Why I chose to have a home birth with a midwife in Los Angeles
(And why that might not be the right choice for you)
Birth Doula in Los Angeles, Birth Alchemy Doula Collective
I’m always on the lookout for what could go wrong: I can tell when a driver ahead of me is about to consider switching lanes and I slow down before they turn their blinker on. I set multiple alarms before bed in case I happen to sleep through my first alarm- something I haven’t done since high school. I’m the only doula I know who refuses to ever turn my ringer off, even when I’m not on call. Sure, I often get awakened at 2 AM with scheduling texts or questions about the pros and cons of a SNOO, but what if someone needs me? Despite this predilection for worry, I chose to plan for a home birth with a midwife in Los Angeles.
How do I square those things, you may wonder?
Here are five important reasons I felt good about my plan to birth at home:
1. Midwives care a lot about safety.
It helps that every home birth midwife in LA that I’ve worked with over the last twenty years has had extensive medical training and years of experience, and they all share the same desire for their clients’ safety (I’ve never attended a planned Free Birth). In fact, there are a number of risk factors someone could have that a midwife would find too risky to work with at home.
Home birth midwives monitor fetal heart tones and watch for signs of infection or fetal distress. A lot of people are surprised to learn that midwives bring oxygen, IV fluids and antibiotics, suturing tools and even emergency medications that stop bleeding. They stay up to date with ongoing training that helps them skillfully manage emergencies. Often when a hospital transfer is necessary, it is because the midwife is responding to a general trend in risk factors as opposed to a sudden emergency. In my personal experience, most of the times I’ve been with a client who has transferred to the hospital from a planned home birth, it has been because of exhaustion and the desire for an epidural.
2. I felt most safe at home with a midwife.
Not everyone could feel safe and comfortable birthing at home. I’ve worked with many birthing people who couldn’t fully relax until they were settled into their labor and delivery room. I think it’s important for people to consider this when deciding where to give birth.
Given that my midwife was monitoring my baby and me and everything was progressing normally, I was able to expand my concept of safety to include what made me feel grounded and emotionally safe. I felt I was able to fully surrender to the sensations I was experiencing while surrounded only by people I loved and trusted- my favorite Labor and Delivery nurse, my sister-in-law- a professional midwife, and a dear friend who acted as a doula.
3. I wanted to have access to water in labor and birth.
With a history of debilitating period cramps, I already knew that warm water was going to be pivotal for me. I opted for a birth pool, and spent my entire active labor submerged in warm water in a state of self-hypnosis. Nature’s epidural! I’ve worked with many, many clients over the years who knew they wanted an actual epidural, in which case planning a home birth with a midwife is probably not a wise choice!
4. I wanted to feel truly supported in my desire to maintain autonomy over my body.
It was important to me that the person I was entrusting my care with during my birth didn’t just understand my values around personal autonomy but fully agreed with them. The midwifery model of care values informed consent and sees the birth giver as the ultimate decision-maker during their birth. While I’ve witnessed plenty of OBs who have deep-seated respect for birthing people, the medical model of care cannot prioritize autonomy to the same extent as the independant home birth midwife.
5. I wanted to be in my own comfortable space after birth.
My favorite part of home birth as a doula is the immediate postpartum time. After my daughter was born, I loved being able to rest in my own bed with good pillows and good food, cuddled up with my baby, uninterrupted. The sacredness of the moment was felt and held by everyone present. My child’s grandparents brought me cream of wheat- a childhood favorite- and, after my daughter nursed, we fell asleep for our first nap as our midwife quietly monitored us.
My labor could have required a change of plans, as my postpartum experience did the next day when I ended up spending the night in the postpartum ward of the nearest hospital- a story for another time. My goal all along was to respond in the moment to the best of my ability in a way that aligned with my values and to make the next best decision in the moment.
Knowing my values was the first step in making that happen, which is something we talk about throughout our in-person Transformational Childbirth Education workshops in Los Angeles.
Curious to work with our doula collective? Read more about our doula offerings here
