Fi, just checking, you do know that when you have a homebirth, a midwife looks after you through regular homevisits (ante-natal visits) and also for the birth? Most homebirthing women also have a doula or birth attendant too. Private midwives are not silly, if something isn't looking right they will suggest you transfer to hospital and call ahead, and most of the time in the same time you can be prepped for theatre.

If homebirth was so dangerous, do you think we would hear about deaths on the news? My teacher who has been a very busy birth attendant (mainly working with midwives at homebirth) has been doing it for 26 years - and only two deaths - both in situations where the babies had diagnosed conditions where they knew they would die shortly after birth. (i.e. tumor etc).

The WHO has said that a caesar is probably necessary about 10% of the time, when hospitals have usually have caesar rates of 30% and more, I think one in QLD has 60%. The thing is though, if it looks like you need one prior to the birth, a midwife will tell you and will not take on high risk patients - they know what they can and can't do.

All this said, you need to birth where you feel comfortable. Homebirth will not happen if you do not feel safe, labour will be slow and / or stall (flight or fight response) and same goes with being in hospital. So you need to do your research (then most of that fear will be diminished) and decide where you want to give birth. These days, everyone knows you need to hurry and choose and Ob and a hospital or you could miss out so many don't have the opportunity to even look at their options. But I guess this isn't about homebirth, not even natural birth but letting nature take it's course which can take place ANYWHERE - hospital or at home... do you know that CTG machines can be up to 50% inaccurate? So do you feel satisfied soley relying on these machines and having procedures as a result that you may not really need? Did you also know epidurals are related to almost all possible interventions you might have? So what happens in labour has a massive impact on what happens at birth.

I would be interested to see what you think if you were to read 'The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth' by Henci Goer. She's actually coming out to Australia to speak in Geelong in July, can't wait.