Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Uld you about e birth? with recent royal tradition
ter Jazz, now 10, in 2009 says it was “the most erful experience”. She said: s my first pregnancy and it credible. The labour lasted ree hours.
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ave birth in my living room, most calming, serene envient imaginable. erwards, I felt really rful. It was such a positive ence. I would recommend
OPTIONS a home birth to any expectant mum who doesn’t have complications.” Nissa, of East London, had the same NHS midwife throughout her pregnancy.
“It helped me feel really well supported, safe and secure,” she said. “It was a very intense birth, but overwhelmingly positive.”
Cathy Finlay, 61 – who has worked as an antenatal practitioner for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) for more than 20 years – says it is important for
TRAGIC women to be informed of all the options and to decide what is right for them.
She said: “The largest ever birth study done in the UK, showed having a home birth is a good option for anyone who has a straightforward pregnancy.
“But there is a slightly higher chance of something going wrong for a first-time mother having a baby at home.
“So, for any woman, it is down to what she feels is right for her and her family. I know lots of women who have had successful home births. One of the main benefits is that a woman giving birth at home is less likely to have intervention in the sense of a caesarean or assisted birth.”
For women experiencing anxiety as they approach their home birth, they can employ a doula – an experienced birth coach who will be with you during delivery. Cathy said: “We train doulas at the NCT. They are usually women who have had babies themselves, and who have experience and training.
“They are there for the woman and her partner. They will get to know you and be there for the whole birth.
“It provides a continuity of care not always available within the normal system.”