Seeking alternatives to hospitals and doctors, some mothers decide giving birth at home is their best option. While still small in number, home births are gaining interest from women who want more control over their bodies and labor without medical intervention. The number of home births tripled from 1995 to 2005 but still accounts for less than 1 percent of births those years, according to data compiled by the nonprofit Florida Friends of Midwives. The move from hospital to home is a backlash against obstetricians who, some women and midwives say, induce labor or perform Caesarean sections unnecessarily. At the same time, celebrities such as former talk show host Ricki Lake are bringing attention to the option. As some states considered regulating midwives and home births, the American Medical Association declared earlier this year that hospitals and accredited birthing centers are the only safe places for childbirth. Dr. Jay Trabin, a Boynton Beach obstetrician, acknowledged doctors haven’t always accommodated their patients’ desires for births without medical intervention. Obstetricians face several challenges: the high cost of medical malpractice insurance, the fear of being sued and the pressure to practice efficiently in a time of low reimbursement for care. Women who choose home birth typically have low-risk pregnancies. But a pregnancy free of complications doesn’t predict what could happen during delivery, Trabin said. For example, umbilical cord prolapse has occurred in about a dozen of the 6,000 babies he’s delivered over 30 years. The complication, during which the umbilical cord emerges before the baby, requires a quick delivery. If there’s a delay, the baby can suffer brain damage. “If [a midwife] has delivered 100 babies, how can [that midwife] be prepared to handle it?” asked Trabin, an AMA member and chairman-elect of the Florida chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The AMA cites a study from Washington state showing the death rate of babies born at home is twice that of those born in hospitals.
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