Being born and, in turn, giving birth are the most transformative and miraculous events human beings experience. Yet in our society, birth is experienced by most families as a technological and medical event, fraught with the possibility of disaster. The rate of Cesarean section in the United States has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years, with no corresponding improvement in neonatal outcomes. In the midst of all of this birthing technology, the US maintains one of the highest rates of maternal and neonatal mortality among all developed nations.
Every expectant family desires the safest possible passage through birth for both mother and child.
One comparitive study matched over 1000 women planning to birth at home with the same number of women planning hospital births. The women were matched for age, number of previous births, economic status, and medical risk factors. Women in the homebirth group who transfered to the hospital due to complications remained in the homebirth group for analysis. Though the two groups had no statistical difference in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, the results of the study showed that planned hospital birth resulted in greater numbers of birth injuries, maternal and infant infections, hemmorhages, and low apgar scores than planned, midwife-attended homebirth. As they become aware of their choices, more and more families are choosing to birth their children in the comfort of their own homes with the help of midwives.