Birth: Home Over Hospital

I'm not going to put down or condone one or the other. Childbirth is soley up to the parents. However, in my writing class, we had to choose a side to defend. So, this was merely for a grade. That's the point of an arguementive essay. I made a good grade, considering it was a college course I took in high school. Luckily, I didn't have to seriously put down Hospital birth, and was able to keep a good balance between the two. I do watch a lot of medical shows and do understant some of the events that take place in hospital and home births. Most of the medical shows I watch are about childbirth. So, I respect the medical profession greatly, and this is not to prive them wrong or make people thinkg badly of them. Unfortunately, being an arguimentive essay, I was forced to leave out a lot of defense the hospital has as well. There are circumstances people should consider before giving birth in either of these places. To each their own of course. I do hope I do not offend anyone who reads this.

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Imagine yourself a pregnant woman.The time has come for you to decide: do you want to give birth in the comforts of your own home, or in a hospital? Perhaps another question comes to mind. Is it safer to give birth at home or in the hospital? In the case of a healthy pregnancy, at home births are at most considered to be safer and more desireable.

Home birth: what is it? It is as it sounds. An expectant mother, instead of seeking medical aid and medical facilities, she stays home to give birth naturally to her chil(ren). This method of childbirth has been around, in some manner, since the beginning of human history. Today, for a healthy birth, it is considered much safer than hospital births and creates a stronger family bond.

What is the difference between a home birth and a hospital birth? What advantages do home births have over hospital births? For one thing, a woman can do or go anywhere she likes during labor. She would be home in comfortabl and familiar surroundings. These are much more relaxing during the birth process than the hospital, which limits the freedom and expectant mother has and alienates her from what she deems familiar (Home Birth). Mothers giving birth at home have no time limits and can take as long as they wish to give birth and the relationship between caregivers is equal. Obstetricians tend to believe themselves dominant over the mother, and expects her to be subordinate. The language of the obstetrician is foreign to her and the support is weak and personal importance as well as wishes are often ignored. Doctors will also subject the mother to scolding and warning, as though she is performing a natural event wrongly. Possible risks are kept secret, making birth a somewhat threatening experience. Also, most hospitals seem to have a time limit on how long a woman may give birth. A C-section may be done to speed up the birth process (Home Birth).

The outcome of a home birth is "better for mothers and babies in planned home births than in a hospital" (About Home Birth). One woman describes her home birth experience as a slow and relaxing experience, creating a bond between the mother, baby and other members of the family. "My baby was born in an environment safer for him. No strange pathogens floating around, no invasive procedures, no pressure to take drugs...We worked with our midwives in the spirit of informed consent..." was the description the woman shared about her own experience (About Home Births). As mentioned above, doctors tend to rush a birth with very little support and personal knowledge of the woman and her family. A woman would give birth one day, and in twenty-four hours, she would be signed out of the hospital. For the woman who shared her home-birth experience, she declares, "Someone was in out house, checking on us, helping with breastfeeding, etc., every day after the birth, for a week, and regularly for weeks afterward" (About Homw Birth).

What is a doctor was against your wishes for a home birth? Does he give a good reason? Are you having a dangerous pregnancy? If not, then perhaps the doctor sees the situation differently than you do. "If you as 100 doctors for their beliefs on this subject, you will receive 100 different answer, and not all will be compatable. They can't all be right" (Home Birth Reference). Doctors and midwives are expected to give their opinions and advice, and as an expecting mother, the advice does not have to be taken. Some doctors do not wish to make house calls and may refuse for that reason. In such cases, a midwife can be hired to do the job instead. The family doctor does not have to be present (Home Birth Reference). If a doctor or midwife continues to harass over the differing opinions, an independant midwife may be hired to replace them. It is the mother who is in control of the birth, not her obstetricians.

Childbirth is a wonderful experience to many women. The experience can be amplified with glory should the mother choose to take the birth into her own hands and stay home, pregnancy permitting. Staying at home means being around friends and family, and having constant care in a relaxing environment. These unique traits of home childbirth can never really be duplicated in any hospital. Can you still imagine yourself as a pregnant woman? Where would you choose to give birth: at home, or in a hospital?