How do I get a birth certificate for my baby?

If you hired a homebirth midwife, she will probably have the paperwork available for you.

In my area, a birth in route to a hospital is regarded as a birth in the hospital for birth certificate purposes. This means the birth certificate is issued from the town in which the hospital is located, even if the birth occurred in another town.

If your baby was born at home without professional assistance, contact your local town or city offices. In some areas it is the county that keeps birth records. Basically, whoever issues a marriage license in your area does the birth certificates too. Contact that office and ask for the form. Fill it out and return it.

My son was the first birth in our town in about 5 years, since we have no hospital located within the town line. The numbering system in my area is redone yearly, so even though he was born in September, his birth certificate is number one. The town clerk and other office staff were delighted with the problem of trying to register a birth - so few of them had ever done it.

A friend of mine just had the first baby born in the town since my son, and he is 5 now. Because they had not planned for the possibility of homebirth they called an ambulance to help. Their birth certificate reflects the city they were taken to, not the town in which her baby was born. Incidentally, they have decided that for any future pregnancies they will need to prepare to have the baby at home since labor happens that fast for them.

You May Also Be Interested In: The Coach's Notebook of positions, techniques and tools for labor Homebirth Books for more information. Midwife Directory to find homebirth midwives and midwife organizations. Virtual Labor to practice your laboring skills. Labor Progress Guide to help you understand the process of labor. Birth Challenges to help you learn to navigate through a challenging labor. This is the story of how I ended up at home for Jaron's Birth.

© Copyright 2000-2008 Jennifer VanderLaan and Birthing Naturally

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