Evaluation of Birth Outcomes of Women Delivering at Home With Midwife Management

Abstract

Background: Although there are very few studies in the literature, out-of-hospital deliveries are increasing in Turkey. Our aim was to examine trends in out-of-hospital deliveries, the risk profile of these deliveries, differences in women’s access to these deliveries, and delivery outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 215 women and was conducted retrospectively in a rural setting in Turkey between 2020 and 2021. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the authors. The questionnaire included demographic information, obstetric background, and reasons for giving birth at home, as well as data on who encouraged the decision to give birth at home and who helped with home births. Results: In the study, the delivery time of mothers was found to be 5.99 hours, which is shorter than the average delivery time in the literature. It was observed that 87% of the mothers did not undergo episiotomy, and none of them experienced the need for induction at birth. It was determined that 49.8% of the mothers gave birth in the position they wanted and chose to give birth in bed. It was observed that 99.1% of the mothers did not experience complications at birth. Conclusion: Overall, midwife-managed births met the mothers’ expectations of privacy, a safe environment, social support, and uninterrupted birth. More importantly, there were no complications in midwife-led deliveries, and midwifery care was given in line with evidence-based practices.