Drive to increase homebirths in Liverpool - Daily Post Aug 09
An expert midwife has been employed in Liverpool to increase home births. Health reporter Liza Williams looks at the issue
MORE pregnant women in Liverpool are being encouraged to give birth at home.
The rate of home births in the city is less than the national average, and health workers are now actively campaigning to increase the figure.
Currently, 1.6% of births in the city happen at home, compared with 2% nationally.
Consultant midwife Simon Mehigan has been appointed by Liverpool Women’s Hospital to help dispel myths surrounding the practice.
He was set a target of increasing this figure by 0.5% each year, meaning around 30 more women annually should be giving birth at home in Liverpool.
Mr Mehigan was recruited from a hospital in Nottingham, where he increased the home birth rate from less than 2% to 6% in six years.
He hopes to have similar success in Liverpool.
Studies have shown women who give birth at home are more likely to breast-feed and less likely to suffer from post-natal depression.
Some European countries, like the Netherlands, have a far higher rate of home birth, at around 30%.
Mr Mehigan said: “It is a misconception by many people that home births are not as safe as hospital births. Indeed, the first thing you need to do is get all the midwives on board, because some are a bit sceptical at first.
“Home births became very unfashionable in the 1970s, and it was thought the safest place to give birth was a hospital.
“But there are so many benefits to a home birth.
“Women who give birth at home are more likely to breast-feed, which has so many health benefits, and they are less likely to develop post-natal depression.
“Most say the birth is a far more relaxing experience and there is also a huge sense of achievement that comes with giving birth at home – both mum and dad feel they have more control and feel empowered.” Mr Mehigan’s team of 20 community midwives operate in Liverpool and parts of Sefton and Knowsley.
Most births have two midwives present, but all are trained to deliver alone as well.
A woman giving birth at home can have gas and air to relieve pain, but no other drugs can be administered outside hospital.
It is also only suitable for low-risk pregnancies, when the baby is in the correct position in the womb and there is no sign of complications.
Two of Mr Mehigan’s three children were delivered at home, and he says it was a very positive experience for him and his wife.
He said: “Having a baby is a healthy process. The vast majority of mums are fit and healthy, so a hospital is not always the best place to give birth.
“It can be stressful for a women and partner to come into hospital, only to be told they are not yet ready to give birth.
“They then need to go home and come back again, adding to the stress.
“Hormones released when you are anxious actually suppress the birth, so you end up prolonging the process.
“If you stay at home, you avoid this.
“If complications do develop, we are all trained to spot the warning signs and no community midwife would go ahead in a woman’s home if there was a risk – they would be taken straight to hospital.”
There have been some signs women in Liverpool are starting to think about home birth more.
In March, the primary care trust released figures revealing 50% more women had chosen to give birth at home in the past 12 months.
It was the highest rise in the North West, but actual numbers still remain low.
Mr Mehigan says home birth is suitable for mothers of all ages and can help a family to bond.
He added: “You can choose who is around you during a home birth.
“When I first came to Liverpool, one of the first home births I delivered was in Aigburth, and the mother already had three children.
“They were present for the birth and therefore felt part of it. “It was not a scary thing. They saw it as normal and accepted the new baby straight away.
“Her other children had been delivered in hospital, so you can be converted even if you thought hospital births were the way to go.”
Susy O’Hare is a Merseyside hypnobirthing practitioner, which involves teaching women breathing techniques and massage to make labour less stressful.
She has had several clients who favoured home birth because it meant they had more control.
She said: “I have worked with a lot of women who are now choosing home birth and it can be a wonderful experience.
“Obviously it is not suitable for everyone, but for many mothers I have known, it has been a very positive thing.”
The initiative follows government policy aiming to increase home birth rates nationally.
Gail Naylor, director of nursing, midwifery and patient experience at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, said it was a priority for the trust to give women a choice.
She said: “I am delighted the maternity unit is promoting home birth and offering this as an option to women with low-risk pregnancies.
“The benefits of women having a positive birth experience are well evidenced and can extend to the whole family unit.
“The ability of the women’s hospital to offer women a choice of place of birth is a priority for us in meeting the needs of women who use our service.”
A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said women need to be counselled on the unexpected emergencies which can arise during labour and can only be managed in a maternity hospital.