01/08/2025
This is a powerful truth that society tends to ignore, underestimate and (even) judge… birthing where you feel safe is the key to a meaningful, empowering and positive experience for the whole family 💜
The work of each mother is to figure out where thay safe space is and why… and pregnancy offers the opportunity to go deeper into yourself and find those answers… don’t miss out. Talk to a doula, read, educate yourself - find your safe space.
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention in birth spaces: safety is not just physical—it’s emotional, too.
Labor isn't just a mechanical process. It's hormonal, primal, instinctual.
And your hormones? They care deeply about how safe you feel.
When labor is progressing, it’s fueled by a powerful hormone called oxytocin—the "love hormone." It’s the same hormone we release when we hug someone, breastfeed, or feel deeply connected. Oxytocin makes contractions stronger, helps dilate the cervix, and even helps us bond with our baby after birth.
But guess what blocks oxytocin?
Fear. Stress. Bright lights. Strangers. Unfamiliar environments. Being watched.
Those triggers raise your adrenaline levels—and adrenaline slows or stalls labor. It’s biology. Your body thinks, “This isn’t a safe place to give birth,” and it holds off to protect you.
That’s why so many people experience "failure to progress" in the hospital… not because their body doesn’t work, but because the environment doesn’t support how it works.
🌿 So, where does labor work best?
In spaces that feel safe. Familiar. Private. Calm. Undisturbed.
Which is why for low-risk pregnancies, home birth is not just safe—it often results in better outcomes.
Let’s look at the research:
📊 A large study published in 2020 in The Lancet compared outcomes between planned home births and hospital births in 4 countries. It found:
No increase in perinatal or neonatal death for planned home birth
Fewer interventions (like cesareans, episiotomies, and inductions)
Higher rates of vaginal births and maternal satisfaction
📊 According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, out-of-hospital births with qualified midwives had:
89.1% spontaneous vaginal birth rate
Only 5.2% cesarean rate (compared to over 30% in U.S. hospitals)
✨ Home isn’t safer for everyone. But for a healthy person with a low-risk pregnancy, a well-supported home birth can be the safest place for a physiological birth. Because your body does its best work when you feel seen, heard, and safe.
