During the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers are increasingly opting out of giving birth in hospitals and deciding to deliver their child in the comfort of their own homes.
An analysis published by QuoteWizard, a Seattle-based insurance company, found that home births are increasing around the country.
The analysis showed that there were 930 home births recorded during the pandemic. Georgia has the 15th largest increase of women deciding to give birth at home, with a rise of 29% from years previous to the pandemic.
There are many reasons this upward trend of homebirths has occurred. The analysis found that the largest increase of homebirths happened in May, where there was a 49% increase reported.
On average, home births are much more cost-effective and are 60% less expensive than giving birth in a hospital, according to the American Pregnancy Association. However, there can be more out-of-pocket costs due to home birth, since many insurance companies do not cover home birth in their policies.
In addition, staying home during the pandemic rather than at a hospital limits the exposure to the coronavirus. Thus, keeping both new mothers and their children safe after labor.
QuoteWizard also found that mothers generally want to give birth in comfortable settings around friends and family, which is possible when opting to give birth at home.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, planned home births result in lower rates of maternal morbidity due to postpartum hemorrhage, or heavy bleeding after birth, among women who are low-risk. There’s also lower morbidity from perineal lacerations, or tearing of tissues while giving birth, for low-risk women. The study shows that, if planned carefully, the outcomes of home birth are as good as or better than women who give birth in hospital settings.
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