5 Birth At Home Tips For The Best Birthing Experience

Giving birth at home can be a wonderful, exciting, and intimidating experience. The first time I gave birth at home, I was so nervous I was shaking during labor. I kept praying that I would be able to do it, and that everything would turn out okay. It ended up being the BEST experience of my life.

My oldest child was born in a hospital. It was such a bad experience that I wanted something different with my other births. So when I discovered I was pregnant with my next baby, I found an OBGYN, but she was awful! The first appointment I had with her she started talking to me about making sure I wanted to keep the baby & gave me a referral to an abortion clinic (I was happily married at the time & still am). So by my second appointment with this lady, I decided that I really needed a good midwife. I got a great referral from a friend & found the midwife to be perfect for me. To be perfectly honest, the choice to deliver at home started out mostly financial as we were paying out of pocket for the delivery, but as I mentioned before, it was the BEST experience and I would never turn back. I have since had another homebirth and am due soon & will be delivering at home.

In my process of choosing to give birth at home I have discovered some useful tips:

1. Get a GREAT midwife.

Make sure you are comfortable with your midwife & their belief system. Your midwife should let YOU make the decisions about your body, delivery, & pregnancy, but they should give you TONS of information regarding what options you have.

In order to practice in any state, all OBGYNs & midwifes MUST offer certain tests, vaccines, shots, and screenings to an expectant mom & newborn baby. However, you MAY reject any and all of these tests (by rejection you must understand that your provider also has the right to reject you as a patient). For example, my midwife has not required me to get my full bloodwork done. The full bloodwork tells her if I have any STDs & gives a full blood cell count. She didn't require the full bloodwork because my husband and I have only been with eachother (so I know I don't have any STD's), and she doen't need a full blood count for any reason other than curiosity. But she will not service women who will not take this test, if they or their husband have had more than one partner, for her safety & the baby's.

2. Prepare for natural childbirth & Commit to it.

Unless you have already given birth, there is nothing that can completely prepare you for the birth experience. Giving birth does HURT, however our bodies are built to handle the pain. Our as the intensity and pain of contractions increase, our brain releases oxytocin. The oxytocin triggers our brain to also release epeneprine. Epenephrine works to give an adrenilene rush as well as giving us a sense of well being. So in labor as the pain & intensity increases, we can handle it because we are given an extra "rush" to do so.

Do all you can to prepare for giving birth naturally - take some classes on different methods, and practice. But most importantly, you must commit to doing so. You midwife will be at your side to help you through the whole process of labor & deliver no need to fear.

3. Get moral support to be there during your birth at home.

Usually midwives are very good at providing moral support & encouragement during delivery, but they are also busy, so having someone else there can be VERY helpful. It is even more helpful to have someone with you who has given birth at home, or at least given birth naturally.

Often times your husband can act as all the moral support that you need. However with my first delivery hearing my mom & mother-in-law in the background was the extra push I needed to handle the pain.

4. Prepare your space in advance & don't worry about making a mess.

The one thing that I was surprised about from my first birth at home experince was how CLEAN the experience was - it was even cleaner than the hospital! Your midwife will give you very specific instructions about how to set up your space & give you a list of things you will need to provide.

The supplies you will need depend on your midwife, but they usually are things you have around your house, or that you can buy at the local drug store. I have had to buy things like hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, a big plasitc painter's sheet, etc.

5. Be as healthy during your pregnancy as you possibly can.

Eating the proper food & taking good vitamins will ensure a better delivery & quicker recovery. Many midwives work with their clients on nutrition, but some don't. My midwife recommends a Minimum of 100 grams of protein per day, as well as a lot of dark green leafy vegetables for fiber & iron. Hemoglobin levels often drop in pregnancy, however having a high hemoglobin level ensures a quick recovery. Eating properly is the best way to have a great labor, delivery, AND recovery.

Exercise is also very important, but don't over do it. Walking & swimming are the best exercises for pregnancy. You can also do yoga, but do modified versions for pregnancy. If you tax your stomach muscles while you are pregnant you could end up in the hospital for reconstructive surgery, so just be very careful & realize that you will have plenty of time after the baby to get your body back into shape.