Is homebirth/birth center birth safe?
Over the last twenty years numerous studies have been done to determine the safety of out-of-hospital birth. All of these studies have shown that homebirth or birth center birth with a skilled attendant are just as safe, and in some instances, safer than hospital birth for healthy, low-risk women. In fact, the countries in the world with the best birth statistics are those in which midwives are the primary care givers for pregnant women and the homebirth rate is much higher (as much as 50%) than in the United States. Of course, there are some situations in which the hospital is the best place for a woman to have her baby, and for these situations we are grateful to have the hospital as an option. But the fact is, out-of-hospital birth is a safe alternative to hospital birth for the vast majority of women. At the first prenatal visit, the midwife will obtain a complete medical history and determine whether you would be a good candidate for an out-of-hospital birth. For a complete refere
