The excitement, elation, and nerves about the big news of becoming a parent is a wonderful feeling. But along with pregnancy, there comes a lot of responsibilities. You have to make a decision on how and where you will give birth. To make the right choice between hospital or home births, here are the pros and cons of both.
Hospital Birth
More than 98 percent of people in the US give birth in a hospital. Pregnant women usually make a natural choice to have a hospital birth. Hospitals across have also immensely improved the quality and service of their birthing centers and floors. You are allowed to even choose the birthing areas before delivery according to your liking.
Pros Of Hospital Birth
– The hospital expenses and the entire birth could be covered by insurance depending on your medical coverage.
– Pain medications are right there when you need it during delivery.
– No clean up after you deliver. Although the midwife would clean up after you deliver, there is no worry of cleaning it up like when you have home birth.
– The hospital bed has the fetal monitoring, IVs, and a transducer to constantly measure and monitor the contractions. It will make sure everything is running smoothly from the beginning to end.
– Trained nurses are there to help you and care for your baby while you just relax and get time to heal.
– If you do not wish to breastfeed, the hospitals provide you formula supply for the baby during your stay and for the first few days after you return home.
– There will be a lactation expert on call.
– Immediate medical assistance with advanced technology in case of complications or emergencies.
– It may be less scary because you are in the hospital where people see birth day in and out.
Cons
– The intervention during labor will be limited to time. Hospitals do not wait longer if your labor doesn’t progress.
– Using Pitocin during labor will speed up the contractions but will rush the body’s natural process.
– High C-section rates in the hospital.
– Not every hospital allows you to have a water birth.
– Privacy is minimal.
– You and your baby are not together throughout the stay in the hospital. Reasons like vitals, screenings, and bathing may separate you from your baby.
– High costs if you are uninsured.
Home Birth
Home births are when you deliver your baby at the comforts of your home. There should be a qualified person to assist the delivery – a qualified nurse-midwife, an obstetrician. Although home births are encouraged by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, not every state certifies nurse-midwife with the ability to assist in a home birth. Before you make a choice, check with the laws of the state regarding home birth.
Pros Of Home Birth
– It is your home and you know where the things are. Walk everywhere you want, stand in the shower if you want, and do whatever you want during labor. No one will restrict your place.
– Home birth is safe and low on the risk of infections, viruses, and sick people.
– You know your midwife too well and so does she.
– You will be the only person giving birth in your house, in the hospital there will be many more women along with you giving birth on the same day.
– It might be less scary because you are not in the hospital where you get to see many scary things.
– You can choose your delivery position which is right for you.
– No restrictions on the number of people present during labor.
– There are no time constraints for labor and delivery.
– No unnecessary medical interventions.
– Rest after delivery with your baby on your own bed.
– No disturbances by nurses or doctors during the night.
– Lower delivery costs.
Cons
– Most insurance companies do not cover home birth expenses.
– No pain relief or epidural medications.
– It will be quite messy during delivery. Cleaning up after delivery will be tedious.
– The potential danger when the midwife is unsure of things during an emergency.
– Complications can take you to hospital.
– You are responsible to monitor your vitals and the baby’s after delivery.
– In case of emergency, if the hospital is too far, the medical attention needed could be immediate and there is a risk of injury or death to both baby and yourself.
– You need to arrange your own postpartum care.
– There is no lactation expert on call.
