Home Birth Advantages: What Made Me Choose to Stay Home

With my second pregnancy I chose to plan for a home birth—and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

I’m currently in the final weeks of pregnancy with my 3rd baby and this time we are planning another home birth!

As I prepare for the upcoming delivery I have been reflecting on the home birth advantages we experienced that convinced me to stay home!

Reduced Risk of Interventions

My preference—as long as all is healthy and normal with the pregnancy—is definitely to give birth naturally, unmedicated, with as few interventions as possible.

If you don’t even go to the hospital, it’s pretty hard for the “cascade of interventions” to start!

No wonder one of the biggest home birth advantages is that women who plan to give birth at home are much less likely to experience unnecessary interventions!

Knowing My Birth Team

As a 3rd time mom, I know just how vulnerable I am in labor and how much I have to rely on my birth team.

If you’re interested in my birth stories, you can read my first one here, and my second one here! Basically with my first I started off at a birth center and eventually transferred to the hospital.

Both at the birth center and the hospital, the constant shift changes meant I was often surrounded by new and unfamiliar faces.

Over the course of my 4 days in labor, I received different advice from everyone on how to manage it, which was confusing! It’s not their fault, but all the staff were caring for multiple patients at the same time, and that meant no one was really in tune with what was happening to me.

At home, I knew exactly who would be supporting me. Having a personal relationship with my midwives and birth team was amazing! I was given individualized attention, I felt secure, understood, and genuinely cared for.

Staying Home is Comfy!

There’s an unmatched comfort in staying in your own space during labor!

During the early stages of my home birth, I was able to take a walk at a nearby trail, raid the fridge for fun snacks we had prepared in advance, watch a show, try to sleep in my own bed and in my recliner—everything was comfortable and familiar.

Towards the end of labor, being able to control my environment—keeping the lights dim, the room quiet, and the atmosphere calm—helped me feel safe, relaxed, and in control!

I’m not one of those unicorn women who give birth painlessly—honestly the sensations were very similar at the hospital and at home—but my emotions were night and day difference and that made it all so much more manageable at home!

It was also way more comfortable for my husband! It’s common to gloss over everything husbands go through during labor, but it’s not easy for them either!

This time he didn’t have to sleep on a tiny, hard, hospital couch, but could curl up in bed right next to me after the delivery!

Skip the Car Ride!

I know I’m not the only one who hates going through contractions in the car!

During my first labor we drove through the pouring rain only to have our GPS direct us to the dumpsters at the back of the hospital!

Then there’s the whole conversation about when it’s time to leave—which can be stressful! Nobody wants to show up to the hospital too early, or too late!

It was so peaceful to stay at home and let the whole labor unfold as one continuous, sacred, and peaceful event.

I could stay in my flow, leaning on my birth team who came to me instead of me having to go to them.

There was No Timeline

At the birth center and hospital, I felt like I was on the clock.

I was the watched pot that would not boil.

There was so much pressure to progress according to the “correct” timeline, and of course, I wasn’t. This put a negative cast on my entire labor and made me feel so discouraged!

At home, we all accepted the pace of my labor and went with the flow! Everyone was positive and encouraging and were very careful about the emotions they brought into my space!

No Need to Advocate for Myself During Labor

I take a lot of ownership of my delivery and baby, and while I wouldn’t say I’m “crunchy” perse—But I do have some strong preferences for how things are managed during & after delivery.

It was such a relief that I didn’t need to advocate for myself in the middle of going through labor!

My midwives already understood my wishes clearly from our prenatal conversations. In contrast, the hospital setting left me uncertain about whether my preferences would be honored, causing unnecessary stress during an already really intense time!

Eating and Drinking Freely

I touched on this earlier, but it was so pleasant to be able to eat and drink whatever I wanted during labor and afterwards!

Very shortly after giving birth, my sister fed me chilled watermelon from our fridge—it was probably the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life after all that hard work!

The snacks were a major way that we boosted morale for my home birth. My husband took his assignment seriously and really made some fun choices!

Immediate Postpartum Care

After my baby was born, it felt absolutely amazing to shower in my own bathroom and climb into my own bed.

Even though I needed stitches, they took care of me right there in my own room while I cuddled my newborn.

It felt luxurious, peaceful, and incredibly special to have everything brought to me.

It was such a relief to sleep that night without being woken up every hour by a different nurse coming into the room!

To Sum it Up

Choosing home birth transformed my experience from feeling clinical and pressured into something profoundly personal, peaceful, and empowering!

I know home birth isn’t for everyone— but these advantages made it the perfect choice for me and my family.

If you’re considering home birth and have any questions, drop them in the comments below! I love talking about birth!