More women are choosing to have their babies in the comfort of their own home instead of going to the hospital. Some women have chosen to birth at home due to their previous hospital experiences, experiences that may not have gone according to their birth plan. Usually, women who chose to birth at home do so to avoid the ever-present "medicalization" of birth.
Recently, we posted about Joely Fisher conversation on the Ellen DeGeneres show about her experience with birthing at home. Other celebrities who have chosen to birth at home are Pamela Anderson, Ricki Lake, Kelly Preston, Julianne Moore, and Cindy Crawford.
On June 18, 2001, Ricki Lake gave birth to her second son at home, in her own bath tub. She told People Magazine,
I wanted to ‘give birth’ as opposed to ‘being delivered,’ and the best way for me to do that was at home with the guidance of a professional midwife.
Inspired by her own home birth, Ricki decided to become a certified doula. It’s been said that she’s helped several women with laboring in their own homes. This past month, while at the World Poker Tournament, Ricki spoke about her children and her new project.
Now I have a documentary I have been working on for 3 [years] that’s coming out in a couple months. It’s about the politics of birth, it’s called ‘The Business of Being Born,’ and it’s my first executive producing gig. It’s been my passion for a long time since I had my children. In some ways I feel like it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
It was said that Gwyneth Paltrow was going to have a homebirth with son Moses, but because of her long, drawn-out labor with Apple (nearly three days with no epidural until the end), she decided against it and chose to birth in the hospital.
Did you chose to have a homebirth? If not, did you chose to have a midwife and/or doula with you at the hospital?
