Homebirth: As Safe As It Gets
The Safety Of Home Birth
My birthing experiences began with a hospital birth in 1975. I gave birth at home in 1978, 1981 and 1985. When I first became interested in home birth in 1976, it was really considered an “alternative” more than a safer choice than hospital birth. The general assumption then was that home birth was more about the experience of giving birth rather than the avoidance of hospital interventions. After reading Immaculate Deception by Suzanne Arms, I was sold on the safety factor, but there was very limited scientific study that proved that babies were safer being born at home. Today there is a considerable body of scientific data to support my theory that babies not only prefer home birth, but that home birth is usually safer for both mothers and babies.
Carla Hartley
