Why women choose home birth

There are many different reasons why women choose to have their babies at home:

• You are in your own environment where you can feel more relaxed, more in control and less inhibited. You may have more room to move around, and try different positions
• A home birth can mean a different approach to birth, where it seems more natural to labour without drugs
• There is more continuity of contact with the midwife during pregnancy and labour. Your midwife will probably come to your home to do the antenatal checks. There is time to develop a bond between you that can provide strong emotional support
• You have a different relationship with your carers because instead of being under their management, they are guests in your home
• At home there are no strict policies on what you can eat and drink or how long things should take, and women report feeling more relaxed and less hurried
• A home birth is an event shared intimately with your family and becomes an integrated part of your life as a couple and as a family
• You are never separated from your baby