Running head: BIRTH LOCATION

Choosing the Best Birth Location

Melissa Winn

Brigham Young University-Idaho

Sister Barnhill

Nursing 410

November 19, 2018

Choosing the Best Birth Location

There are many important decisions that need to be made when a woman becomes

pregnant. The mother must choose whether she will breastfeed or bottle feed. If the baby is a

boy, the mother needs to decide whether the child will be circumcised or not. Another critical

decision that needs to be made is where the mother wants to give birth. There are many options

available to the mother, such as giving birth in a hospital, a birthing center, or even giving birth

at home. Each option comes with their own benefits, as well as their own risks. It can be a

difficult decision, but ultimately is a very important one that the mother must make.

A large number of factors come into play in determining the mothers birth experience,

but one of the most important factors is the environment. The environment in which the woman

gives birth greatly contributes to whether she views the experience as being positive or negative

(Perry et al., 2018). The entire birthing process can be very stressful and uncomfortable. It can

even be exhausting, especially for many first time mothers that may be in labor for multiple

hours. Surveys were sent to mothers eight days postpartum, and results found that mothers

responded well to a “homely” birth environment (Symon, Dugard, Butchart, Carr & Paul, 2011).

When the mother feels comfortable in the environment that she is giving birth in, she is able to

feel more in control, and overall she is better able to enjoy the experience.

There are many benefits associated with giving birth in a hospital. For example, if there

are complications associated with the delivery, medical equipment and personnel are readily

available to help the mother. In addition, if the infant is having a difficult time with things such

as breathing, most hospitals have a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) available in order to help

stabilize the infant. However, there are also many risks that come into play with a hospital birth.

Admission to the hospital greatly increases an individual’s chances of developing a hospital

acquired infection (HAI). There is also the potential of infants being mixed up and given to the

wrong family. Although these are risks that a pregnant mother must consider, there are instances

when doctors advise the patient to give birth in a hospital. Mothers that develop pre-eclampsia

or go into preterm labor should be under careful monitoring, which should be done in the

hospital setting.

Home births are also associated with their own unique benefits and risks. When the

mother gives birth at home she is already comfortable with her environment. She is not in a

strange room that is full of beeping and weird smells. Since she is in her own home, she is better

able to relax and be comfortable. The mothers increased comfort helps to increase her birth

experience. Home birth is also associated with decreased healthcare costs. On average, there are

savings of $2,338, compared to hospital births (Janssen, Mitton & Aghajanian, 2015). This

significant amount of savings can help contribute to the mother’s level of comfort and ability to

relax. Giving birth at home also increases bonding, not only between the mother and the infant,

but as well as between the infant and the father. When an infant is born in the hospital, they

must be taken away for things such as shots and their hearing test. However, when a mother

gives birth at home, there is no separation between the mother and the infant. Bonding is able to

occur during the first hours of life, without interruption.

Even though there are many benefits to giving birth at home, there are still a handful of

associated risks. There may be unexpected complications with the mother or the baby. When

such risks occur, the mother and baby must be transported to the hospital, which takes valuable

time. Although this time could be saved if the mother and infant were already at the hospital,

research has found that the risk of hemorrhage and infant death does not increase between a

home and a hospital birth (Nove, Berrington & Matthews, 2012). Unless there are known
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complications and the mother should give birth at the hospital, under supervision of a trained

professional, it is completely safe and very beneficial for the mother to give birth at home.

Ultimately it is up to the mother to choose the option that is best suited for her. As a

nurse, it is important to teach he mother to choose the environment in which she will feel the

most comfortable. The decision of where to give birth can be very difficult for some mothers,

and it is important that the nurse informs the mother that neither decision is wrong. Both birthing

options are good options. However, if one option makes the mother feel more comfortable and

will help her to relax and be at more ease, than that is the better option for that particular mother.

Each individual is different, and they each must find what will work the best for them.
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References

Janssen, P. A., Mitton, C. & Aghajanian, J. (2015). Costs of planned home vs. hospital birth in

British Columbia attended by registered midwives and physicians. PLOS One 10(7).

Nove, A., Berrington, A. & Matthews, Z. (2012). Comparing the odds of postpartum

haemorrhage in planned home birth against planned hospital birth: Results of an

observational study of over 500,000 maternities in the UK. BMC Pregnancy and

Childbirth 12(1).

Perry, S. E., Lowdermilk, D. L., Cashion, K., Alden, K. R., Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D. &

Rodgers, C. C (2018). Maternal child nursing care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

Symon, A. G., Dugard, P., Butchart, M., Carr, V. & Paul, J. (2011). Care end environment in

midwife-led and obstetric-led units: A comparison of mothers’ and birth partners’

perceptions. Midwifery 27(6), 880-886.