Every time I see an article or other journalistic piece highlighting home-birth and birth options I get very excited. It's an awesome way for women who might otherwise never have known that the option of home-birth was available to them to learn more about it and start to investigate their options!
A recent article that appeared on The Washington Post website was one of these stories. The piece highlights home-birth as an increasingly popular option for women, despite disagreement from the medical establishment regarding it's safety. (A topic that deserves chapters worth of posts all on it's own.) The piece indicates that many women have had unsatisfying birth experiences and interventions in the hospital- some even traumatic - and these women are some of those leading this birth-space revolution. The article highlights some terminology and facts about home-birth including lay midwives, some statistics regarding the safety of and overall numbers about home-birth. Overall, the article provides very basic information about this particular option.
It seems to fall short though when it comes to describing stereotypes surrounding the movement toward birth options. Th author uses quotes from home-birthing moms including this one, which portrays those involved in and choosing this option as mostly fringe: “It was never on my radar, until we couldn’t afford otherwise,” she said. “I’m granola, but not that granola.” and this piece of the quote which makes home birth seem like just a cheap alternative: "It cost us $3,300, as opposed to over $10,000 in a hospital." It is also interesting that the author chooses to highlight where her interviewee gave birth, rather than comments about her labor and overall birth experience: “They were both born over the toilet,” she said. “It was a nice position. It’s a way that we’re used to pushing.” (article of origin here) Although the author seems be trying to portray the normalization of home-birth in the United States, her use of these quotes could cause some readers to feel appalled by it rather than see the beauty of it for moms, babies, and families.
To the author's credibility though, she does cite the study published in the British Medical Journal in 2005 which gives very strong evidence of the safety and positive outcome of home-birth in the U.S. and Canada.
This is a great article with some very valuable information and kind of a jumping off point for moms (and dads!) interested in researching this their own birth options. It would be neat to see one like this though that does not add journalistic flair through particular sections of quotes. There is a long way to go to normalizing home-birth in the United States, and changing attitudes, educating moms and families, and eliminating stereotypes (“I’m granola, but not that granola.") are all part of the process. One out of three for this article isn't too bad.
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