Home births as safe as hospital

[Skandi]

Home births are as safe as hospital ones but the NHS needs at least another 5,000 midwives to meet the demand, officials have said.

The latest research, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics, focused on the Netherlands, where around 30 per cent of births take place at home.

Of all births in England and Wales in 2006, 2.7 per cent took place at home, the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. A total of 18,100 were at home, out of a total of 662,915.

Good or bad? Does this take away care even if it is safe? Would it put more pressure on the families?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090415/tuk-home-births-as-safe-as-hospital-dba1618.html

[Lady L]

"I hope this research will be reassuring to women who may have concerns about home birth, and to critics who have questioned its safety."

I don't see anything wrong with mothers choosing home births if thats what they prefer. I don't think it would be something I would want. But, many women thrive on these kinds of things and they shouldn't be kept from it.

I think for the most part its safe for women as long as they know who they have chosen to accompany them and trust them.

[Ulf]

My wife wants a home birth/midwife thing. I don't remember exactly what it is, I just nod my head since she's the one who's going to be pushing ~7lbs. of human out.