Birth is said to be magical. A new life is entering the world. Yet the reality is birth can be painful, long, and exhausting. I don’t know this from personal experience, but plenty of mothers describe it as such.
The other hard reality is that for Black women, giving birth can be a scary and life-threatening act. One reason is the mortality rate for Black women giving birth is almost three times higher than for white women.
Besides the higher risk of death, Black women are often mistreated during their hospital stays. As a result, more Black women are choosing to have home births.
The rising trend of home births raises many questions. Should more women consider them? Are they accessible to everyone? Let’s get into it.
Why are Black women considering home births over hospital births?
According to a post from the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, home births reached their highest level in 30 years in 2023. In 2016, the number was 29,592, which jumped to 46,918 in 2023.
With the increase in home births, Black American women have been helping the movement grow. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Black women giving birth increased by 36% between 2019 and 2020.
Now, don’t let these numbers fool you into thinking there aren’t any risks when it comes to home birth. In fact, Healthline stated in their article that the risks can depend on whether you have a high-risk or low-risk pregnancy. In other words, if you have a high risk of complications, home birth could pose more challenges. If you have a low risk of complications, then a home birth can make all the difference.
Yet, despite potential risks, many Black women are choosing to give birth outside of the hospital. With a higher chance of mistreatment, Black women are choosing to give birth on their terms.
Mistreatment can come in many different forms. Hispanic and Black women have reported being scolded at, yelled at, ignored, and overall disrespected. No one needs this type of maltreatment while trying to push out a seven-pound baby.
Asia Dessert, a mother who gave birth at home, told National Geographic, “Had I been in a hospital, I would not have been so relaxed.” Dessert says, “The focus here was on me and my son, rather than having to acclimate myself to people I don’t know, with lighting and temperature out of my control.”Â
You can see why Black women are staying away from the hospital. At the end of the day, hospitals are like businesses. Sometimes, patients are treated more like customers than people who need care and empathy. Perhaps this is why home births are so special. Birthing people can feel calm and respected and feel like people.
What do home births entail?
One of the most significant factors in a home birth is the role of a birthing professional. These professionals carry titles such as:
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM).
- Certified professional midwife (CPM) or other direct-entry midwife.
- Midwife whose education and licensure meet international standards.
- Naturopathic or medical doctor who practices obstetrics.
While some hospitals provide midwife assistance, having an in-home midwife can add extra support and comfort. The added layer of care and attention comes from a midwife who can meet the needs of the birthing person rather than simply following protocol.
Midwives often spend a great deal of time with the person giving birth. They are there to answer lengthy questions, respect the autonomy of the birthing person, and make the birthing experience as peaceful as possible.
Many women who have given birth at home have mentioned that working with a midwife has helped them feel more confident about the birthing process. It’s also allowed them to plan out how they want to give birth, and there isn’t a big reliance on medication.
The level of intimacy and comfort is a great reason to opt for a home birth. Also, with many at-home birthing plans, there is an option to start the process at home and continue the delivery in a hospital. Yet the reality is that it’s not accessible to everyone.
The average cost of a home birth is $4,650. Most insurances only cover part of the cost, and Medicaid only covers home births in a limited number of states. Some organizations, such as the Victoria Project, help with the financial costs. However, home births are an expensive process. Still, they can offer better peace of mind and improve the safety of the child and the birthing person.Â
This article reminds me of a funny line from a TV show I can’t remember the name of. The woman was pregnant, and when it was time to go to the hospital, she didn’t rush. Instead, she took her time and said, “Women have been crouching down in fields giving birth for hundreds of years.”
This line made me chuckle, but it has some truth to it. Of course, we have hospitals because they can be cleaner than a field and support birthing people in multiple ways. Yet there’s something natural and right about home births. Thinking back to enslaved times, Black women were midwives to other enslaved women as well as white women.
Home births allow medical professionals to provide care and open space for the birthing person to receive care from their community. Something seems right about that.
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