Why Do Parents Choose Not to Have Babies in Hospitals?

Most babies born in the United States will experience the world for the first time in a hospital setting. Others are likely to be born at home or in special birthing centers.

The birthing philosophy of the parents, and medical circumstances, can make a hospital birth more or less appealing.

 

 

Limited Medical Intervention

Expectant parents might worry that a hospital birth means more medical interventions, including epidurals to relieve pain or episiotomies to reduce or prevent vaginal tearing during childbirth, according to the Better Health Channel.

Parents might prefer a midwife over an obstetrician because the midwife philosophy usually involves letting labor progress naturally unless medically necessary to intervene, according to KidsHealth.

Certified nurse midwives can provide every intervention that an obstetrician can, such as providing pain medications, but they cannot perform C-sections.

 

Equipment

Hospitals are usually equipped for labor and delivery on a bed, but other delivery options might be unavailable. Parents might prefer a home birth or delivery in a special birthing center because they would like to have a water birth.

Some facilities, including hospitals, are equipped with specialized tubs. Parents can also rent or buy tubs in order to have a water birth at home.

 

Other Concerns

Births outside of the hospital setting may be possible if a woman’s pregnancy is deemed low-risk. Diabetes in the mother or complications during a previous delivery may make a mother too high-risk to deliver outside of a hospital.

A birth setting other than a hospital might be more comfortable for the mother, and she may have the option to eat, drink and shower while she is in labor.

The option can also be attractive for mothers who would like to be surrounded by family and friends, as hospitals might have restrictions on who can visit and when. Giving birth might also be more expensive in a hospital than at home.

 

Additional Information

Only a licensed health care worker can determine whether birth outside of a hospital would be safe for you and your child.

You might want to create a birth plan so anyone delivering your child is aware of your wishes if you are unable to voice your desires at the time of birth. In some cases, home births might turn into hospital deliveries because of complications.

 

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