Home Birth Myths & Facts

While home birth is not a new concept, it is something that only about 1% of birthing people choose, so it's no surprise that there is loads of misinformation out there regarding just about every aspect of how it works. I had my own home birth in 2018, and started attending them in 2021. Since then, I've spent a lot of time helping folks understand what home birth is and what it isn't. My hope is that this blog post will be an easy reference whenever you come across home birth information from that you'd like to cross reference.

You'll be left with a big mess to clean up!

Myth: It's true that having a baby involves lots of fluid, and sometimes even poop (from you and baby!). This doesn't change when you have a home birth. The good news is that your midwife and any team members she brings with her are going to take care of the mess and leave your home like it never happened.

We use things like:

• Chux pads: Imagine an extra large, extra absorbent puppy pad
• Towels: Don't worry, we wash them and no one will ever know what was on them.
• Hydrogen Peroxide: This works wonderfully to get blood out of carpet and other fabrics.

If you have a water birth, your birth team will drain, sanitize and break it down so that it can be put up and you can get your living space back!

If you have a dry or land home birth, a tarp, chux pads and towels can be used to contain the fluid and protect your floors, and your bed will be made up to protect your sheets and mattress as well.

Trash is taken out, laundry is started, and any sign, besides your new baby, that a birth happened in your home will have been erased!

Home Birth is Dangerous!

Myth: Home birth midwives work with you during pregnancy to ensure that you remain a good candidate for home birth. Home birth midwives are trained and skilled at recognizing when pregnancy, birth and postpartum start becoming dysfunctional and require medical attention.

Some high risk pregnant people won't qualify for home birth. The problem is, your doctor likely doesn't understand what midwives can handle, therefore are not the best resource for deciding weather it's safe to have one. Reach out to a midwife, let them know your medical history and they will tell you if you qualify or not. Most midwives do not want to take on someone who is truly high risk since their goal is always the safety of the pregnant person and the baby.

You won't have access to pain relief medication

Fact: home birth midwives don't carry medications like epidural or pain killers, so they will not be readily available unless you choose to transfer to the hospital. For some, this is a benefit of having a home birth because there's not temptation and you won't have nurses and your medical provider asking you over and over if you want meds.

While your midwife won't have medication, their deep understanding of physiological birth means they have the skills and supplies to help you work through the tough parts without disturbing your process. It can also be very helpful to have a birth doula available to help with pain relief techniques since your midwife will be focused on your medical care primarily.

It Isn't Affordable

This one is tricky since everyone's idea of affordable is different. The average midwife in the Columbus area can cost anywhere from $3k to 8k plus homebirth supplies which will cost roughly $200 depending on many factors, and honestly choosing one simply based on price is not going to be the best strategy since you need to really vibe with your homebirth midwife. Here are some strategies to pay for out of pocket services during your pregnancy, birth and postpartum. These suggestions are specifically for Ohio, but may apply wherever you live:

1. Check with your insurance: many insurance companies will cover midwifery services as an out of network service. Typically this means that you will pay up front and be reimbursed later.
2. Save before becoming pregnant: This one is obviously not doable if you are already pregnant, but is worth including for those trying to conceive.
3. Ask your midwife about payment options: Your midwife knows that their fee can be difficult to come up with all at once. While most will require payment in full by the time you are full term, most will offer some kind of payment plan so it can be paid off by full term.
4. Take out a line of credit: This may not be an option for some, but can be a great option to pair with payment plans and reimbursement options, or if you know you'll be able to pay it but will need more time past becoming full term. A line of credit can look like a personal loan through your credit union or bank or a credit card which many times offer a 0% apr for 12-24 months giving you even more time to make payments without the interest building up.

It's important to understand that, especially if you have a high deductible health insurance plan, paying for a midwife may actually be the least expensive option, and with the dramatically lower instances of medical intervention a homebirth isn't going to have surprise expenses unless you're transferred to the hospital.

Only "crunchy" people give birth at home

No matter what kind of parent you plan to be, homebirth is for you as long as you are low risk. Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have been known to give birth at home as well as people who vaccinate, eat at McDonalds, love fabric softener and all of the "non crunchy" things.

The only thing that is required to have a home birth is being low risk and having the desire to birth outside of the hospital.

My house isn't clean enough to have a baby here

Myth: Your home does not need to be completely disinfected like a hospital does! The hospital has many people coming in and out of it all day every day, so they are required to maintain a higher level of cleanliness to avoid spreading one person's stuff to another person.

Your home is where your baby will be living and you and the people living there are the only people they will interact with for at least the first few hours of life. Your gut microbiome is made up of good bacteria that help to keep you safe against anything that is regularly in your home and your baby is seeded with that same gut microbiome when they pass through your vagina and come earthside.

Another thing your baby is born with is vernix. Vernix is a slippery yellowish white thick lotion like texture. It provides all kinds of benefits to your baby including keeping their skin moisturized and fighting off bacterial and viral illnesses that may be around when they are first born.

Lastly, breastfeeding will also give your baby antibodies to protect them, and since you're giving birth at home you will be much more likely to have success with breastfeeding!

Home Birth Isn't Legal

Homebirth is unregulated in Ohio. This means that your midwife is not overseen. That also means that you have to be very careful when choosing a midwife because they can range anywhere from a doula who has taken a weekend course and claims they are a "birthkeeper" or worse calls themselves a midwife to a midwife who has gong through years of apprenticeship and schooling and is able to handle all manner of complication and is able to keep you and your baby safe and is qualified to help prepare you for birth and postpartum. This is where a doula can really come in handy since a doula is active in the birth world and knows how the different midwives operate and will be able to help you choose one that fits  with your values and desires.

In any case, it is completely legal for you to have your baby outside of the hospital.

Conclusion 

No matter where you decide to give birth, it is important to know your options and have someone who can help prepare you and answer your questions. If you're considering a doula, check out our birth doula services.