Thanks girls, that's exactly the sort of answer I was after (in that you didn't go off topic, Leasha )

I guess where I am coming from is that IF hospitals were better places to birth, would we women with a birth activist leaning have a problem with birthing there per se.

Cricket you make a good point about why even leaving home to birth - I know with my first birth I was 8cm dialated when I got to hospital (my OB told me "not to wait so long next time" LOL!) and the day after my son's birth I actually said to my DH I didn't really feel like I "needed" to have gone to hospital, so I do know what you mean there.