Homebirth preparation at 44
Did you know that if your pregnancy is low risk and straightforward a doctor in the Netherlands as well as a midwife would consider it a normal and safe option to birth at home? And even suggest so.
Also such pregnancies and births in the Netherlands are managed and cared for by a midwife as primary caregiver, not an obstetrician. Until 10 years ago 34% of all births were home births in the Netherlands while today this rate is lower, anything between 15-20%.
This is the only Western country with such a high percentage of home births and over there no one will think you are crazy if you are birthing at home because this is embedded in the healthcare system.
As for the other places the rates are much lower: Germany 3%, U.S. 1.5%, Greece 0.5 %, while in my country Serbia no one is counting it and such births are done under the radar as they are not integrated in the healthcare system.
For a smooth and easy homebirth preparation is key, as for anything else. It’s not really about bravery as it seems to many on the outside.
It’s about having:
Deep connection with your body that gives you trust in the process of natural birth - which brings confidence
Mental strength and clarity to be prepared for all the options if things don’t go the way you want to - which brings peace
Enough education and latest information about advantages of birthing naturally and birthing at home (not taking any advice or suggestion by any medical service provider for granted and always aiming for informed consent) - which brings power
Birth plan - research shows that those who had one had more positive birthing experiences - this includes who will be present at birth, all the logistics for all possible outcomes and details down to music, snacks and mood you want to create - which brings the sense of control.
You’ll know you have all this if in the end you feel less fear and more excitement about the birth.
Yes, this is totally possible.
At the 35th week of my pregnancy we had a meeting with both of our midwives to discuss our birth plan and all the details, also in case anything doesn’t work as planned, as well as check whether we have all the supplies in place.
We received a list of things we needed to prepare for home birth by our midwife. Most of these things we already had at home.
These are some hands on things we needed to do and get in order to prepare for a safe and joyful home birth (not a full list but just so you have an idea):
Get a doctor who would support us in case of transfer to hospital (about 8% would need transfer due to lack or progress or maternal exhaustion and only 1% of the 8% are emergencies)
How we’ll manage the kids and who would take care of them in various scenarios
Prepare our space at home for birth: I wanted to birth in the living room as having an unobstructed view was important for me, so we covered the floor, sofa, added prompts like mats for more comfortable all four’s position
As we wanted to have an option of water birth and tub was not possible, we got the birth pool, new and long enough hose and tested connections beforehand
Get enough clean towels and medical pads
Organize bins for disposal
Bowl for the placenta
Blankets
Enough food, snacks and refreshments for the birthing mama and the entire crew
We had 2 midwives, my mom as backend support mainly in charge of food and refreshments for everyone and my husband as the main birthing partner to take care of everything else.
We had my husband’s parents to pick up the kids from school and bring them home and eventually take care of them in case we needed to go to hospital.
As you can see, sounds like lots of logistics, but the main things really are:
Body-mind confidence
Reliable birthing partner
Reliable midwife
Birth plan
As a woman, when you have the first one sorted out the rest is easy.
I’d love to see more women stepping into their full body-mind power and lead from that place.
I am here to show you that it’s possible.
Even at 44.
And I believe at any age really.