The good old days and home delivery

Discussion in 'Babies' started by iamawriter, Jan 1, 2018.

  1. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    118
    1200px-Postpartum_baby2.jpg

    One of my sisters the eldest one had all her children through home delivery. The midwife was a neighbour an old lady who was a professional of sorts. We as kids - yes I was only 8 years old when my sister delivered her first child - were told to stay out. But did we? We waited near the closed door and I think we did the right thing as we were able hear the cry of the baby - the baby's first cry We were in ecstasy!!

    .
     
  2. Alexandoy

    Alexandoy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2016
    Messages:
    971
    Likes Received:
    261
    Midwife handling the delivery of the baby was common in the rural area during my era. Even the registration of the birth certificate is submitted by the midwife. But in this modern times, pregnant women go to the hospital or to the health centers such that midwives seemed to have lost their careers.
     
  3. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    In the US, it is reported that "less than one percent of all U.S births take place at home" (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...be-successful-those-other-countries-180963108).

    And if you ask medical practitioners/OB-Gyn's, they do not advice home births especially for first time moms or moms with high-risk pregnancies because both the mother and baby could die if there will be complications/problems during delivery. It is always best to give birth at a hospital because they have all the experts and facilities that may be needed "just in case".
     
  4. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    118
    These days I hardly come across anyone opting for this kind of approach. Those days I do not know even if there was a doctor who they could go for check ups. But strangely my sister delivered safely without any complications
     
    Elsa likes this.
  5. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Yes, I guess in places where no doctors are available, the only option is to deliver the baby at home. In cases like this, I do think there is always some kind of a midwife or an experienced person they can call for help during delivery.

    It's great to hear your sister had safe and successful deliveries :)
     
    iamawriter likes this.
  6. kaka135

    kaka135 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2017
    Messages:
    234
    Likes Received:
    121
    I have a few friends chose to have home birth. They attended some courses, learned how to give birth at home, and the husband was there to help for delivery. They believe this is the more natural way without using any pain killers or unnecessary tools and it's something what a mother and father can do. My friends advised me to have home birth when I was pregnant with my second child too, but my eldest was going through emergency c-section, hence I did not dare to choose this approach. I am thankful that all my friends who chose this approach have gone through successful deliveries and the babies are healthy too. :)
     
    Elsa likes this.
  7. Kat

    Kat New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2017
    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    5
    My cousin is actually considering an at home delivery. She's found a lot of information online on it and seems like she's gonna go for it. I think it's interesting, though my closer family has a history of high-risk pregnancies so I probably wouldn't opt for it. Still, if well prepared and if it can be done there is no reason why some people shouldn't consider it. After all, that's how it was done back in the day.
     
  8. Miches

    Miches Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2016
    Messages:
    230
    Likes Received:
    45
    Home deliveries are still fairly common in rural areas and in poverty-stricken areas in my country. Most home deliveries are carried out not by choice in some remote areas without a hospital. In some places, families without the means to pay for even the cheaper clinics like lying-in clinics have to rely on the services of a midwife to give birth at home.

    I wouldn't dare go though a home delivery even if I was healthy. It's not just me but the baby that has to be considered. Some mothers may require emergency C-section and any delay can cause death or disability to both mother and baby. A friend died when she gave birth at her home and bled excessively. That would have been easily addressed at a hospital.

    There were far more risks to mothers and babies in the so-called good old days because child delivery were mostly performed at homes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2018
  9. Holmes22

    Holmes22 Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2016
    Messages:
    373
    Likes Received:
    57
    It would be interesting to see some numbers associated with the shift in this, although I am not really sure what to expect. Kind of strange I guess but I am sure in some places it is still common.
     
  10. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    118
    Nice to know that even now in this modern world there are those who resort to delivery at home. The only difference being that the parents have access to knowledge thanks to the Internet which was not the case in the good old days
     
  11. naruto100

    naruto100 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    53
    Even I have heard about such stories from the elders. But I guess these days it is hard to find this. Also compare to past, right now it is not that healthier life, so better one not take such risk. These days I have seen mostly all go to hospitals and also many women like to go for operation than normal delivery to avoid pain.
     
  12. nangk08

    nangk08 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2017
    Messages:
    337
    Likes Received:
    117
    Home deliveries are still prevalent in India in the rural areas where hospitals are either very long way off or are not staffed with doctors at all times. But the change now from the olden times is that, the ladies or midwives who perform these deliveries are trained to do so and they mostly can handle from simple to a little complicated cases.
     
    Mika likes this.
  13. Mika

    Mika Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    515
    Likes Received:
    136
    There was a time (not so long ago but a few decades) when almost 90% babies were delivered at home lol (it sounds like they were sent from somewhere to our homes) but now the trends are changing and with more hospitals coming up in the rural areas even the villagers are taking the full advantage of primary health centers for giving birth to a baby. However, at least 50% child birth cases still taking place in rural areas and 10-20% cases in urban areas. I hope there will soon be the time when 100% child birth will be taking place in hospitals' safer environment.
     
    nangk08 likes this.
  14. Nocturnal Writer

    Nocturnal Writer Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    719
    Likes Received:
    81
    My brothers and sisters were all born at home through a home delivery handled by a paltera or a midwife. And we were all born safe. In some remote areas where hospital is very far for the people to reach it, if there is a a midwife in their place, home delivery is the practical way to get into it. In fact, two of my 6 children were born at home through the service of a doctor and a midwife. And the rest were born in the health center.
     
  15. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2017
    Messages:
    353
    Likes Received:
    184
    Both my sister and I were born at home but we were both breach, me feet first and my sister bottom first. It must have been quite stressful both for my mother and for us too. These days if a baby was known to be breach a home delivery would not be considered as all sorts of things can go wrong. but thankfully we both survived.
     
    nangk08 and Elsa like this.
  16. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    You made a wise decision not to give birth to your second baby at home because it is not advised for women like you had a history of a C-section as there is a likelihood you would require another C-section. So how did your second delivery go? Were you able to have a normal delivery?

    I do think home delivery is not for everyone, especially for first time moms and those with a history of high-risk pregnancies.
     
    nangk08 likes this.
  17. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Yes, I do think more and more women are now opting for hospital deliveries because it is safer. But I respect others' decision to do it at home because I believe some feel more comfortable to do it at home with their loved ones around to assist, especially if they usually have normal deliveries. It would be important to learn more about it though so everyone involved will know what to do.
     
    nangk08 and naruto100 like this.
  18. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    118
    Good to hear that in this modern age there still are those who opt for home birth but in your friends case it is not clear if there was midiwfe that helped or the husband!!!
     
  19. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Wow! Good on you. Your mom must have gotten a real expert to assist her in the delivery because breach cases usually requeire a C-section. Now I'm really curious how the person who assisted your mom did it, haha.
     
  20. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    The fact that you had a doctor and a midwife assist you during delivery would be sufficient to get rid of the fears of a home birth. I do think as long as you have a medical expert (doctor/midwife) with you, one can safely deliver babies at home. And as I always say, as long as you do not have a history of high-risk pregnancies, too.
     
  21. Karina Teck

    Karina Teck Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2018
    Messages:
    59
    Likes Received:
    17
     
  22. naruto100

    naruto100 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    53
    Even I respect that thing. If someone can do it and having good experience with handling things then there is no problem at home too. The only important thing is that everything should be done under control and safe manner.
     
    Elsa likes this.
  23. Mika

    Mika Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    515
    Likes Received:
    136
    I agree that delivery of a child at home is economical and convenient up to some extent but most couple living on their own these days and not many relatives available to support it's safer to give birth to a child at a modern hospital with all facilities available, just in case. I have come across many incidents where the women in question had complicated time during child birth and they needed specialized medical opinion and equipment at the eleventh hour.
     
  24. littlewitch66

    littlewitch66 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2017
    Messages:
    353
    Likes Received:
    184
    This was back in the 1950s when home births were more common .. it would never be allowed now. Mum said I was very distressed and passed meconium. I found this article which said that as long as a woman had a toilet and running water (and sometimes she didn't!) she could have a home delivery but I wonder how high the mortality rate was. If I had had my first baby at home I could have died along with my baby as I had placenta praevia and this was only 30 years later in the 80s. How times have changed during those years.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/h...y-didnt-which-made-giving-enemas-very-tricky/
     
  25. kaka135

    kaka135 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2017
    Messages:
    234
    Likes Received:
    121
    There are a bunch of people that I know opt for home birth. I don't know but it seems like it's becoming more known in my country, or at least I know of. Midwife was not there to help my friends, but the husband must be there. My friends' elder kids were there too. I heard from them, if you need help, the midwife can go to your house and help you out. Otherwise, you can also call her for help. My friends were able to give birth without asking the midwife to pay a visit to their house.
     
  26. kaka135

    kaka135 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2017
    Messages:
    234
    Likes Received:
    121
    A friend of mine had c-section for her first child, but second and third went through normal delivery, and she chose to home birth for her 4th child. That's why she actually encouraged me to try it, but my husband and I didn't want to take the risk at all.

    My second child went through c-section too, but it's scheduled, not emergency. My problem with my eldest was his size was too big, and my second was actually bigger than him, and I was overdue, so the doctor did not advise me to wait for normal delivery but went for c-section. I am not sure if some other doctors would still advise to opt for normal delivery, as I heard some countries do not suggest c-section no matter how. Well, I am not a mom who would like to take risk, though I really wanted to go for normal delivery, I just wanted my baby to be safe. ^_^
     
    Elsa likes this.
  27. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Indeed, no parent would want to risk the life of her baby; a parent would always want what's best for the child. Giving birth is something we should consider very wisely especially with the choice of a medical practitioner and where the baby would be delivered.
     
    kaka135 likes this.
  28. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Time does fly. Thank God He kept you and your baby safe when you had him/her. If it was back in the old days, it would have been a life-threatening situation for both you and your baby.

    I did find reports about mortality rate. From an article entitled "The Disturbing, Shameful History of Childbirth Deaths", it indicates that "...about 15 women die in pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births. That’s way too many, but a century ago it was more than 600 women per 100,000 births." You can check this link if you want more details: http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...d_maternal_mortality_in_the_20th_century.html
     
    Karina Teck and littlewitch66 like this.
  29. Elsa

    Elsa Starlight Baby Employee Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2017
    Messages:
    556
    Likes Received:
    190
    Yes, indeed. The baby and the mother's safety should be primarily considered during childbirth. If there is an experienced person who can assist the pregnant woman at home, that is fine, too, but the family should have a plan B just in case not everything turns out as planned or as expected.
     
    naruto100 likes this.
  30. iamawriter

    iamawriter Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    Messages:
    472
    Likes Received:
    118
    This is unbelievable. The husband doing the delivery is first time that I have heard about. Cute is an under statement. Their love for each other would be further strengthened with this joint activity.
     

Share This Page