What are some of the interventions that might routinely be performed in a hospital that would not be done in a homebirth?
In the hospital they have what they call Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.), which they must go by. As soon as the patient has been registered, the staff will obtain her OB history and do some additional blood work. Most women get IV’s unless they refuse. Enemas are generally routine, although some doctors aren’t doing that . They get hooked up to fetal monitors for monitoring contractions and FHT’s. Labor is augmented by the use of Pitocin. Epidurals are freely given for pain, although the patient may choose to request a natural birth. Depending on the doctor, forcep deliveries or vacuum extractors may be used. Most doctors routinely give episiotomies (to create a bigger opening for delivery), and c-sections are becoming more common-place.
