Internet birth stories: An exploration of women's motivations and reasons for choosing home birth

Abstract

Planned home birth remains a controversial topic in the United States, and research concerning women's reasons for choosing this option is scarce. This study investigated the experiences of mothers, who chose to birth at home after experiencing hospital births beforehand. Using an unobtrusive qualitative research design and purposive sampling, already existing data on the internet in the form of ten YouTube videos was examined. After transcription the birth stories were analyzed employing qualitative directed content analysis. Four themes in the participants' narratives about their birth experiences were identified: Safety and better outcomes, intervention-free, negative previous hospital experience, and control.