One More Thing: "Failed Homebirths"

In homebirth circles I hear the term "failed homebirths" occasionally. Steven commented recently that he hates that term. It's offensive and inaccurate. I agree.

I understand that it means that a mom didn't end up giving birth at home as planned, but still... could this be anymore negatively portrayed with the word "failed" tacked to it!?

I feel there is no such thing as a failed homebirth. If a mom or a midwife feels that the best option is to transfer for some needed medical care for the mom or the baby, how is that a failure? It may be unpredictable, but all of life is unpredictable. That doesn't mean we called it "failed" when it doesn't go according to plan!

Using our best judgment we may need to make these difficult decisions. The failure would be to not recognize something important that would merit a transfer.

If a family plans a homebirth and ends up needing to transfer for a medical need that pops up unexpectedly, I cannot call that failure. They are doing what needs to be done to keep mom and baby healthy! Every homebirth that results in a healthy mom and baby despite whether it ends at home or in the hospital is a success!