More women choosing home births during pandemic

A Cochrane midwife says she's noticing more pregnant women are choosing midwifery care and home births during the pandemic.

Shianna Pace is a registered midwife and the owner of Shifra Centre for Wellness. She says there was a shift when concerns about COVID19 started to surface last March. Now the clinic is at capacity, with more moms-to-be planning to deliver at home.

"It's stressful for women to navigate all the changes," said Pace. "So, when they're deciding to have a baby in their home, there's a control piece there that they know the people in their home, they know who's been there, who hasn't been there, and I think it really just comes down to a comfort level."

On its website, the Alberta Association of Midwives says typically about 25 per cent of midwifery patients in the province plan to have home births. In her clinic, Pace says it's now closer to a 50/50 split.

"One of the changes we're seeing is women opting for a home birth who maybe came into midwifery care thinking they wanted to be in the hospital," said Pace. "They started investigating home birth and making that change in their pregnancy."

Kari Jensen is a client at Shifra Centre for Wellness. She is due in two weeks and says it's an interesting time to be preparing for such an important delivery. 

"It just changes things a little bit when you have to be a little bit more conscientious and a little bit more aware of where you're going and what you're doing," said Jensen.

Home or hospital

Jensen chose to work with midwives and is planning for a home birth. While she would prefer to deliver at home, she says she is also prepared to move to the hospital if needed. 

"Our birth plan is to have him at home, and everything suggests that we will be able to do that," said Jensen. "But if for some reason we had to change that plan and had to go to Foothills or the Rocky View, that is completely within something that I'm comfortable with."

Pace works regularly in the hospitals and says they are completely safe. For some women that is the only choice, as home births are reserved for women having healthy, low-risk pregnancies. She says for those who can deliver at home, there are many benefits.

"Often, we see less interventions at home, we're able to use different ways to cope with pain, often their stress levels are lower when they're in their own homes," said Pace. "And when they're comfortable, women produce high levels of endorphins which help with pain. It comes down to feeling safe and relaxed."

She says midwives book their clients nine months in advance. Expectant mothers who wish to have midwifery care should make the call as soon as they find out they are pregnant, to save their spot.