The Heart and Science of Homebirth

Midwifery Today Books, 1999. 46 pages comb-bound.

Code: HBA $25 ORDER

Homebirth is a safe and viable option for many women. Indeed, in many situations, homebirth is more likely than hospital birth to result in a complication-free and satisfactory birth experience. As midwives and birth professionals we’ve known this in our hearts for many years, but it has taken decades of research and activism to demonstrate this scientifically. Marsden Wagner has said many times, "Research is on the side of midwives." Rahima Baldwin Dancy calls homebirth "the standard of care." Now, Midwifery Today offers a unique tool to midwives, childbirth educators, parents, indeed anyone who has an interest in promoting homebirth as a positive birth choice.

The Heart and Science of Homebirth is a compelling combination of the heart of homebirth—the emotional and social reasons homebirth is desirable, and the science of homebirth—the research which has consistently found homebirth to be every bit as safe, and in some cases more so, as hospital birth. Over 90 citations of specific journal articles, discussion papers, books and studies form the backbone of the book. Abstracts and analyses of research from around the world build a rock-solid case for homebirth practitioners.

This is a book that is ideal in length and presentation to give to doctors, legislators, grandparents, anyone who questions the safety of homebirth. The presentation is clean and professional; the content is persuasive and inspiring.

Contents

• The Case for Homebirth
• A Look at the Video Giving Birth: Challenges and Choices
• Women’s Decision-making Around Homebirth
• Homebirth is Safe Says the Establishment
• Meta-Analysis of the Safety of Homebirth
• Homebirth as the Standard of Care
• Protector of the Normal Birth Process
• Remembering Why We Are Midwives
• The Healing Art of Listening
• A Grand Triumph
• Faith or Fear?
• Love That Protects
• Giving Voice to Wisdom
• The Language of Love
• The Pain of Labor
• The Instinct of Birth
• Homebirth: What are the Issues?
• The Safety of Homebirth: Annotated References
• Additional References on Homebirth
• Book List
• The Facts on Homebirth
• Research and Discussion Papers

Please see the article, The Homebirth Choice, which is specifically aimed at parents considering homebirth.

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