Hi there,

When governments provide free HB services, they do tend to place more conditions around the birth than what you would find if you employed an IM. There are also issues around service availability, as you've pointed out. While the service should be better, it's not. By all means, stamp your feet, but if you are really set on having a HB on your terms, employ an IM. Should you have to? No. But it's the way it is at present. Talk to the NHS and let them know your concerns, but at the end of the day, they are not obligated to provide homebirths under all circumstances, just the circumstances they deem to be safe (physically and in terms of staff numbers). Hiring an IM will completely get around this.

You can help things in the NHS in other ways, but if getting a great birth is important to you, then I'd say hire an IM.

Melissa.