Another Place Birth Experience

The second part of my assignment involves researching another region of the world or country and finding out how births happen there. The first place that came to mind was Wales. Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and a part of Great Britain.  I'm choosing Wales because this is the birth place of Prince Harry, when I think of my little cousin Harry (who's birth I witnessed),  I think of Prince Harry.


The most interesting thing I found was that 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced in Wales that women would be able to choose where they gave birth. Mothers were able to choose from a home birth, mid-wife lead birth centre or a hospital. This is a surprise, as in the US women have always had the choice of where they would give birth.


Also in the past few years, there has been a movement to increase home birth rates in Wales for women who have "low risk pregnancies". From what I understand medical representatives as well as the government of Wales appreciate natural births with the least amount of unnecessary medical intervention. Government funding is provided for private home births in Wales. I believe this push to have home births is due to the high cost of delivering in a hospital.


I also learned that Wales has a really high teen pregnancy rate and 88% of women drink before pregnancy and 55% drink during pregnancy.  Women in Wales do not believe that there is a risk when drinking during pregnancy. I believe this is the exact opposite in the US, I believe that women have an understanding of the risk associated with alcohol and pregnancy, not to mention a warning is on alcoholic beverages in regards to drinking and pregnancy.


I've gained a great deal of insight to the understanding that knowledge and education is power. I believe that young girls and women must be educated about child development, risk, pregnancy, etc continuously. I was unaware of the choices that women had regarding choosing their place of birth for their child and it makes me appreciate the US. The experience for the women in Wales seems to be very different from Lynn's experience with Harry, however there will always be the same sense of a miraculous miracle for all births. 


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-wales-10951966
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-392211/Women-choose-birth.html
DS45WalesAuditOfficeMaternityServicesReportWales.PDF