5 Reasons For Catholics To CONSIDER A Home Birth

Have you ever considered a home birth but thought, “That’s a little bit much”? We’re going to talk about five reasons it might be a good decision for you and your family. Having experienced hospital, birthing center, and home births, we hope this video is a blessing for you.

Welcome to the Catholic Link Show! We’re your hosts, Drew and Katy Taylor, and we pray this time will be your link to living the faith like never before. We just had our fifth child, which is wild to even say—he’s not even two weeks old yet! We had an amazing birth experience and wanted to share our thoughts with you because we never thought we’d be doing a home birth.

As Katie mentioned, we’ve done a hospital birth, a birthing center birth, and three home births. We’ve seen all the different options for birth, and we hope to share our thoughts and insights to start a conversation with you and your spouse about the options available.

5 Reasons To Consider A Home Birth

“Birth is one of the most powerful, transformative moments of your life. At home, surrounded by love and faith, it becomes not just an event, but a sacred experience.”

Birth can be a challenging topic to discuss. I’ve had traumatic birth experiences—arguably two—and I understand that there’s a lot of emotion involved. While we’re going to speak strongly in favor of home birth in this video, we know that there may be an invitation from the Lord for you to experience healing if you’ve had C-sections, interventions, or other difficult birth situations.

The Lord loves you, knows the plans He has for you, and they are for your good. Even in the trauma, I found myself brought closer to the Lord. It invited me into deeper healing. Even if it seems like everything was bad, there is something good in there.

This is not to shame anyone or make you feel bad if you’ve had a C-section or other interventions. Every birth experience is unique. That said, there’s a beauty in expressing the goodness of a natural home birth, and that’s what we want to share.

Honestly, we never thought we’d do this. I wasn’t even convinced about natural birth until the last month of my first pregnancy. Drew was deployed, and I’d hired a doula because we didn’t know if he’d make it home. The doula introduced me to natural childbirth evidence, and I read my way into being convinced that the Lord was calling me to this.

One book that was huge for me was Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, which I’ll link in the description.

Reason #1: Intimacy

For us, home birth was a much more intimate experience than being in a hospital. At home, we could set up the space exactly how we wanted. We dimmed the lights, avoided the constant disruptions of people walking in and out, and eliminated beeping monitors. Instead of being forced to lie down for monitoring, a Doppler was used, making the process far less intimidating and intrusive.

I felt like Katie could labor naturally and move in ways her body needed. We played praise and worship music, and our midwives even sang along while encouraging us. It was so beautiful and intimate, and it strengthened our bond.

We also created a spiritually comforting environment. For example, Drew brought an image of the Holy Family for me to focus on during labor, and we set up a Crucifix. The comfort and safety of being in our own home allowed labor to progress naturally without interruptions.

Reason #2: Safety

A home birth might actually be safer for you. While we’re not medical professionals and can’t speak to every situation, there’s research supporting the safety of home birth under the right conditions.

Birth has been dramatized in TV and media. We’re shown scenes of screaming women rushing to the hospital in emergencies. However, humanity has been having children for thousands of years, and hospitals have only been the norm in the past century.

In the U.S., maternal and infant mortality rates are high compared to other high-income countries. For example, maternal deaths are 32.9 per 100,000 births, placing the U.S. last among high-income countries. Additionally, the U.S. C-section rate is 32.1%, while the World Health Organization recommends a rate closer to 10%.

Interventions like induction and epidurals often lead to further complications. Inductions cause intense, unnatural contractions, which frequently require pain management like epidurals. However, epidurals come with risks and side effects, and they can make it harder for the mother to feel when to push.

In hospitals, the position most women are asked to give birth in—on their backs—is actually the least conducive to birth. It closes the pelvis and can lead to interventions like episiotomies, forceps, or vacuum extractions.

With our first hospital birth, we felt pressured to induce labor, use pain medication, and eventually schedule a C-section. It was a constant fight to let Katie labor naturally and let her body do what it was made to do.

Reason #3: Choosing Your Team

At home, you can select your midwives and nurses, building a relationship with them. In traditional hospital settings, you may not even meet the doctor who ends up delivering your baby. Having a team that knows you, understands your needs, and shares your vision for birth makes a huge difference.

Our midwives believe most babies are born at night, and they are prepared to accommodate this. In contrast, hospital staff often work 9-to-5 schedules, leading to inductions and other interventions for convenience.

At home, you know your midwives, you know they’re there for the long haul, and they’re not going to push for interventions because of a shift change or a schedule. They understand that your body is going to take the time it needs, and they’re there to support that process.

Reason number four is about the recovery process. Having given birth in a hospital, a birthing center, and at home, I can confidently say that recovery at home is such a gift. The moment the baby is born, you’re in your own bed. There’s no need to be transferred to a recovery room or to deal with the constant interruptions from hospital staff. You get to rest, bond with your baby, and recover in the comfort of your own home, surrounded by familiar things and people.

In a hospital, I remember feeling like I couldn’t get a moment of peace. Nurses and doctors would come in every hour to check on me or the baby, even in the middle of the night. But at home, we were able to set our own pace. Our midwives were there when we needed them, but they respected our space and allowed us to adjust to our new normal without interruptions.

Also, if you have other children, being at home makes it much easier for them to meet their new sibling and feel included in the process. For us, it created such a beautiful and seamless transition for our family.

Finally, reason number five is the spiritual aspect. For us, having a home birth has been such a deeply spiritual experience. Birth is one of the most powerful, transformative moments of a person’s life, and being able to bring our faith into that space in a tangible way has been incredible.

At home, we were able to pray, play worship music, and surround ourselves with reminders of God’s presence. The image of the Holy Family that Drew mentioned earlier was so comforting to me during labor. It reminded me that God was with us, guiding us through the process. Birth is such a sacred moment, and being able to embrace that fully in our own home was truly a gift.

Of course, we recognize that home birth isn’t for everyone, and there are certain situations where a hospital is the safest place to be. But for us, home birth has been an amazing blessing, and we’re so grateful for the experiences we’ve had.

If you’re considering a home birth, we encourage you to do your research, pray about it, and have open conversations with your spouse and healthcare provider. There’s so much beauty and empowerment in bringing a child into the world, and no matter where or how you give birth, we pray that it’s a joyful and grace-filled experience for you and your family.


Keep Searching, Keep Learning

Our Newest Videos:

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest