I and my daughter currently consider the home birth option mainly due to high cost of private hospitals and high baby death rates at government hospitals. (recent news articles) Even as man I agree that Martin don't know what he is talking about. FACT of the matter is that billions of babies where born at home prior to modern hospitals and with the careless attitude of SA's public hospitals I almost dare to say it's SAFER at home than there.

To respond to the comments indicating that a home birth is far more risky than a hospital birth, i would like to ask the following question: could you point me to a reliable study or set of statistics that show this to be the case? When a woman gives birth at home, attended by a trained and certified midwife, there is absolutely no indication that the mortality, nor the morbidity rate is higher for either the mother or the child. There is a huge body of literature and are numerous recent studies that in fact indicate that the risk to mother and baby is greatly reduced in a home birth. The most recent study in Canada showed "comparable (with hospital births) perinatal mortality rates, less serious morbidity for both women and infants, and lower use of obstetric technology in planned home births." (http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=533) It is both ignorant and careless to make sweeping comments to the effect that home birth is for the mother's comfort whilst putting the baby in grave danger. I would strongly urge any woman contemplating a home birth to do her own study on the research available. It is one of the biggest decisions of your life and you want to go into it well informed and not frightened by people who really don't know anything about it. To Martin, i would like to point out that your body was not designed to have a vasectomy without any pain medication. A healthy (and low risk) woman's body is fully capable of birthing a baby without any medical intervention. Some women feel that they need pain relief during labor and that is fine, it is their decision to make. The fact remains, however, that it is both possible (far more so than most would believe) and safer to forgo the drugs and birth your baby the way you were designed to do it.

I had a 100% natural home water birth in Dec 08... I agree that there is a time and a place for doctors and hospitals but I also agree that the mother of the baby should be the one making the decision... of course if she has had a high risk pregnancy than hospital would be the only route, but if you are comfortable with having a baby at home then why not? Woman have been having children since the beginning of time and in my opinion it certainly is not a medical procedure.. I loved the fact that I was in my own home and was able to sleep in my bed.. the environment was what I know and I was not terrified about somebody slicing me open because my birth does not suit their diary... Also, my partner and I have never bonded in a way like we did when she was born.. it was truly amazing!

I had a home water birth and I tell you that the experience was amazing.. there is def a place for doctors and hospitals however after having my daughter at home I would recommend this to anybody who would be interested in having an intervention free birth.. woman have been having babies since the beginning of time and I honestly do not see it as a medical emergency.. what I loved about my birth is that fact that I was very much in control and I was left to follow what my body needed... after she was born I was able to sleep in my own bed with my new baby between me and Daddy... it was the most wonderful experience in my life!!!

I tend to agree with Commenter. Pregnancy is not a disease. My only problem is that my first child might have been dead was it not for the fact that we chose a hospital delivery. Even so, he nearly did not survive the process. I guess we need to ask whether we want to go the natural route (in all its beautiful and innocent brutality) or whether we want to interfere with the process and let nature totally dictate the outcome. Personally I don't think I can survive the brutal choices nature sometimes make.

I woudn't have a vasectomy at home without analgesia. I wouldn't want my wife to have her baby at home either. Things can go wrong so, so quickly!!! The 'nice' aspects of having your baby at home may leave you with a baby crippled intellectually and physically for life!!

My biggest problem with hospital births is that doctors are very quick to pick up the knife, come up with 'complications' and then perform a ceasar. Childbirth can last anything from 1 hour to 12+ hours and doctors simply don't have the patience to allow for a completely natural birth. I'm glad to see that there is a trend towards women opting to give birth at home.