As safe as hospital

Often through my teaching I do encourage that women consider their reasons behind their choice of birth environment. Many times in class, hospital will be cited as the best place to birth as 'it's safer'. It can then come as something of a shock when I explain that it is 'just as safe' to have their baby at home. I came across an old article from The Independent (April 2009) that cites this very thing...http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/annalisa-barbieri-i-gave-birth-at-home-ndash-and-heres-why-1669309.html

I still prefer Caroline Flint's thoughts on where a woman should birth her baby. At a conference many years ago she said that women should have the right to get up in the morning (in early labour), look out of their window and then decide what to do. Perhaps if it's raining they will decide to stay at home ;-)