In an ideal world I believe all women should have a home birth.

For a woman to have a baby at home she needs to feel well supported by those around her. From her immediate support circle of partner, family, friends and midwives.

On first meeting couples I find that the woman is often very clear as to where she wants to give birth. Partners concerns are usually safety issues, the what ifs? I answer these questions recalling my experiences as a practicing midwife specializing in homebirths of many years and independent for 15 years. I have attended many homebirths. It is a very rare event that a true emergency happens at home.

As independent midwives we attend regular workshops to maintain our skills in dealing with emergencies. We carry equipment such as oxygen, I.V. Fluid and leave drugs in the fridge to help deal with a hemorrhage.

I also make it a personal policy to have a second midwife present at all of my client’s homebirths.

What about the mess? I can advise on how to cover the floor and bed. Many women choose to have a home waterbirth so the water is pumped away after the birth. The midwife leaves the home clean and tidy so we make as little mess as possible to be cleaned up in the early hours of the morning.

If the labour goes out of the normal then we would transfer into the hospital, depending on what is happening, either by car or ambulance.

With our years of experience of homebirth we can often sense when things aren’t quite right as well as the obvious.

The most common reasons for transfering in is help with a prolonged labour which maybe pain relief and or help to pick up contractions.

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