Preparing Birth: Benefits of Laboring at Home As Long As Possible
Complete surrender is the best labor position to be in. When you are in the comfort of your own home, you can manage pain better, and increase oxytocin levels in a stronger way!
Less disruption. Most mammals seek privacy and darkness to give birth. In this setting, there are fewer chances of disruption. An undisturbed birth represents the smoothest hormonal orchestration of the birth process and every interference can inhibit that process. These disruptions can halt the progress of labor
You are more likely to feel safe, private, and uninhibited in the comfort in your own home. This emotional state has a strong role in your mind and body connection feeling safe enough to open and birth.
Once you’re at the hospital, they probably won’t let you eat. Birth is a marathon and not a sprint. Early labor can sometimes last days. You are put on the hospital’s time clock once you’re there. Hospitals have certain parameters or “progress” they want you to make in a certain amount of time.
However, we know that sometimes even the transfer to the hospital or being in a new setting can slow down early labor and that time is still ticking on their clock while you get back into your mental labor flow.
Once active labor is well established, labor progress is less likely to slow down if there are disturbances (I.e- nurses checking in, the car ride, etc) .
If you aren’t “far along enough” triage won’t admit you to L&D and will send you home and tell you to come back. Not only does this increase the amount of disturbances, but no one wants to make multiple car trips in labor. This can also be damaging to the mother’s mental game in a perfectly normal labor progression
Laboring at home can give the mother confidence in herself without unintentionally seeking guidance from others in the power dynamic of patient - nurse/doctor/midwife at the hospital or birth center. The shorter the duration of your stay = less opportunity for unnecessary interventions .
