Today the Centers for Health Statistics at the CDC released data on the trends in home births and birth centers from 1990-2006. Considering some of the recent releases about increasing trends in prematurity and cesarean rates, it was nice to see that home and other out of hospital births are on the rise for low risk women. Here are some of the findings from the study:
- Out of hospital birth comprised about 1% of all births. Two thirds of these births were at home and about a third at birth centers.
- Home births increased by 5% in 2005 and stayed the same in 2006.
- Home births were less likely to have preterm births and multiples. (Planned and unplanned are included in the data.)
- 61% of the home births were attended by midwives, which is up from 43% in 1990.
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) births may be under reported, in all births, because of how these births are coded.
While many will be tempted to say that this increase is due to the efforts of The Business of Being Born and The Big Push for Midwives, these were not yet available for the years when this data was compounded. I think that when we see the influence that they have had in the years since their campaigns began we will see the numbers of home births and birth center births rise even more for low risk women.
Home birth is certainly not for every woman. It is best for low risk women who have skilled care providers, though many women who would like to have home births are not able to find these care providers due to licensing issues in their states, though home birth is legal in all 50 states. The Big Push for Midwives is working tirelessly to see to it that this happens for every woman who would like it.
Related:
- Questions About Home Birth
- Is home birth safe?
- How to Choose a Birth Center
- Home Birth Birth Stories
- Birth Center Birth Stories
- Home Birth Supply List
- Unassisted Birth
- The Big Push for Midwives
- My Best Birth - Community & Book Information from Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein
Source:
MacDorman M, Menacker F, Declercq E. Trends and characteristics of home and other out-of-hospital births in the United States, 1990-2006. National vital statistics reports; vol 58 no 11. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2010.
Cara Muhlhahn, Certified Nurse Midwife (left) with Mayra and David Radzinski. Photo Credit: Paulo Netto.
All women here in The UK are entitled to a home birth now, an NHS midwife must attend and it is illegal for them to deny a woman her birth of choice. NHS midwives are becoming increasingly more supportive and many are water birthed trained, so a lot of UK home birth ladies hire or buy a birth pool.
I hope The Big Push for Midwives achieves it’s set goals. All women should have the birth they want!
Thanks, Robin and Laura, for your vote of confidence in The Big Push, which is working with consumer activists in many states to secure legislation that, by licensing and regulating midwives, will give women more options for out-of-hospital birth. We have some recent good news to share. First, attempts by home birth opponents in Mississippi to criminalize midwifery practice by anyone other than a nurse-midwife met a resounding defeat last week after the Big Push helped consumers in that state to get organized. The bill’s sponsor gave up his efforts, claiming he had never seen such a “ruckus” stirred up over a bill. And, meanwhile, in Wyoming, legislation to license certified professional midwives has passed both houses of the legislature and now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign. Wyoming will be the 27th State to legalize CPMs, putting us more than half-way to our goal of legal CPMs in all 50 states, the District of Colunmia, and Puerto Rico.
We invite all your readers to come check out our website http://www.thebigpushformidwives.org and sign up for PushAlerts, or our facebook page.
Thanks for introducing me to The Big Push for Midwives. What a great organization! I am looking forward to my second homebirth with a CPM. Having my firstborn at home was life changing. The intimacy, the struggle, the strength it took to dig down and find the strength to finish gave me a confidence in motherhood I rely on today. I’m glad more moms are getting to experience it!
I also just learned about The Big Push for the first time. There’s great work being done for this worthy cause.
I never understood why more people don’t choose a home birth. We spend our entire lives hoping to stay out of hospitals… what better place to bring your child into the world than a warm and loving home.