Abstract
Background: A dedicated homebirth service was established at a large teaching hospital in Birmingham.
Aim: The aim of the 3-year pilot was to increase the homebirth rate from 0.3% to 3% of all Trust births.
Methods: Data were collected on all women referred to the homebirth team and those receiving intrapartum care. This was analysed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
Findings: The pilot achieved a 1.4% homebirth rate and 1.9% intrapartum care rate (a five-fold increase in 3 years) but in spite of extensive promotion of the service, it did not meet the target of 3% of all Trust births. The peripartum transfer rate from home to hospital was 54% for primiparous and 14% for multiparous women with no adverse outcomes.
Conclusions: There has been excellent feedback from the families who planned a homebirth, but increasing the homebirth rate requires a longer term change to the culture surrounding place of birth.
Aim: The aim of the 3-year pilot was to increase the homebirth rate from 0.3% to 3% of all Trust births.
Methods: Data were collected on all women referred to the homebirth team and those receiving intrapartum care. This was analysed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
Findings: The pilot achieved a 1.4% homebirth rate and 1.9% intrapartum care rate (a five-fold increase in 3 years) but in spite of extensive promotion of the service, it did not meet the target of 3% of all Trust births. The peripartum transfer rate from home to hospital was 54% for primiparous and 14% for multiparous women with no adverse outcomes.
Conclusions: There has been excellent feedback from the families who planned a homebirth, but increasing the homebirth rate requires a longer term change to the culture surrounding place of birth.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 164-170 |
| Journal | British Journal of Midwifery |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 28 Feb 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2018 |
Keywords
- homebirth
- intrapartum care
- maternity support workers
- place of birth
- culture of birth