On this week's episode, we’ll hear from a midwife who started delivering babies in the early 1970's. We find out what it’s like to deliver a baby at home. And we speak with one doctor about why she opposes home birth. We also visit a famous hippie commune in Appalachia that's said to be the birthplace of modern midwifery.Listen to the podcast.
Home birth rates are particularly low in Appalachia. West Virginia has one of the lowest numbers of home birth rates in the country. Nationwide about 1 percent of births happen at home, according to the CDC.
But a growing number of women are turning away from hospital births, citing reasons like the desire to “control their birth experience,” avoid a cesarean, and find a provider who respects their wishes. Over the past four months, health reporter Kara Lofton visited some of the families choosing home birth in this region and talked to the midwives who serve them in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. In this detailed report she looks at both the controversy around home births and why some women are choosing this option despite legal obstacles.
This episode originally aired in April 2016.
Copyright 2016 West Virginia Public Broadcasting
