Obstetric Violence: A Reason for Choosing Home Birth

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to identify the reasons why couples prefer home over hospital birth.

Methodology

The methodology is an ethnographic qualitative research design carried out in the Alicante Province between 2009 and 2014. Eleven couples that had had at least one planned home birth took part in the study. Twenty-one in-depth interviews and two life stories were carried out and five written records were obtained. For the analysis of the results, we relied on ethnography, the structural-dialectic model, and the software package ATLAS-ti v6.2.

Results

Three categories were identified: values, beliefs, and wishes. Among the values, it was highlighted that the participants were socially committed and critical with the system. The men were protective, respectful and participative, while the women were highly empowered, confident in their intuition and their capacity to give birth. They believe that delivery is a natural process that usually proceeds normally, a family act and a meaningful moment. Concerning home birth, they consider that there is less risk, their wishes are respected, and the father has a bigger role, contrary to what happens in a hospital birth. Participants wished to continue the tradition and for their rights to be respected and avoiding obstetric violence.

Conclusions

With their decision, these couples manifested their disagreement with some beliefs rooted in society and thus they refused hospital birth. When comparing the attention received both at home and at the hospital, they chose home birth to avoid obstetric violence and to have their beliefs and values respected.