My second baby was born at home, it was wonderful. I am not a hippy, I am just a regular woman who wanted an empowered birth, with no interuptions or interventions, in my own environment, on my own terms. Homebirth is safe, anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed. Talk to other women who have had a homebirth and if you don't know anyone, then seek them out. Contact a midwife who does homebirth and talk to them, they will provide you with all the current information and statistics on homebirth and can provide you with contacts of other women who have birthed at home. If you feel that this is the right place for you to birth, then make it happen - you will not regret it, as you will be treated with respect and dignity and have a beautiful experience. Good luck...