What Homebirth REALLY looks Like

In a 2009 study, Boucher et al. interviewed 160 women who had a home birth in the U.S. and asked them why they chose a home birth. Reasons that the woman gave included:

• Belief that home birth is safer than the hospital*

• Desire to avoid unnecessary interventions*

• Previous negative or traumatic hospital birth experience*

• Control over birth decisions and choices (want to avoid strict hospital rules)*

• Dislike of hospitals, doctors, or medically managed birth*

• Desire for privacy and to avoid strangers

• Trust in birth as a normal, healthy process

• Lack of separation from baby, easier breastfeeding initiation

• Preference for midwives as caregivers

• Increased options such as delayed cord cutting or water birth

• Decreased risk of Cesarean birth

• Comfortable atmosphere

• Family involvement during the birth (children can be present)

• Decreased risk of infection

• History of fast (precipitous) labor where it is difficult to get to the hospital in time

* indicates one of the 5 most common reasons stated