Planning a Homebirth

Your Choices for Birth

Planning a homebirth

Would you feel safer and more comfortable giving birth at home? For healthy women, having a baby at home with qualified medical care has been shown to be as safe as having a baby in hospital. If this is a choice you'd like to explore, ParentLink can help you prepare.

Are you thinking of having your baby at home? Welcoming your baby in the quiet intimacy and familiarity of your own home can be extra special and as different an experience from hospital birth as night is from day. What's more, extensive medical studies have shown homebirth to be as safe or safer than hospital birth for most healthy women. It all depends on whether you feel this is the right choice for you.

Homebirth is a legal and viable option in Singapore. There are a number of steps to take to prepare:

Make sure homebirth is for you

Why do you want a homebirth? How do you feel about being at home as opposed to being in hospital when your baby is born? How does your partner feel? Do you have any concerns at the back of your mind? How will your family react, and how will you feel if they disapprove? It's important to be completely clear about the responsibility you're taking on. (There are other responsibilities you take on if you decide to have your baby in hospital – just different ones!)

Find a medical caregiver

There are a few obstetricians in Singapore who support homebirth under some circumstances. Usually, they require that the mother has given birth vaginally before, and has not had a caesarean, and that you have a registered midwife with you in the early stages of labour. Talk over your plans in detail with your doctor and be especially sure you are on the same page about how you will handle various situations and what your expectations are. If you'd like help finding a doctor who is supportive of homebirth, contact us.

At present there are no registered midwives in Singapore who attend homebirths. Some parents have arranged for a midwife to fly into Singapore to stay for a period of time awaiting the birth. If a non-resident midwife is to be present (or a midwife who is not already registered), she must apply to the Singapore Nursing Board for temporary registration to attend this particular birth. Providing her documents are in order and she has the necessary qualifications, there is not usually any problem with this registration being granted. Click here for more information on registration for midwives.

Safety first

What do you know about the complications that can arise during birth, whether at home or in hospital? What do you know about how to identify potential problems? What do you know about handling complications? What steps can you take to minimize risks? How will you prepare yourselves and your home to handle any complications? What plans will you make for transferring to hospital in case of emergency?

Stock up on supplies

Supplies necessary for a homebirth (everything from disposable plastic pads to cord clamps and sutures) can be obtained either through your obstetrician or purchased from a pharmacy. Cylinders of both oxygen and Entonox (oxygen with nitrous oxide, or gas-and-air, for pain relief) can be hired for the birth and are delivered and collected again afterwards by the hire company.

Choose a GP or pediatrician

You can take the baby to a pediatrician at some point after the birth for a routine check-up if you wish.

Consider labour support

Many parents find the additional support of a doula invaluable during a homebirth. ParentLink has a special package for homebirth support. Click here for more details. Another option is to arrange a birth preparation consultation with us; we've attended many homebirths and can help you sort out all the details ahead of time. Call Diann at +65 6536-4626 or email us.