Homebirth with Midwifery Care

Homebirth is a safe and comfortable way for women to bring their children into the world. There are a number of reasons women choose to have a homebirth including:

• Continuity of care: for a homebirth women see the same midwife consistently throughout pregnancy, and during labour. They know in advance exactly who will be present for the birth, and don’t have to worry about hospital or birthing centre staff timetables.

• To avoid medical interventions: hospitals have high rates of intervention, and birthing centers can have high rates of hospital transfers as well as interventions.

• Safety: interventions experienced in hospitals and birthing centers carry risks and have the potential to make birth a traumatic experience for women and their children. Some women find the easiest way to avoid these interventions is to birth at home.

• The Midwifery model of care: some women prefer this model of care which is based on the idea that pregnancy and birth are normal physiological experiences, not medical conditions.

• To have a free (or unassisted) birth: some women prefer to birth without the medical assistance of a midwife, nurse or obstetrician, relying instead on their own knowledge and intuition.

• Atmosphere: Some women prefer to give birth in their homes because it is comfortable and private, because they can have their family present. Some women who already have children like to include them in the birth of their newest sibling. While these women feel it is a nice environment for them to labour in, they also feel it is a nice environment for their babies to be welcomed into, and there are no awkward transitions from the hospital or birth centre to home.

To have a midwifery model homebirth in Victoria you need to find an independent midwife (a midwife who works in private practice, rather than the hospital system). Before making your decision you can interview the midwife, to make sure you will be comfortable with her. She will be able to help you learn more about pregnancy and childbirth by sharing her books, videos and experience with you.

It is also a good idea to contact your local homebirth support network, to acquire more resources and information, as well as discuss your options with women (and their families) who have homebirthed before.

If you would like, you are able to make a just-in-case booking into a hospital in the unlikely event that you may require a transfer. Your midwife will provide you with information to help you make decisions like this, and if you transfer she will come with you.

Transfers

While it is not mandatory to make a hospital transfer booking, some women prefer to have this arranged, in order to avoid paperwork in the event of transferring from home to hospital. If you do make a transfer booking, you might like to go through your birth plan with the hospital staff prior to labour. But remember there is no guarantee that when the time comes those attending your birth will follow your plan, that will depend on who is present.

Some Places to Begin your Journey:

Joyous Birth: homebirth website

Find a Midwife-Victoria

Midwives in Private Practice – Melbourne, Australia

Australian College of Midwifery Incorporated List

Midwives Naturally

Related Ilithyia Inspired Pages:

Pregnancy & Birth Websites

Pregnancy Articles

Breastfeeding Websites

Birth Articles

Birth Stories That Inspire

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