Why Home Birth
Image credit: Ruthson Zimmerman
Statistics
In New Zealand, around 3.5% of births are home births. In certain regions, such as the West Coast of the South Island, the rate of home births is at a much higher rate of around 12.5%.
Benefits
There are physical, emotional, political and personal benefits to birthing your baby at home. The statistics indicate that home birth is a safe and positive choice for low risk pregnancies.
Image credit: Capturing Life Photography
Image credit: Kelly Dorgan
NZ Maternity System
The Maternity system in New Zealand is based on the concept of having a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) who coordinates your maternity care in a partnership with you, they are contracted through Te Whatu Ora.
Cascade of Intervention
There is a high chance that one medical intervention thought to be harmless, will begin a domino effect and lead to another one, with many of these interventions often being unnecessary.
