More American women are electing to give birth at home; a trend that is especially true for white women. A
new report from the CDC states that 1 in 49 births happened outside of the hospital for white mothers, with 2/3 of these occurring at home, and while a smaller percentage, a growing number also occurred at birthing centers. The trend towards out of hospital births is still small--accounting for just 1.36% of births in 2012--but the continual growth has garnered attention, as it's the highest out of hospital birth rate since the 70s. The increase of home births is riding primarily on the pregnant shoulders of older white mothers (35+) from the Pacific Midwest (Alaska, Montana and Oregon, in particular), who choose to deliver under the care of a midwife or at a center solely dedicated to the experience of birth. Hospital deliveries were far more common among teen moms and those living in the southeastern part of the US like Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and
Mississippi, a state with higher than average teen pregnancies. The report did not delve into the reasons women are seeking to do home births. Cost may be one factor, with a hospital birth priced at $
10,000+ compared to a birth center birth priced at $2,200. Other potential reasons could be a more comfortable delivery process, distrust or dislike over hospitals, insurance or procedure, or perhaps even a gradual trend to a new more modern approach to parenting--starting from day one.
ARTICLE: LA Times
