How to Prepare for the Potential of a Hospital Transport When you are Planning a Home Birth
We all know that birth is unpredictable, that every birth is different, and that nothing is guaranteed. Yet, when you’ve done all the work of preparing for a home birth for months, have configured your ideal team, organized all of your birth supplies and readied the home, and fantasized about how the day might unfold; it’s hard to accept that something different might be in the cards. Home birth is a wonderful option for low-risk pregnancies, but sometimes complications arise that make hospital birth a safer option.
Birth Is Unpredictable
First, let’s talk about the stats: Most midwives in the Bay Area home birth community have a transport rate of around 10% - 20%. Most of these hospital transports are non-emergent but are because labor has unfolded slowly over several days/nights, and there is a desire for pain relief and therapeutic rest.
Potential Reasons for a Hospital Transport
Other non-emergent reasons for hospital transport include high blood pressure, preterm labor before 37 weeks gestation, post-term pregnancy after 42 weeks, and signs of infection.
In very rare cases, emergencies occur in labor or in the immediate postpartum. Some examples include: concerning fetal heart tones, excessive bleeding, or newborn respiratory challenges.
In my view, knowledge is power, and the best way to prepare for a home birth is to include some preparation for hospital transport. Since birth is so unpredictable, it’s important to try and stay flexible and open to meeting whatever unfolds, without expectation. Here are some tips for considering the potential of hospital transport while preparing for home birth:
Research the hospitals in your area
In the case of non-emergent transport, you don’t necessarily need to go to the nearest hospital. We are lucky in the Bay Area to have a range of hospital choices, some more home birth supportive and midwife-friendly than others. You may even want to tour the hospital of your preference, to get familiar with how it looks and feels to be there. (In an emergency, you would be taken to the nearest hospital).
Empowered decision-making and informed choice make all the difference
People tend to feel most positive about their birth experiences when they feel they were informed and making decisions about their care along the way. This is true regardless of birth location. Conversely, people are more prone to consider their birth experience traumatic or to have postpartum depression/anxiety when they felt they were being pushed, had information withheld, or otherwise did not feel in charge of their own experience.
Make a hospital birth plan
It can be helpful to have a one-pager to give to hospital staff in the case of transport. This plan would look quite different than your home birth plan, and it’s important to remember that if you end up needing to be in the hospital it’s because they have tools available that aren’t available at home, and some of those tools are needed. A hospital birth plan should include the basics, like preferences for pain medications, cord clamping, newborn medications, and anything else that feels important to communicate to your care team.
Pack a Hospital Bag
Even though you're planning a home birth, it's wise to prepare a hospital bag well in advance. Include essentials like comfortable clothing for you and your partner, toiletries, important documents (ID, insurance information, and medical records), snacks, and any personal items that will help you feel at ease in a hospital setting. By having this bag ready to go, you'll eliminate stress if hospital transport becomes necessary.
Ready to prepare for your home birth? Reach out to a midwife in Berkeley, CA today.
Labor is all about surrendering. All you can do is prepare as best you can, and the rest will unfold as it will. Your Midwife will be with you every step of the way!
Begin your birthing journey.
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