I have recently attended 2 home births with a fellow midwife for 2 low risk women in the suburbs of an indian city. I have written an article about the above for a national parenting magazine which will be coming out in October. There is a lot of fear of homebirth in this country, although it wasn't so long ago that homebirth was the norm. The government are "pushing" hospital births and the increase and rate of cesarean sections are alarming, as are medicated births. I have observed and been a "doula" in government hospitals where doctors are being trainined and they just do not see anything close to a natural birth.

I know there will be response to the homebirth issues that are being raised and wondered if you can point me to a good study or 4 on the issue , especially in the context of a busy city life where traffic can be at a standstill for hours! The editor of the magazine is keen to include references to studies that have been done on homebirths because studies and evidence can break through the fear and the myths and make home birth a safe reality for women and families that choose it as an opton.

Also if there are any short clips of natural birth that are available on the net so that people can see it...... most doctors i have spoken to are terrified not to cut an episiotomy because they have neve "not" cut one!!

Thanks a lot

Lina

If you can hang on for a bit, I want to consult with my co-author on the new edition of Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities. She is taking the lead on the home birth chapter and is working on that chapter right now. I'll ask her what she thinks are the best studies to refer you to.  In the meantime, I recommend Orgasmic Birth. It's a full length film, but even the trailer, which is on the website, has useful information. I'll ask Amy if she has any other clips she recommends. (She is more internet savvy than I.) It may take a little while because she is about to leave on a week's vacation.

-- Henci

great thanks so much! It seems to be a growing topic here. There was an article in the Hindustani Times yesterday called "Home Grown" .....

Any research, studies or free interenet clips would be a fantastic help/

Here a two large, recent studies that Amy, my co-author, recommended. This one collected data from home birth  midwives in the U.S. and Canada, and this one was done in the Netherlands. If you go to my personal website and run down the articles page, you will find links to two articles I wrote for the internet on home birth. If anyone else has any other good websites to suggest, please chime in.

-- Henci

Dear Henci,

Thanks . That's so useful, as well as for my own knowledge but for the editor of this magaine.I will pass on the links to her so that she can include it at the end of the article? That way people can look at it for themselves. People so often "react" according to own views, cultural view or family pressure so I love to look at the evidence and share it around so that people can there is a way for thinking mums and dads to make choices based on real studies and not to make decioins based in fear or pressure from others.

Thanks so much

Lina

Hot off the presses is a new study from Canada. Amy Romano blogged about it on Science & Sensibility, and there is a link in her blog to a free PDF of the study itself.

-- Henci