As the majority of women birth in a hospital with the obstetric model of care, there's the common belief that hospitals are safe with all their technology and medicinal care, whilst home births attended by a midwife are risky and dangerous for both the mother and baby. If you're looking for evidence as to decide what's the safer birthing option, you will actually find that hospitals are pretty much at equal par to homebirths in terms of mortality and morbidity. However, what you will find are numerous studies illustrating that home births create a very different birthing scenario to a hospital birth providing the mother is considered low risk. At home, there's no medicated pain relief, little or no interventions, no need for emergency caesareans and only a few women ever needing episiotomies; therefore the outcome is much healthier and safer for both the mother and the baby.

"It has never been scientifically proven that the hospital is a safer place than home for a woman who has had an uncomplicated pregnancy to have her baby. Studies of planned home births in developed countries… have shown sickness and death rates for mother and baby equal to or better than hospital birth statistics for women with uncomplicated pregnancies." World Health Organization.

What we're seeing in US and say Australian hospitals these days are women being induced (34) as well as other forms of medicated pain relief, and 31% having a caesarean. Other high levels of intervention include IV drips, foetal monitors, membranes broken or the use of synthetic oxytocin to induce labour, catheters, the use of forceps and vacuums, and stitches for episiotomies or caesareans. It's women's rights to choose these options, but do they fully understand the consequences of these interventions?

So what are the advantages of having a home birth? Well over millions of years, when you look mammalian births, animals need a safe, quiet and nurturing environment to birth in. Any fear of an attack from other predators, the labouring mother will switch to fight or flight and the labour process ceases until she feels safe again. Humans need very similar environments to birth in as well, so if a mother feels anxious, threatened, scared, uncomfortable or unsafe, her labour fails to progress until these things have been dealt with.

In a hospital you will find unusual smells, various noises, various type of staff working, midwives/doctors changing shifts, systems and policies to adhere to, pressure to labour by a specific time, the use of medical utensils and instruments, the use and sounds of machines, and obstetric staff that are qualified for operations not a midwifery duty of care. It's little wonder women find it difficult to labour with their fight or flight mechanisms probably working overtime. There's little room to feel safe and nurtured in a hospital environment.

Alternatively, a home birth is an ideal situation for a mother to feel safe and nurtured to birth naturally. She's not subjected to routine procedures or interventions and she can walk, rest, eat, and drink freely. Being at home, she's in her own element, with familiar surroundings, smells and sounds. She can feel safe, nurtured and loved with her partner and family, and will have continuous care with the same midwife pre, during and post labour. The woman is in totally control, with the midwife as an active observer only assisting and guiding when absolutely necessary - the mother is free to follow her own natural rhythms. She is more than likely to deliver without drugs, forceps or vacuums, and will have the opportunity to use whatever birth position she chooses. Ritual can be applied during the birth using aromatherapy oils, music, candles, art, singing, drumming, belly dancing or any other form of ritualistic/religious ceremonies of your choice.

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