Should Home Birth Be Illegal in America?

Home Birth: Should Having Baby This Way Be Illegal?

September 12, 2010

It's a woman's body, but should she be able to have her baby at home? In a day of modern technology, many moms-to-be choose to give birth in a hospital. Having a trained medical staff and NICU nearby can make the process of labor and delivery less daunting for parents. There are no guarantees when it comes to a newborn making their way into the world — mishaps and fatalities can occur anywhere. A new report suggests that while the age-old method of home birth has recently garnered more advocates in America, little attention has been given to the parents who lose a child in the process. One mom said:

“When most families plan for a home birth, they don’t also plan for a funeral. I certainly didn’t. But that is how my home-birth story ended.”

What's your opinion on home birth?

Source: Getty

30 Comments

wtfseriously 1 year 44 weeks

that is like asking if hospital births should be illegal because babies die in hospitals all the time - way more babies are born in hospitals. homebirths with trained midwives are as safe as hospital births. I am revolted by your website in general and especially by this extreamly offensive question.

peace101 2 years 34 weeks

i think it is sexy to have home birth and it is safer

2 years 35 weeks

What a lot of rubbish. Makes me think I won't bother looking at this website again.

2 years 35 weeks

No pregnant mother plans for a funeral. Tragically babies die at home AND hospital. Its all about informed choice ins't it. Some people prefer hospital, some prefer home. I've had three homebirths, they were fantastic! None of my sisters want a homebirth, so no problem, they have a hospital birth. Live and let live!

snarkypants 2 years 35 weeks

wtf this argument is asinine.

snarkypants 2 years 35 weeks

wtf this argument is asinine.

2 years 35 weeks

I agree this is a ridiculous question. I wanted to touch on what anon 10 said. There actually is a huge debate going on in the medical community regarding elective inductions and c-sections. This debate, like many in the medical community rarely makes it to blogs and other media outlets. There is an outrage over how may women are induced with no medical necessity. Most health professionals are against the alarming rates of elective procedures, and many of us are looking to stop this.

starbucks 2 years 35 weeks

Studio, you made me laugh ;) No, it should not be illegal. Here in Germany it used to be a lot more common but costs for midwives have gone up, and they barely can afford to assist women at home anymore. It's a shame! I never considered anything could go wrong but still went to the hospital. There wasn't a doctor present for the birth, though. It was us, a midwife (who was freakin awesome) and a nurse. Had something gone wrong, I knew there would have been a doc a in a heartbeat though.

starbucks 2 years 35 weeks

Studio, you made me laugh ;)No, it should not be illegal. Here in Germany it used to be a lot more common but costs for midwives have gone up, and they barely can afford to assist women at home anymore. It's a shame!I never considered anything could go wrong but still went to the hospital. There wasn't a doctor present for the birth, though. It was us, a midwife (who was freakin awesome) and a nurse. Had something gone wrong, I knew there would have been a doc a in a heartbeat though.

POPSUGAR Moms 2 years 35 weeks

I looked into water birth while pregnant with my oldest child. I personally know a few people who decided on homebirth, had healthy babies and were very happy with their decisions. I have nothing against homebirth, I just posed the question after reading the article because I thought it was interesting.

2 years 35 weeks

The person whose baby died should've asked herself the question, "When is it time to go to the hospital?" After my water broke, I labored at home with a midwife for 48 hours+. I decided it was time to go to the hosptial when my husband and midwife fell asleep at the same time, I was only dialated 4 cm and I needed support. I labored for another 24 hours at the hosptial, I got a fever and then gave birth via C-section. My child was OK, but he did swallow meconium and had to have his stomach pumped. I never dialated past 6 cm. I think that it is every right for a woman to choose, just as it her right to choose to bring that baby to full-term, but at the same time, she must have the sense to know when to get medical attention. The last thing I wanted was a C-section, but I did the best thing for me and my baby. He is healthy now and I am pregnant with my second child.

savejesusbuddha 2 years 35 weeks

should be illegal as circumcision should.... why choose for baby

Choco-cat 2 years 35 weeks

i didn't want to vote as your yes and no don't match up to how the question is worded - but my vote would be, no, it shouldn't be illegal.

2 years 35 weeks

If you don't want to think birth is beautiful, that's fine. Think whatever you want of it. But don't tell other women they're kidding themselves if they enjoy the experience and considered it beautiful. Who are you to judge indeed.

Studio16 2 years 35 weeks

Eh, I am in the middle. Unlike many other women, I don't see birth as a beautiful miracle. I see it as a serious medical procedure. Sure you get a baby, and that's cool, but technically, you are pushing an eight pound object out of your chucky. I don't think women should kid themselves into seeing that as beautiful. It's bloody and it smells bad. So honestly, yes, I see giving birth in your living room in a tub of lotus blossoms with a CD of Buddhist monks chanting playing in the background as kidding one's self. Still, as long as Mommy and Baby are safe, who am I to judge how she chooses to give birth? I think as long as a medical professional is on hand (I definitely think it should be more than just a doula, I am talking certified nurse/midwife at the least) a woman should give birth however she damn well pleases. That's not my style though. I want to do it Mad Men style. Knock me out cold and wake me when the kid's out.

Studio16 2 years 35 weeks

Eh, I am in the middle. Unlike many other women, I don't see birth as a beautiful miracle. I see it as a serious medical procedure. Sure you get a baby, and that's cool, but technically, you are pushing an eight pound object out of your chucky. I don't think women should kid themselves into seeing that as beautiful. It's bloody and it smells bad. So honestly, yes, I see giving birth in your living room in a tub of lotus blossoms with a CD of Buddhist monks chanting playing in the background as kidding one's self. Still, as long as Mommy and Baby are safe, who am I to judge how she chooses to give birth? I think as long as a medical professional is on hand (I definitely think it should be more than just a doula, I am talking certified nurse/midwife at the least) a woman should give birth however she damn well pleases.That's not my style though. I want to do it Mad Men style. Knock me out cold and wake me when the kid's out.

2 years 35 weeks

So many people think that home birth is for weirdos squatting in a dirt pile somewhere. After three uncomplicated deliveries in the hospital, I'm planning a home birth with the assistance of a certified midwife with decades of experience with home birth. She is not the militant type that insists that all babies can be born at home. In fact, she has told me multiple times that if she even FEELS like something could be starting to get bad, my butt will be on its way to the hospital ASAP in an ambulance (EMS is literally two minutes away from my house). She has everything a free-standing birth center has to help a baby in distress. I have the utmost confidence in her abilities, as she has brought countless babies into this world safe and sound, including the babies of two of my good friends.

vabeachbum 2 years 35 weeks

I think it should be legal but with some regulation. In the (I think this is right) Netherlands, mothers interested in home birth have to meet a few requirements to be eligible. Basically, you have to have a low risk pregnancy, never had a c-section, no prior history of miscarriages or complications etc. Other countries also have much stricter standards for medical professionals that supervise home births. And I agree that studies that show home birth to be more risky are super inaccurate and misleading. A home birth that has been planned with a low-risk pregnancy and a trained medical professional supervising it is different from an unplanned birth where the woman suddenly went into labor and a frantic spouse/partner is trying their best to help based on the instructions of a 911 operator.

vabeachbum 2 years 35 weeks

2 years 35 weeks

You know, this makes me so angry. How much "attention" is given to babies to die because mom was induced simply for being "full term"? No medical reason other than her due date is today or a week past, even though everything else is just fine. How many doctors are the cause of infant death because they gave mom a c-section with no medical basis? Because that causes FAR more problems, be they fatal or long-term, than home birthing does. How much "attention" is given to a baby who died due to an inept doctor or nurse, or a hospital being understaffed? (Please take note: None of this means that induction and c-sections are never medically indicated, they are. But they're both done far more often than is medically indicated, and often because mom's "sick of being pregnant.") Many women can say that when they went to a hospital they planned a birth and never considered a funeral. It's not exclusive to homebirthing or even an experience that happens more often in homebirthing.

2 years 35 weeks

Stupidest. Question. Ever. I completely agree about your bias showing. Seriously, did any research go into this? You do realize that mortality rates are higher in hospitals unless comparing it to totally unattended homebirths, right? (Meaning no medical professional in attendance, the vast majority of home births are attended by a midwife or doula.) And yeah, your options are totally backwards. Should it be illegal? Yes, No one can take away a woman's right, and no, it should be illegal? WTH?

2 years 35 weeks

I agree with the other posters here. Lilsugar, your bias is really apparent. Studies showing that home birth is more dangerous than hospital birth counts unassisted home birth, unplanned home birth, and even some miscarriages as "home births" which is extremely misleading. Home birth with a trained midwife and a low-risk pregnancy is extremely safe, and in some ways safer, than hospital birth (for example, the risk of infection is much higher in a hospital). In industrialized nations where home birth is more common than in the US (almost all of them), their healthcare costs are lower and their mothers and babies are healthier. Unfortunately there can be tragic outcomes with home birth, but they are actually LESS common than in the hospital. I wish that more women would consider giving birth at home in the US.

2 years 35 weeks

I whole heartedly agree with kindo 1313! Can't say it loud enough or often enough! Just because you have your baby in hospital doesn't automatically make it safer than a home birth with a low risk uncomplicated pregnancy. Get the facts straight! Especially for where it applies. Sure, in remote parts of Africa where there is really no medical care to speak of, a nice clean hospital birth is safer than an complicated birth in a dirt hut. We, however, are in the US, Canada, England and Australia, ect.

PiNkY PiNk 2 years 35 weeks

I would never want to give birth in my home but there are some women who feel passionately about it so it should be their right to, as long as they have the baby checked out by a doctor, which I THINK is what is required. Idk, I've never known anyone personally who have had their baby at home. But no, I don't think it should be illegal.

kindo1313 2 years 35 weeks

I can't believe you are even asking this question. Countless studies have been performed that show that home birth is at least as safe as hospital birth for low-risk pregnant women. Do your research. Every post you present on this topic is biased towards the medical model, which is not working in the US (as shown by our not so stellar world rankings for maternal and infant health). How many babies and women die in the hospital each year? Yes, in the hospital you have more medical equipment, but with that equipment comes a tendency to use it--even when not necessary--and each intervention brings with it more risk to mom and baby and the increased necessity of further intervention. Stop making it sound like women who choose home birth are doing it at the risk of their baby's safety. It's irresponsible and just plain untrue.

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