Charlotte Church: babies are better when they are born at home

Huzzah! Charlotte Church is having baby number 2 at home. Apparently Charlotte has become a spokesperson for breastfeeding and homebirth since having her first baby at home last year. According to the Welsh government, homebirths in Wales have risen to 25% even though the government's target was only 10%. That's 1/4 of all births taking place at home!

Even her rugby playing partner, Gavin, was pretty jazzed with the homebirth:

“The midwife called me when the baby was just coming out and to see that was amazing. You don’t know what people are talking about unless you’ve been a part of it.

“I had so much more respect and so much more love for Charlotte after what she’d just been through. I cut the cord.

“I was just so relieved that the baby looked really healthy. I checked everything and she looked beautiful.”

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/2008/07/15/charlotte-church-opts-to-have-second-baby-at-home-91466-21339878/

Homebirths on the rise in the UK

Although homebirth happens in relatively small proportions in most 'Western' parts of the world (only 2.5% in all of the UK), it seems that giving birth comfortably at home is becoming increasingly more appealing. According to new research, in certain parts of the UK where midwife teams are strong, homebirths have shot up to 14.2% in places like West Somerset.

Alongside new legislation promising that by the end of 2009 all women in the UK will be able to choose how they give birth, including at home, there has been a greater willingness for women to explore their birth options with knowledgeable midwives. However, as fantastic as these new plans seem, there is still an increasing shortage of trained midwives (as in Australia) so the feasability of the scheme is significantly in jeopardy.

Nevertheless, in Wales alone, the government has set a target of 10% of all births to take place at home and this has increased the total homebirth rate overall in Wales over the last six years (even though actual figures are not close to 10%).

If you had one-to-one support from a qualified midwife, would you be more likely to consider giving birth at home?

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/huge-rise-in-number-of-home-births-796618.html