Home Birth? Oh, you're one of those...

During the home birth we lit a candle. The alter was placed beside the pool where we were having the baby. As the labor neared the end, the chanting increased. The midwife summoned the spirits and sacrificed the lamb.

Seriously - the looks that I receive when I explain that we have out children at home always amazes me. None of the above is true. That is a cult. There are, to be fair, a large amount of people that accept the concept but have the "it's not for me" attitude. There is nothing wrong with that feeling. It is a real feeling to be uneasy or unsure about things you are unfamiliar with or uneducated on. 

Home birth, is just that a birth at home. There are several available options available and no weird rituals need to take place. The people whom tend the birth are highly trained, with lots of experience. The Midwife, or professional overseeing the birth, supports from a distance while the natural event happens. Please note that I am not opposed to a hospital. Everything has its place and even home births can be halted and transported to a hospital if things are not going problem free. There is no rushing around at home. You can birth in any almost any position that is comfortable. As a father - the best part was actually being able to comfort my wife and most importantly catching the baby.

Aside from sending lots of pro statistics your way I propose this: Consider that birth is not a condition to be treated where a body does know what to do. I challenge you to research the case. If you want a good show to watch you could watch the Business of Being Born. It is bias towards home birth but is very interesting. In addition I am always open to responding to comments or emails.

God Bless - Joe