Born @home
Having a baby in the comfort of one’s own home is something many women are now considering. Experts discuss the option
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning a home birth for their second baby. That news has suddenly turned the spotlight on home births. What exactly is a home birth? And is it a particularly apt option at this time when COVID-19 is spreading aggressively?
Though women have been giving birth at home long before hospitals existed, today it is an all-but forgotten concept. The vast majority of babies are born in hospitals. But the pandemic seems to be changing things around again.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid delivered daughter Khai at home with the help of a midwife and boyfriend Zayn Malik, mom Yolanda Hadid and sister Bella Hadid.
Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter gave birth to her third child on the floor of her bathroom in March 2021. Kailyn Lowry, the Teen Mom 2 star welcomed her fourth child, the second son with Chris Lopez, at home in July 2020.
Supermodel Cindy Crawford, posted a throwback photo on Instagram in March 2020 of her home birthing. “This is a challenging time for all of us, but my heart especially goes out to expecting mothers and their partners. As COVID-19 cases rise and birth policies at hospitals are changing every day, many women are curious about #homebirth. Questions welcome,” she wrote. Will there be no doctors involved? Is it safe? These are only two of the many FAQs about home births.
“A planned home birth means you will give birth at home instead of a hospital or a birthing centre. You will still need assistance from someone experienced and qualified during labour and delivery, such as a certified nurse, midwife or a doctor who practices obstetrics,” explains Dr. Bhagya Lakshmi, Senior Gynaecologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon, Yashoda Hospitals.
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A planned home birth means you will give birth at home instead of a hospital or a birthing centre. You will still need assistance during labour and delivery, from an experienced and certified nurse, midwife or a doctor who practices obstetrics
— DR BHAGYA LAKSHMI, Senior Gynaecologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon