Giving birth is a transformative experience. More and more people are choosing home births to take control of their birthing process, empowering new life into the world. While there are misconceptions that home births can be riskier than hospital births, when done correctly, they are a safe practice that offers a range of medical, psychological, and familial benefits.

What is a home birth?

A home birth is the practice where babies are delivered in the comfort of one’s home or another familiar environment, essentially any delivery that occurs outside of a hospital or birth center. Rebekah Mustaleski, CPM, a certified professional midwife and compression director at Motif Medical, says, “The ‘home’ is wherever you feel most comfortable.”

Although home birth is the oldest form of birthing practice, it has become less common in Canada and other Western countries in the last century with the advent of modern hospitals. However, the idea of birthing at home has been returning to popularity in recent years. In Canada, the number of non-hospital births increased 113% from 2004 to 2015 and continues to rise.

People may want to give birth at home for various reasons, from personal comfort to a more intimate experience. Here, we discuss the benefits of home birth, things to consider, and steps to take.

Familiar Environment and People

A familiar, comfortable setting can significantly improve the birthing experience. The home offers added privacy and support, facilitating a more efficient and undisturbed labor process. People can also choose their care providers for a home birth, find midwives, and find other support that honors their birthing choices.

Home births also allow for the presence of partners, doulas, family, and friends, creating a supportive environment that enhances feelings of safety and control. Overall, this familiar and personalized setting helps women and birthing people feel more safe, comfortable, and validated during childbirth.

Having Control Over Your Choices

The person giving birth is the main decision maker, and their choices should be prioritized and respected. Unfortunately, many individuals feel that this autonomy is taken away in hospital settings, where there are constraints and protocols to follow.

People who have planned home births report high satisfaction levels. A study of 600 women in British Colombia revealed that the majority of participating women felt a strong sense of support and empowerment by experiencing a home birth. With a home birth, you have the freedom to choose several elements of the birthing process in cohesion with the midwife who accompanies you. Some women opt for home births to regain control over their birthing experience, particularly if previous hospital births felt traumatic or out of their control.

Reduced Medical Interventions

A significant advantage of home births is the reduced likelihood of unnecessary medical interventions. According to midwife and MD Aviva Romm, prenatal care and birth attendance provided by a midwife are more likely to help pregnancy stay on a natural trajectory, significantly reducing the chances of avoidable interventions.

The University of Alberta found in a Canada-wide study that up to 53.7% of women experience at least one intervention during hospital birth. These interventions include inductions, epidurals, episiotomies, and cesarean sections. While interventions are sometimes necessary, they are more likely to be acted upon in hospital births when perhaps not essential. All interventions carry risks for both mothers and babies, and even milder interventions can increase the likelihood of a surgical birth.

A 2015 study on the benefits of planned home births conducted in Ontario determined that advantages include lower rates of c-sections, maternal morbidity, and postpartum hemorrhage. The study concluded that planned, midwife-assisted home birth is safe and could even reduce interventions for healthy women. The comforting environment of a home birth also helps promote the flow of oxytocin, a key hormone that helps encourage contractions and facilitates smoother labor. The 2008-2018 perinatal policy cited the links between the reduction of interventions and how families are supported: “recognition of the needs of the woman and her partner, support for the pregnant woman, respect for the pace of labor, choices offered to relieve pain.”

Comprehensive post-partum care

A major advantage of home birth is the ability to recover and receive direct postpartum care, offering personalized attention in the crucial hours following delivery. The immediate and personalized post-delivery support of a home birth ensures new parents feel supported as they enter this new phase of life with their newborn. 

Home birth midwives stay with their clients for a few hours after delivery to ensure both parents and baby are doing well.  Midwives observe you and your baby from the moment of birth,  conducting assessments and monitoring while the baby remains in your arms. After labor, midwives check in between twenty-four and forty-eight hours later, gradually decreasing the frequency of check-ins until six weeks postpartum. During this time, they remain “on-call” should anything arise between appointments, ensuring continuous support throughout the postpartum period.

Next Steps

If you have decided that home birth is right for you and your family, you must call the midwife service or birthing center in your area (if there is one). Unfortunately, it is not possible to give birth at home everywhere in Quebec in 2024. You will have to confirm with your midwife whether you are eligible for follow-up, whether based on medical history or limitations to the scope of practice of midwives that could prevent you from doing so (for example, being pregnant with twins in Quebec naturally prevents you from having follow-up with midwives).

Part of prenatal care includes choosing where to give birth. According to the relevant Born and Raised website, between 16 – 18% of home births result in transfer to the hospital. Urgent transfers are rare, and most transfers are preventative measures at the first sign of any concerns. Although hospital transfers can be daunting, midwives are trained to anticipate and facilitate transfers well before emergencies, ensuring safe and comprehensive care.

Birthing with Confidence

Women are increasingly choosing to give birth at home because they want to have an experience in a familiar place where they feel safe and secure. During labor, a woman is at her most vulnerable and powerful, both physically and emotionally. Her brain needs to feel safe so her body can function naturally and give birth to her child. A sense of safety can come from a familiar environment if that is what is desired. With the professional support of midwives and family members during a home birth, a woman can feel more empowered, which enhances her birth experience and allows parents and children to start their new lives together in the best possible way.