Home Birth Gone Awry

This is an excellent MedScape article that discusses the potential perils of home birth but offers a balanced discussion about improving the care for women who opt for a home birth in the United States. Important clarifications about the different midwifery certifications is reviewed - they are not one size fits all. As medical costs continue to climb in the United States, and home birth is 1/3 as expensive as hospital delivery, consideration should be given to European systems that deliver safe and less expensive care for pregnant women. Women who opt for home deliveries, almost without exception, are seeking more autonomy surrounding the delivery of their baby.

It is time for the medical community to have meaningful discussions with women about their desires for childbirth. It is time to better educate women about the potential risks associated with childbirth - whether within a controlled medical environment or at home. This, of course, assumes that the medico-legal environment surrounding childbirth be reexamined, as well.

Read: Home Birth Gone Awry