A Swedish interview study: parents' assessment of risks in home births

Abstract

Objective: to describe home-birth risk assessment by parents.

Design: interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analysed using a phenomenological approach.

Setting: independent midwifery practices in Sweden.

Participants: five couples who had had planned home births.

Findings: the parents had a fundamental trust that the birth would take place without complications, and they experienced meaningfulness in the event itself. Risks were considered to be part of a complex phenomenon that was not limited to births at home. This attitude seems to be part of a lifestyle that has a bearing on how risks experienced during the birth were handled. Five categories were identified as counterbalancing the risk of possible complications: (1) trust in the woman's ability to give birth; (2) trust in intuition; (3) confidence in the midwife; (4) confidence in the relationship; and (5) physical and intellectual preparation.

Key conclusions: although the parents were conscious of the risk of complications during childbirth, a fundamental trust in the woman's independent ability to give birth was central to the decision to choose a home birth. Importance was attached to the expected positive effects of having the birth at home.

Implications for practice: knowledge of parents' assessment can promote an increased understanding of how parents-to-be experience the risks associated with home birth.