Is a Home Birth Messy?
More people are choosing natural birthing options, leading to a rise in home births. Similar to the birth center experience, a home birth allows mothers to bring their babies into the world in a safe and familiar environment.
Many mothers choose home birth because they feel more comfortable and relaxed in their own environment. The familiarity of home reduces anxiety about the uncertainties of a hospital or birthing suite. While planned home births are associated with benefits such as reduced complications and lower stress levels, some parents might have some concern about the mess it might cause.
Are Home Births Messy?
The idea of having to clean up the mess may deter some parents from opting for a home birth. But the mess isn’t as problematic as one may think. If you do your research or hire a professional home birth provider to help you out, there is no reason to worry.
The birthing process involves bodily fluids, but they are more manageable than you might expect. Most professionals provide a birthing kit with essentials to keep everything under control. These include:
- Absorbent pads to lay on bedding and carpets to catch fluids
- Protective plastic to lay on the areas that we want to prevent fluids from getting onto
- Thick towels
- Hydrogen peroxide to get blood out of bedding or carpets
Your home birth team will be well-equipped to handle the little mess that births may cause and will help clean up after delivery. So to answer the question, home births may be a little messy, but if you’re well-prepared it’s nothing you can’t handle!
What Actually Happens During a Home Birth?
The first step to home birth is preparing for it! Make sure you have your bed linen swapped with something clean, but easy to get stains out of. Line it with absorbent pads, especially in the areas that you will lie in. Then line the floors or carpets with plastic to prevent fluids from getting onto them. Make sure you have plenty of towels around.
Your midwife and your birthing team will help you with the preparation.
After that, you relax and enjoy the birthing experience in the comfort of your home! You can labor in your bathtub if you want and then move to the bed for the delivery. Or walk around your room, enjoy a light snack, or do whatever you want! Being at home for birth gives you plenty of freedom.
Once you welcome your baby into the world, your midwife and your birth team will assist with the clean-up and help ensure you have a clean space to rest in. Most of the time your midwifery team will take care of the trash and start the laundry, to make resting and spending time with your baby your top priority.
So if you’re considering a home birth but holding back due to the fear of mess, it may be time to rethink and give it a chance!