Home Birthing Essay

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The Right to Home Birth Women have been giving birth since the beginning of human existence, often unassisted, definitely without medical help. It was not until the 1920’s that hospital births were the standard here in America. Before this, birth had always been a female process; mothers were assisted by midwives, women who had the mothers’ best interests in mind. When hospital birthing was introduced, women were entranced by the pain-free medical approach that doctors had to offer (Cohen). What they didn’t realize was that they were giving up their freedom, comfort, and control. Home births can be given at home assisted by midwives or unassisted. It is illegal in almost all states for a woman to give birth at home unassisted. In fifteen states, it is still illegal for a midwife to be the only presence at a birth. These laws either prevent certified midwives to assist with the birth, or even prevent midwives from getting certified (O’Connor). Home birthing with a midwife is a safe, if not safer, alternative to hospital birthing, and should be a legal and supported choice for women in the United States. Some argue that it is unsafe for women to give birth in any setting other than a hospital, where a qualified team of doctors is present in case of any complications. Despite the common misconception that hospitals are safe, and doctors are the only people fully qualified to assist a women with the birthing process, fatalities occur just as often in hospitals as at home, and more babies are born with complications in hospitals than in homes. In fact, births that occurred at home need less medical intervention. According to Debora Boucher in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, “Listening to Mothers II (LTM-II), a national US survey of women's childbearing experiences, found that interventions have become routine in hospital settings,
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