Today, pregnant women face the question that they are likely never expected to ask in their pregnancy—how to give home births during covid-19.
The question has led some women to search online for answers. especially at-home births during covid-19. Google’s search for home birth information grew dramatically as coronavirus spread through the U.S. And also, the pictures of hospitals full of patients with COVID-19. Coronavirus disease has consumed the news and social media.
Some pregnant women are also suddenly looking for alternative birth choices in the light of the limitations that many hospitals have put on the number of people allowed in the delivery room and the facility to visit the coronavirus areas.
The AAP also released safety guidelines for those who are planning home births during covid-19. And who is considered a suitable candidate for home births during covid-19?
Why the interest in home births increased during covid-19?
You’ve spent a lot of time formulating the perfect birth plan. It can be difficult to stray away from it, especially if you’re a new mom. Holding a baby at home appears to be an appealing choice for pregnant women. who do not want to face the uncertainties of having a baby during a pandemic. Yet home births aren’t all about giving birth in pools, candles, and surrounded by loved ones.
There are also some advantages for why the interest in home births increased during the covid-19:
- The midwifery practice reports a significant rise in women considering home birth because they don’t want to go to the hospital during the COVID-19 crisis.
- However, for many expectant moms, the cost of giving birth at home borders on unbearable rates.
- Being in a familiar setting where you can feel more secure and able to cope with it.
- You don’t have to interrupt the labor to go to the hospital during Covid 19.
- You won’t need to leave your other children in this pandemic.
- After birth, you won’t have to be apart from your partner. Separating moms and babies from birth can have a negative effect.
- You are not likely to have an operation such as a forceps or a ventouse than women give birth in a hospital.
All benefits are significant during the pandemic, as they all boost the baby’s immune system. The World Health Organization recommends explicitly skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding, even though the birth parent tests positive for COVID-19.
With these benefits, there are also certain risks of home births during covid-19. We should also concentrate on these factors.
What are the risks of home births during covid-19?
If you’re planning a home birth during covid-19, it’s important to understand all the:
- capabilities,
- limitations,
- dangers,
- and the advantages of giving birth at home.
Speak to the birth experts and learn what medicines and tools they may have at their hands. with their background and skills.
According to the 2015 cohort study, which analyzed more than 800,000 births, the vast majority of low-risk pregnancies would have positive results at home.
That said, certain women can suffer unexpected complications, such as postpartum hemorrhage or sudden decreases in the heart rate of the child or oxygen levels, which may require transportation to the hospital.
According to a 2014 report published by The Midwives Alliance of North America that examined the outcomes of almost 17,000 births at home, about 11% of laboring mothers were moved to the hospital. Most of these incidents have not been moved due to emergency conditions, yet labor was not progressing.
Home births are also safer for those who have given birth before. According to ACOG, about 4 to 9 percent of pregnant women who have recently given birth will need to move to the hospital. This decreases from 23 to 37% of first-time mothers who require intrapartum transfer to a hospital.
Who should not have a home birth?
Women who are at high risk of pregnancy should not consider birth at home, experts suggest.
Other disqualifying factors for delivery at home include:
- being pregnant with more than one child;
- having had a prior c-section;
- having a breach;
- maternal medical issues such as high blood pressure
- gestational diabetes;
- and high-risk fetal complications.
Low-risk pregnancies are candidates for home births during covid-19
Most health professionals believe that women who want to give birth at home may have a low risk of pregnancy.
A 2019 review of evidence has found that low-risk pregnant women are no more likely to experience complications at home than at the hospital. Maternal births are typically associated with lower maternal intervention rates, such as:
- labor inductions,
- cesarean sections
- and major perineal tears.
According to Dr. Jessica Illuzzi, Head of Labour and Midwifery at Yale Pharmacy, almost 80 to 90% of low-risk births can occur without complications.
Many women who are full-term, with a single child head down without any other major medical or obstetrical complications could be candidates for delivery at home.
However, the remaining 10 to 20% of patients may have an obstetric problem. And need to be referred to the hospital for more medical assistance, she added.
The AAP also recommends that pregnant women should be at least 37 weeks pregnant at home. Each mother has a health team of at least two people. One of which must be responsible for the health of the newborn.
Also, women who are known to have a greater risk of pregnancy, such as those with:
- diabetes,
- preeclampsia,
- prior Cesarean section,
- or multiple fetuses—should avoid giving birth in a health care environment as they may develop life-threatening complications.
AAP guidance on planned home births during covid 19
If you are planning a birth at home, here are few AAP tips to keep in mind:
- Know your risk. Women with low-risk pregnancies are more likely to have a healthy delivery at home. Speak to the doctor about medical conditions that can increase the risk of complications.
- Have skilled providers with you. When you plan to have your child at home, make sure you have two trained providers with you. They should have the experience, skills, and equipment to conduct a full resuscitation if the infant needs support to start breathing. Ideally, they can be doctors or licensed midwives who work within a regulated health care system.
- Be ready to go to the hospital if needed. Complications may also occur in women with a low-risk pregnancy.
The bottom line
If you interest in giving home births during covid-19, speak to your doctor or midwife. And share your feelings and questions with them.
They will determine your pregnancy’s maternal and fetal health and identify any complications you may be aware of.
Shuck warns against unassisted home births during covid-19. If you want to give birth at home, make sure that you have a trained birthing team at your side with the right resources and equipment.
Do your analysis, weigh your benefits and risks, and prepare for it.
