Should You Switch to Home Birth During the Coronavirus Outbreak?

“With the serious outbreak of COVID-19, should I change to a Home Birth instead of going to the hospital?”

Childbirth at home has gained a lot of attention over the past few years and the recent outbreak of coronavirus has certainly brought more awareness to home birthing options. With social distancing going on, you may be worried about if it’s safe anymore to deliver your baby at the hospital. Here, we will uncover how to make the right choice for you and your baby from experts’ opinions.

Is Home Birth Safe?

Homebirth is only recommended for those who have been assessed to have “low-risk pregnancies.”

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), home births should be restricted to mums who meet all the following criteria:

• Carrying only one baby, no multiples
• Delivery between 37 weeks and 41 weeks of pregnancy
• Your baby is in a correct position for vaginal delivery
• If your labor started at home

Indeed, home birthing can be dangerous to practice especially if complications arose during your labor and you were unable to receive proper medical assistance on the spot. It will also serve as a major risk if you are unable to reach the hospital in time when your body and baby are in a dangerous state. You should definitely consult your practitioner before you decide to deliver your baby at home.

Benefits for Having a Home Birth

Even though it’s not always safe to perform home birth, some mums still consider home birthing appealing with the benefits listed below:

• No medical intervention, such as applying pain killers, labor induction, vitals monitoring
• Be in a comfortable, familiar environment surrounded by family
• You don’t have to be separated from your partner
• Lower medical costs

How to Plan for a Home Birth?

If you are considering a home birth, you can start preparing by:

• Picking a certified and experienced midwife or doula to assist you through the whole process
• Creating a birth plan that includes where in the house you want to deliver your baby, the supplies you need, pain relief methods, breastfeeding plans, etc.
• Checking with your local hospital in case you need to transfer to a hospital. You should consult your practitioner about the symptoms or complications that may be too risky to handle in a home setting. You should check the distance to your closest hospital and book an appointment in case an emergency occurs and calls for a change of plan.
• Laying out plans for postpartum care to make sure that your baby and your body will be checked professionally by a midwife or doctor. Make sure that they offer tests for the newborn and vaccinations.

Should I Switch to Home Birth Due to COVID-19?

It is not necessary to switch to home birth for the COVID-19 outbreak. Both ACOG and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have emphasized that they believe that medical centers are still the safest option for mums and babies for the reasons below.

You’d already be in the best place to receive care if a complication arises during your labor. 

Every labor experience is hard to predict. Even for low-risk pregnancies, healthy women can still encounter serious complications that require emergency medical treatment. Getting to the hospital in the middle of your labor can already be challenging with the traffic out of your control and even more so when ambulances and transportation resources are exhausted by the coronavirus outbreak. You will also go straight to the emergency room which can put you in close proximity to potentially infected patients if you rush to the hospital in the middle of your labor.

You’re unlikely going to be in contact with people who are infected with COVID-19.

Obstetrics and gynecology are usually on a different floor than the emergency room and places where potentially infected patients would be. The chances of being exposed to the coronavirus may be lower than you think.

*TAKEAWAY MESSAGE: Most experts agree that the risks of delivering your child at home are greater than the risk of delivering at the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you still consider home birthing the best option for you, make sure to go through your plan with your doctor and prepare everything you need in advance.