How to Have a Homebirth for Your First Baby
So you’re interested in having a homebirth, but it’s your first. Could having a homebirth for your first baby be smart or even possible? Yes! Homebirth can be a wonderful experience regardless of whether it’s your first baby or your 5th. While you may not have delivered a baby before, your body was created to do this and women have been successfully having children at home for all of human history. By working with an experienced midwife and doing research on your own, you can be fully prepared to have a wonderful experience delivering your first baby at home.
For years I had wanted to have my first baby in a birth center and then all future babies at home. But after a few slightly negative impressions of the only local birth center, I made the decision to have my first baby at home with a midwife. Looking back, I made the perfect decision and wouldn’t change a thing! What could have easily been a traumatic birth elsewhere was an amazing birth in the peace of my own home. Here’s how you can have a beautiful experience having a homebirth for your first baby as well!
Decide to Have a Homebirth
Making a decision you’re comfortable with is the first big step. Research various birth settings and the relevant statistics for them (i.e. since licensed midwives won’t deliver premature babies at home, you don’t need the mortality rate of preterm infants born at home, however, you should research outcomes of people who are similar to you as far as risk, age, etc.). You should be confident in your final decision. Stress is the last thing you need when it comes to pregnancy and birth! One big pro of homebirth for many people is the level of comfort (which can have great benefits such as reducing pain, a quicker delivery, and a faster recovery), but if having a homebirth for your first baby makes you uncomfortable, it’s probably not worth it. Also, certain individuals aren’t eligible for a midwife-attended homebirth, so you will need to make sure this is even an option for you.
Find a Midwife
Choosing your midwife is one of the most important decisions you can make that will affect your homebirth experience. Your midwife plays a big role in setting the tone of your pregnancy and birth, so you want someone that you are comfortable with, has good experience, and has a great reputation. It’s a good idea to talk to a few midwives before making your decision.
Do Your Own Research
Homebirth is very different from birth in a medical setting. It is typically more patient-led, meaning you get to make many of your own decisions with the guidance and input of your midwife. Your midwife will likely have certain things they require you to do, however, they are not usually as invasive as a typical doctor.
For the best experience, you should research a variety of topics relating to pregnancy and birth, and be able to make confident, informed decisions when you need to. Your midwife will also have wonderful advice, but it’s helpful if you are also familiar with various concepts.
Here are some good topics to start your research:
- Eating during pregnancy
- Exercising during pregnancy
- Birth methods and classes
- Pain relief tactics
- Common interventions
- Homebirth stories
If you’re more of a book person, there are many wonderful books available! The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Genevieve Howland is extremely comprehensive yet easy to understand, and it’s a great book to start with.
Put it Into Action
It’s not enough to just know what you should do, but now it’s time to put it into action! Homebirth usually goes best if you’ve taken care of your body and mind throughout pregnancy. Try to consistently eat right, stay active, and cultivate a healthy mindset towards pregnancy and birth knowing that you were created for this! Practice birth techniques, take any supplements you and your midwife have decided you should, and enjoy this special time in your life.
Create Your Birth Plan
Just because you won’t be in a hospital doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a birth plan! It can be written out or just a set of ideas that you and your midwife have discussed. It should include things such as the birth method you’re planning to use, pain relief tactics you want to try, where you want to have the baby in your home (bathtub, bedroom, etc), who you want in the room with you, and anything else that is important to you.
It’s also a good idea to have a backup hospital birth plan. Since a hospital will only be used in case of unexpected complications, this will likely be shorter and more vague, however, you should think through your preferences in case you are transferred. Are there any medications or vaccinations you want to decline for yourself and your baby? What interventions do you want to avoid unless they are needed as a life-saving measure? If you and your baby are separated, is there someone you want to stay with your baby? What other things would be important for your doctor to know?
Once labor begins, stick to your plan as much as possible while also allowing yourself to make new decisions based on what’s happening in the moment.
Get Your Home Ready
Your midwife will have a list of things you need to have in your home before the birth. You may also have your own things you want such as freezer meals and premade snacks, comfortable nursing clothes, a heating pad, adult diapers for the first few days postpartum, and, of course, baby supplies.
That’s it! You should be all ready for an amazing experience having a homebirth for your first baby!
