Hello again ladies! Welcome to the new ones. I haven't been in here in a while. I'm expecting number five, hoping to have my second homebirth in September.
I have to say that free birth does makes me kind of nervous. If you end up with a shoulder dystocia, is your DH going to know what to do? Even if he's read the book 100 times, in the heat of the moment, with the woman he loves screaming on the floor, and the baby half out, he will likely panic. I would. And if you end up with major tearing, or a post partum hemorrhage, he can't fix that. And can he judge, with a doppler, when a baby is going into distress? Would he be able to recognize abnormal labour? Know what to do with an undiagnosed breech?
I don't want to be just throwing out "scare stories" or anything. I believe that in the VAST majority of cases, birth goes very smoothly and very well, with NO interference from anyone. But I think it is wise to plan have an experienced midwife available. If you are a fast labourer, then definitely prepare yourself for the possibility of an unattended birth, but personally, I would not plan to do without a midwife.

I might have to check out the "Hello Baby" book. I don't think I've seen that one yet. My kids are pretty familiar with homebirth. They thought it strange that other babies were born in the hospital after DD3 was born. "Are they sick Mom? Why are they at the hospital?"