29 Dec Reasons why pregnant women think an out-of-hospital birth is out of the question for them
Reasons why pregnant women think an out-of-hospital birth is out of the question for them
In this series, we dispel some of the myths surrounding out-of-hospital birth. Common preconceptions that assume a birth centre birth is out of the question.
Do these sentences sound familiar?
1. i live too far away
Explanation: A longer journey to the birth centre is of course not easy with labour pains, but together with the midwife you can choose the best time to go to the birth centre. We have already accompanied families who live 1 to 1.5 hours away from the birth centre.
A stay in Hamburg during the birth period, for example for pregnant women who live on the islands, is also possible and can also be financed by health insurance companies.
2 I have a high-risk pregnancy
Explanation: a high-risk pregnancy, e.g. with pre-existing conditions relevant to pregnancy, such as insulin-dependent diabetes, excludes an out-of-hospital birth. Other reasons, such as age over 35, a previous caesarean section or hypothyroidism, are not definitive exclusion criteria. We will be happy to advise you and decide together - if necessary with the help of a doctor's assessment - whether the birth centre is a suitable place to give birth.
3. i'm too late, now all the seats are gone anyway
Explanation: Some months are very popular and fill up quickly, but we often also have space for last-minute requests. We can start childcare up to the 36th week of pregnancy. So it's definitely worth enquiring!
4. it's my first child
Explanation: Many of our first children were born without complications and sometimes quickly.
The likelihood of a change of location from the birth centre to the hospital increases with the first child. As a rule, the change takes place calmly and in the company of the midwife. Planning the birth of a first child outside the hospital does not mean an increased risk of complications for mother and child.
5 I don't have a good pain tolerance
Explanation: Contractions usually start gently and at longer intervals and then increase in duration and intensity over the course of the birth. So you will not be overwhelmed by very strong contractions from one moment to the next. Many women in labour find the warm water in the large birthing pool relieves the pain. We also use massages, positions and holds as well as light, antispasmodic painkillers.
A TENS unit can dampen the transmission of pain signals to the brain through vibration and has no side effects for mother or child.
If a strong painkiller or an epidural is necessary, for example because the birth is very protracted, we switch to the hospital.
6. it's all a bit crazy
Explanation: In Hamburg, only 1.9 per cent of births are currently out-of-hospital, so planning an out-of-hospital birth really is something special.
Many families like the idea of giving birth in a calm atmosphere with familiar midwives, but are still unsure whether it is the right place for them. It is quite normal to have concerns, especially for the partners, and to need time and information to feel confident about the choice of birth location.
QUAG (= Gesellschaft für Qualität in der außerklinischen Geburtshilfliche) has been recording the outcome of all out-of-hospital births in Germany for many years and confirms the safety of out-of-hospital births (including those that are continued in hospital) with significantly fewer interventions. https://www.quag.de/quag/publikationen.htm