It would be good if Aus provided homebirth as a normal option but then from reading your comments it'd be nice if the UK was doing what you all think it is!

About 1% of UK babies are born at home. Yes, it's paid for, but you've no idea the hassle it can be. I am one of about 4 women i know who only suffered minimal stress about it - that's seeing the midwfe and having them cluck and tut at your blood pressure, exclaim "a homebirth!? You're mad! What about the mess!", the Ob tell you you'll need inducing and won't get your homebirth afterall etc. etc. THat's MINIMUM stress. I know lots and LOTS of women who were booked for homebirth and told in their 38th week that "there aren't going to be midwives available, your HB is cancelled" - this is especially common in England. Also to get the homebirth you would get, with your own, known midwife, i would need to pay about $6000 (private midwives are more expensive here) since in the NHS model you get who they send on the day, the same as if you go into hospital. I had met one of my midwives once, when arranging my homebirth at 22wks, the other, who arrived frst and caught DD, was a stranger to me. In addition the majority of society still thinks a c-section is the safest option and you suffer the same comments from friends and family about how unsafe it is.

The UK government theoretically fund homebirth but they theoretically fund breast augmentation too - after 9 years of anxiety and depression and 12 years after initially visiting the doctor with her flat chest (literally, PCOS, no breast tissue development) my friend just got her implants put in. So even though i got my homebirth and it was paid for i still demand more! LOL.

Bec