Wednesday, May 22, 2013
News
Charlotte Moms Ditch Hospitals For Home Births
by Kate Bruce
CHARLOTTE, NC - Charlotte moms are ditching the hospital in favor of home births. A new study by the University of Oxford suggests it could be safe and cheaper alternative for women who already have children.
Amanda Boda gave birth to her daughter Layne in her Matthews home just five months ago, “Compared to my first birth, I had to be hooked up to a fetal monitor constantly and that was very uncomfortable.”
Hospitals are no longer the only foreseeable option for mothers in the Queen City. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, home births in North Carolina rose by 32% over five years.
Lisa Johnson is a licensed midwife with Carolina Community Maternity Care. She says many of their clients don’t have health coverage and home births are a more cost-effective option, “Clients will save at least 50%.”
But it’s not just about money. Amanda Boda says being able to be in the comfort of your own home after giving birth was rewarding, “home is healing environment.”
Certified professional midwives are not legally recognized in North Carolina. Still local mothers are finding ways around this obstacle.
Many mothers from Charlotte are going to South Carolina to birth centers so they can have the in home experience. Johnson says the Charlotte cliental is growing, "75% of our cliental comes from the Charlotte area.”
Dr. Amy Tuteur is an OBGYN. She says home births come with more risks, “There have been four documented deaths; North Carolina has a home death rate that in ten times higher than the CDC statistics for a hospital setting, that’s 900% higher, that’s a scandal.”
Regardless local mothers say that child birth should ultimately be their decision. Boda says, "It’s part of our personal freedom, of having the option to birth where we want and with who we want."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the number of women giving birth at home has steadily increased every year for the past ten years.
For more information on home births visit the CDC website.
