Am I Too Young, Old, or Inexperienced with Birth to Homebirth?

Young mothers are at a higher risk of having a small baby or pelvis, though when these two occur together it is not likely to be a problem unless the child's birth weight is under 5lbs. They are more likely to be afflicted with preeclampsia, anemia, and urinary tract infections. Preterm labor is more common, but that is no reason to plan not to homebirth. Good prenatal care can detect preeclampsia, anemia, infections, fetal weight, and other circumstances long before labor. If there are no signs of complication then there is no cause for alarm.

Despite these pregnancy hardships, births for young mothers result in less morbidity for the woman and child, are less likely to be assisted with forceps or result in C-section, and generally have less complications over all especially for mothers under 15 (who tend to have short labors). When a teenager delivers a second child, there is a higher risk of stillbirth, so some may wish to birth in the hospital. As long as the mother is not laboring before 35 weeks, she should still be fine birthing at home even if she is young.

Older mothers are more likely to experience complications such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes (usually caused by preexisting conditions), but they give birth at home safely and beautifully all the time. They are more likely to have used fertility drugs which increases their chances of multiples. Placenta previa is more common but usually can be detected prior to labor, so if a woman shows no signs of this or other complications such as gestational diabetes, she should still be able to birth at home. Genetic disordes are more common in older women but that does not require medical intervention.

Advanced maternal age labors end in C-section and other interventions more often, which is actually a good reason to plan a homebirth! Older mothers are at a higher risk of breech babies, but that does not mean hospital assistance is crucial. Postpartum hemorrhage and placenta abruption may be more likely, but midwives are equipped to treat that. Fetal distress occurs no more often in older women, and their babies are usually just as healthy as anyone else's. As long as they are not expecting a high number of multiples, and their infant seems healthy, a homebirth is a valid option.

Some women are told that because they are delivering their first baby, they should deliver in the hospital. Women having their first child are not accustomed to birth and do not know what to expect, so some assume they are better off birthing in a clinical environment. First labors usually last longer, which puts a mother at risk of becoming fatigued (especially if there are other health factors involved), wanting pain medication, or needing to transfer to the hospital for slow progress.

A long or slow labor is not an emergency situation. A mother's body does the bulk of the birth work, hence the reason it's called labor. All the mother has to do is endure it and then push when she has the urge. There are many methods of relieving pain at home and helping the mother keep her strength up. Having your first baby is not a reason to birth in the hospital unless you feel more comfortable there.

Mothers are sometimes told that because they have had too many children, they should birth in a hospital. On the contrary, a woman with many births under her belt is an even better candidate. She knows what to expect from her past deliveries and is highly prepared. She knows what complications are likely to occur and has a better idea of what an emergency situation would be. Having many pregnancies and deliveries that resulted in poor outcomes, however, may be an indication that hospital birth is a wiser choice.

Your age has very little to do with your ability to birth vaginally and deliver safely at home. Your overall health and the standard of care you received during your pregnancy have much more to do with this. While being young or old puts you at risk of several pregnancy complications, which a skilled midwife can usually handle. Having had many or zero prior pregnancies puts you at no higher risk than anyone else, unless your past pregnancies and deliveries have been complicated. If you are healthy, or even if you have a complication that is being managed, there is no reason why your age should hold you back from having a gentle, comfortable, safe birth in your own home. Whether you are a first time mother or a veteran birther, young or old, homebirth is a viable option.

Angela Horn, "You can't have a homebirth, because..." Home Birth Reference. URL: http://www.homebirth.org.uk/