🩺🤱🏥🤰 "Respected birth, in hospital or at home?"

joan-na (63)Nigeriain Healthy Steem • 3 months ago

I know of people in my community who gave birth at home which to them is what life is as it is what makes them feel more comfortable and relaxed about the well-being of their child. Although while appealing to comfort home birth comes with risk which I have shared in this post.

👩‍⚕️ What are some common risks associated with home births?

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Home births are good when you have a nurse around who always checks up on your health, but while you're appealing to some comfort, you should know that home births come with a lot of risks which can vary depending on different factors like the health of the mother of the baby and other factors. Some common risks associated with home births are:

Delayed Emergency Response:
Home birth can be complicated, when there is an issue it usually takes time to transfer the newborn baby and the mother to a hospital when a critical issue arises. During such a delay, like when the woman is seriously bleeding it can take her life.

Newborn Resuscitation:
In a situation where the newborn baby needs resuscitation, the lack of advanced medical equipment and staff can pose significant risks to the life of the mother and her baby.

Postpartum Hemorrhage:
Postpartum hemorrhage is a life-threatening life something that happens due to excess bleeding after birth. There is a high risk of experiencing excess blessings. When you give birth at home, you will only have access to medication intervention in the hospital where surgical intervention can be taken immediately.

Limited Access to Medical Interventions:
At home, there may be limited or no access to interventions such as epidural anesthesia, emergency cesarean sections, or the use of vacuum extraction and forceps.

👩‍⚕️ What strategies can be employed to prepare for emergencies during a home birth?

The strategies that can be employed to prepare for an emergency during a home birth are;

Is to have the presence of a qualified and experienced healthcare worker, nurse, or midwife around.
Have access to a medical facility or hospital within a short distance.
Have a clear plan for emergency transfer in case an emergency is needed.
By continuous monitoring of the mother's and the baby's well-being through labor.

👩‍⚕️In your opinion, how can families best prepare for unexpected emergencies during a home birth?

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For families to prepare for unexpected emergencies during a home birth families need to do the following:

Family needs to be checking on the pregnant woman often.
Family needs to buy all the necessary items that would be needed during childbirth and put them in place.
The family needs to be inviting the presence of a midwife daily to come and check on the pregnant woman.
Family needs to make arrangements with the hospital should in case any emergency arises.

👩‍⚕️ Do you think there is only one solution for hospital birth to mitigate these risks?

No, I don't think hospital birth is the only solution to mitigate these risks. What hospital birth does is provide access to advanced medical facilities and immediate intervention in case any issue that arises. Arises are some alternative solutions to hospital birth.