or religious concerns
- A lack of access to transportation
- Lower cost