One of the things we never seem to talk about is how very different the immediate postpartum period is at a homebirth versus at a hospital. I was recently a doula for a couple who planned a hospital birth. One of the parents turned to me at a postpartum visit and said, “You would not believe what postpartum was like in the hospital. Nurses coming in every 30 minutes, and if it’s not a nurse it’s someone coming in to empty the garbage or change the sharps container. Postpartum is REALLY why people have home births, I bet.”

I don’t know if I’ve ever had anyone choose to have a homebirth just for the postpartum period, but it’s absolutely true that there is a stark difference between the first few days and weeks after a homebirth and after a hospital birth.

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