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Is home birth risky? Riskier, definitely, as compared to Estonia’s well-equipped hospitals... The argument of most home births being a success is certainly irrelevant.
Editorial: aim at health of mother and child
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Even at hospitals, most deliveries are of the kind where the doctor is just on standby – fast aid is only needed when something goes wrong. Obviously, with reaction time to save lives being 5 to 15 minutes, better be within a two minute elevator ride from the operating theatre – than 15 minutes in a car.
Perhaps, regulating home births by law was wise. Better, one would think, to have all the risks specified – and the role of the midwife. And, when calling for help, there’d be no need to hide what was going on. Up to now, a hundred of so moms per year have opted to give birth at home, the midwives having it kind of «wild».
After a home birth that ended really bad, as investigated by Health Board and police, all involved parties claimed the midwife just happened to be their guest... All told, before legalisation home births were out of control. And what’s worse: probably, out of fear of being caught as trespassers (and lose the job), the midwives failed to act swift when help was needed.
The free will argument still comes into play as well. While speaking of the risk involved, doctors go by their ethics – protecting lives. While people are unwilling to use the low-risk options available, how do we make them do it? At threat of jail? Even so, while respecting free will, we need not encourage unreasonable choices.
True: pregnancy isn’t a sickness and giving birth is a natural process. Sounds good, but what does that actually mean? As pointedly penned by emergency doctor Märt Põlluveer (Delfi March 26th, 2014): «The word «natural» in the mouths of people seeking alternatives to medicine has always been fascinating to me. By that, anything may be justified. By that logic, rheumatoid arthritis, short-sightedness etc are natural as well – all elated to the human organism.»
How does professional help at hand serve to reduce the «natural»? One wonders. In the hospital, one is just as free to say one’s prayers and prepare for life’s most wonderful of experiences. The thing first in mind should be the child born safe and sound – not some tantristic issue.