News

17th June 2005

Homebirths save lives and lower caesarean rates

Expectant couples across the UK have been given yet more evidence in the latest of a series of studies which support the British Medical Association and Royal College of Midwives view that home births are as safe, if not more safe, than hospital births.

The study published this week in the British Medical Journal, is the largest US study on homebirths to date and analysed the outcomes of 5,418 women who had home births with Certified Professional Midwives in the US and Canada.

It found a perinatal mortality rate of 1.7 per 1000 live and still births and a caesarean rate of 3.7 per cent. In the UK, perinatal mortality rate is 8.2 (2002) and the caesarean rate is now running at 23 per cent - 12 per cent higher than the rate deemed appropriate by the World Health Organisation.

This year the Royal College of Midwives launched its Campaign for normal birth.

They say that increasing numbers of women in the UK are now requesting home births and rejecting the hospital confinement which has led to increasing rates of intervention and to even putting the lives of mothers and their babies at unnecessary risk.

The RCM says that the majority of women with uncomplicated pregnancies are fit and healthy and have the potential to give birth normally with healthy newborns as the expected outcome.

Natal Hypnotherapy innovator, Maggie Howell, says that home birth self-help programmes should now be distributed nationally to all expectant parents.

She said, "Without the fear, and with effective breathing and relaxation techniques, mothers go into labour confident and prepared with the skills to reduce the tension which produces the adrenalin associated with the pain of childbirth.

"Coupled with additional pain management techniques learnt during the Natal Hypnotherapy programme, over 95 per cent of couples have a more controlled and relaxed birthing experience."

Hypnosis for childbirth has been clinically proven to reduce the level of intervention and the level of pain leading to a shorter and more natural birth.

The UK’s leading Natal Hypnotherapy Programme is a complete self-hypnosis programme which has already helped more than three thousand women, and their partners, across the UK to build their skills, abilities and confidence to experience a positive birth both at home or in hospital.

Midwife Penny Griffith said, "The Natal Hypnotherapy Programme provides mums with a safe and positive approach towards their birthing experience, empowering them towards a normal birth outcome, with less or no medical intervention. An excellent and well researched product."

And Araxy Arakelian, anaesthetist at The Bromley Hospital who administers epidurals daily states, "I firmly believe using these techniques will reduce the increasing rate of intervention in the UK today."

Maggie Howell is a British Clinical Hypnotherapist and Doula and has successfully used self-hypnosis during the home births of her three sons.

For more information on the Natal Hypnotherapy CD programme call tel. 01428 712615 or order online at Natal Hypnotherapy The complete set of Natal Hypnotherapy CDS is available for £50 plus packaging & post or £16 for each individual CDs.

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