Staying Home to Give Birth: Why Women in the US Choose Home Birth

My baby has arrived! Not the literal one--it's a bit early for that--but the article I co-authored has been published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health. I can't pull up the full text via my university subscription yet, but I should be able to access it fairly soon. Email me if you'd like to read it!

Here is the abstract of Staying Home to Give Birth: Why Women in the United States Choose Home Birth:

"Staying Home to Give Birth: Why Women in the US Choose Home Birth." Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health Volume 54, Issue 2, Pages 119-126 (March 2009).

Debora Boucher, CNM, Catherine Bennett, RNC, BSN, Barbara McFarlin, CNM, PhD, RDMS, Rixa Freeze, PhD, MA

Approximately 1% of American women give birth at home and face substantial obstacles when they make this choice. This study describes the reasons that women in the United States choose home birth. A qualitative descriptive secondary analysis was conducted in a previously collected dataset obtained via an online survey. The sample consisted of 160 women who were US residents and planned a home birth at least once. Content analysis was used to study the responses from women to one essay question: “Why did you choose home birth?” Women who participated in the study were mostly married (91%) and white (87%). The majority (62%) had a college education. Our analysis revealed 508 separate statements about why these women chose home birth. Responses were coded and categorized into 26 common themes. The most common reasons given for wanting to birth at home were: 1) safety (n = 38); 2) avoidance of unnecessary medical interventions common in hospital births (n = 38); 3) previous negative hospital experience (n = 37); 4) more control (n = 35); and 5) comfortable, familiar environment (n = 30). Another dominant theme was women's trust in the birth process (n = 25). Women equated medical intervention with reduced safety and trusted their bodies' inherent ability to give birth without interference.