First Time Mothers' Home Births Have A Higher Risk Of Complications

[ZombieHorde]

Women who are pregnant for the first time and decide to have a home birth should be aware that there is a significantly higher risk of complications, compared to first time mothers who have the baby in an an obstetric or midwifery unit, researchers from Oxford University reported in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). However, for second and subsequent births, women with low risk pregnancies do not have a statistically significantly higher risk, the authors added.

Professor Peter Brocklehurst and team explained that in general, women with low risk pregnancies should be able to freely select where they wish to give birth. They say their findings "support a policy of offering women with low risk pregnancies a choice of birth setting.". Mothers-to-be and their partners should have informed discussions with their medical team about where they plan to have the baby.

The authors explained, as background information to the article, that birth settings have been extensively debated over the last decade. However, there are very few quality studies which focus on the benefits and risks of home births, obstetric units, and midwifery units.

Brocklehurst and team set out to determine what the perinatal outcomes and interventions might be at four birthplace settings across all NHS trusts in England.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/238292.php

If you are offended by the sight of a nude woman giving birth, then you should not click on the link.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. I agree with you there. However, I do believe that the method used to deliver babies...

which is lying on the back, is not the way women are supposed to give birth. I think they're supposed to give birth crouching.

[handmade34]

2. I gave birth to all my babies at home

being informed, knowledgable and having a good midwife/partner is essential...

from article...
"...However, there are very few quality studies which focus on the benefits and risks of home births, obstetric units, and midwifery units..."

[HockeyMom]

3. My first born was a breech

I knew this long in advance. Home birth? Doubt it. As it was, I had a vaginal birth 32 years ago. The hospital staff back then thought it warrnated a C-Section, and the entire OB staff was there in delivery to watch it. My daughter, and me, were fine, but I had a older doctor (back then) who knew what he was doing, and WARNED ME, that it would be a lot of work for ME. WE did it.

[bemildred]

4. +1. nt

[lbrtbell]

5. Why on earth is she nude?

If a woman is giving birth, a room shouldn't be that uncomfortably hot, should it? It seems to me that would be dangerous for her?

[ZombieHorde]

6. Why shouldn't she be nude? What do you think she should be wearing?

Why are you concerned about her "fashion" choice?

[bemildred]

7. It does not look like anybody is making her do anything she does not want to do?

My wife and I did a natural birth, with help of a midwife, and she got some "strange" notions into her head at the time, and we let her call the shots. That woman looks pretty happy to me, she got the kid out where it belongs.

[laconicsax]

9. How is being nude dangerous?

:shrug:

[bemildred]

10. I'm a guy, but I've seen it several times now, and women giving birth don't like to be encumbered.

And my advice to you is not to cross them.

[laconicsax]

8. This is for unassisted births.

IIRC, midwife-assisted home births have a much lower risk of complication than unassisted births AND hospital births.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Are you certain? The article only mentions the woman in the photo was unassisted.

The article mentions midwife units, but that is different than midwives.

[laconicsax]

12. The study seems to place midwife-assisted births into other categories.

In the results section of the study (http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7400) they seem to indicate that assisted homebirths were grouped by the type of assistance recieved--obstetric or midwifery, "alongside" and "freestanding."

[helenmoore]

13. Home birthing

Home birthing is quite risky unless you are well informed. It also depends on the midwife, how experienced is she in dealing the emergencies.