This essay discusses the perceived advantages and disadvantages associated with both hospital and home births. It explores the history, modern day trends and the costs behind each birth environment and focuses on the health and safety aspects of caesareans and epidurals. Giving birth in a hospital is by far the most popular choice of expectant couples in the UK, with around 94% of women choosing to give birth in an NHS maternity unit (CQC, 2010).
Offering medical experts, emergency equipment and pain-relieving drugs on hand, it has become the norm amongst society today (Babycentre,2011).
Furthermore it will look into the low rate of homebirths using varied statistics to see if they correlate with the disadvantages and advantages associated with giving birth at home. In the early 1900’s, having a baby at home was the trend and hospitals provided the medical supplies necessary for illness and emergencies. However, in the 1950s it was actively discouraged by the health service which ran campaigns to persuade mothers to go into hospital to give birth (The Good Birth, 2010).
Today, hospitals are the main resource for deliveries, while home births have become much less widely used.
This is evidently shown in the figures released by the Office of National Statistics showing that in 2010, even with the historically high birthrate, only 2.5% women chose to deliver at home, in comparison to 34% in 1959, this is a dramatically steep decline. A common misconception associated with home births is that they are unsafe however BBC news reported “Giving birth at home is as safe as doing so in hospital with a midwife”. Home births can be a better delivery option than hospital births for low risk mothers as it reduces the use of unnecessary medical intervention, such as caesarean section, it also reduces the exposure of potentially harmful drugs, and is also more financially beneficial and could save millions of pounds for the National Health Service (BBC Health, 2012).
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Drugs, such as epidurals can have lasting, even harmful side effects on the mother and infant. “Epidurals relieved labour pain better than other types of pain medication but led to more use of instruments to assist with the birth, the risk of caesarean section for fetal distress was increased, were more likely to have a longer delivery” (Cochrane Review,2011).
This interference can be damaging too many natural processes that normally continue without any outside influence, thus interfering with the natural birthing process. A caesarean section, also known as ‘c section’, is a particularly evolved surgical procedure that has become increasingly common. In 2011, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published new guidelines on caesarean sections. This aimed to avoid unnecessary operations but in some part of the United Kingdom, as many as 30% of babies are born by caesarean section (NCT, 2012).
There are many considerable benefits for both the women and their families linked to home births, the women can labour and give birth in the privacy and sanctity of their own home, feeling more relaxed, which can help labour progress. They have the choice of surrounding herself with those she loves and trusts involving family or friends.(The Good Birth,2010) Just as there are advantages to home births there are disadvantages associated with it too, which makes a hospital birth the right choice for some women.
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If the woman is at high risk or an unforeseen complication arises during labour being in a hospital is the safest environment for both the mother and baby because of the proximity of obstetricians and emergency medical equipment, which will avoid the rush of a last-minute transfer to the hospital (BBC Health, 2010).
It may be reassuring and comforting to know that they are surrounded by a team of trained professionals who can give round-the-clock help for both mother and baby. There is the benefit of being surrounded by new mothers and fathers, whom they can socialise with and during the recovery period there are midwives to hand to give advice about breastfeeding, bathing and care of the umbilical stump. (Babycentre, 2011)
Home births have many considerable benefits and are more cost efficient than hospital births. Most women do not know their options when it comes to delivering their baby, and most assume that their only option is to deliver in a hospital. At the same time, many women do not truly know the risks of epidurals and caesarean sections that are common practice in hospitals. Women need to know their options and all of the risks and benefits of each option. Homebirth is not for every birthing situation because some mothers are high risk and need to be in a hospital where advanced medical equipment is close at hand. It is important therefore, that in their roles as educators, midwives should provide practical and sensible information and discuss the women’s wishes and feeling about the best delivery options available to them as an individual.
