some more info

(1)According to this article pain is one of the main considerations when thinking about giving birth. “Pain is not a purely physical response but is unique to an individual and comprises a complex sensory, cognitive, affective, behavioral, and social response.” (British Journal Of Midwifery 18.8 (2010)

If a woman is uncomfortable, or has fear during labor it can cause an “Increase in muscle tension decreases flexibility/ mobility and so the person moves against a resistance, which can increase pain.

Fear is an important factor. Evidence has shown that the use of non-pharmacological pain relief in the form of complementary medicine in labor, along with continuity of caregivers, is more likely to lead to physiological labor and spontaneous vaginal delivery (Hodnett et al, 2007; Yogev, 2004; Albers, 2007; Hatem et al, 2009).

This article also states that “Emotional status during labor can have a drastic effect on the perception of labor and the ability to cope with pain. There are clear physiological causes of pain in labor but psychological resources may impact on the ability of the woman to relax, in turn, affecting relaxation of both the pelvic structures and muscles easing the passage of the newborn through the birth canal, along with continuity of caregivers, is more likely to lead to physiological labor and spontaneous vaginal delivery” (Hodnett et al, 2007; Yogev, 2004; Albers, 2007; Hatem et al, 2009).

So we now know that emotional status is very important, a woman is naturally more comfortable in her own environment, and this could help with how long the labor lasts. This article also pointed out that child birth is such an individual experience and home birth verses hospital birth is something that the woman needs to be comfortable with.  

(2)“Evidence that midwifery outcomes meet or exceed Canadian maternity care standards is mounting. Canada is among the safest countries in the world for those experiencing pregnancy and birth (25). From the perspective of Canadian women who chose midwifery care, evidence supports the acceptance of registered midwives as facilitators of positive birth outcomes and satisfactory maternity experiences and the commitment of funding to ensure that greater numbers of women have the opportunity to benefit from this important maternity care option. Women in this study reported that they were more satisfied with their maternity experiences if their prenatal care and ⁄ or delivery provider was a midwife than any other health care professional; they also experienced fewer interventions as recommended by the SOGC and World Health Organization guidelines”.( Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey 2011)

This was a great article about how safe home birth is and had a lot of statistics to back it up. These women were so happy with their home birth experience and it’s really cool to see that this option is more available than in past years.

I found both of these great sources from Academic Search Premier and just typed in home birth.

         

Works Cited

(1)McNeil, Alexander, and Julie Jomeen. "'Gezellig': A Concept For Managing Pain During Labour And Childbirth. (Cover Story)." British Journal Of Midwifery 18.8 (2010): 515-520. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.

(2)Pearl Herbert, et al. "The Experience Of Pregnancy And Birth With Midwives: Results From The Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey." Birth: Issues In Perinatal Care 38.3 (2011): 207-215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.