Once again its all about the 'woman's rights". Has anyone thought about the rights of the child to a safe passage to this planet. Oh that's right all that matters is me.

I'll leave the insurance aspect of this alone as I'm not in a position to comment.

If there is a substantiated increased risk (and significant enough to matter )to the child associated with being born in the home then the parents rights should have little bearing. If that risk is not clearly demonstrated then it's not the business of outsiders to determine where the child is born.

Perhaps proximity to a hospital should be a valid factor in individual decisions, involvment in any relevant pre-birth checks which might help to determine the associated risk in those cases.

My gut feel is that the impact on the mothers emotional state of having the birth in a location where they were comfortable would bring some benefits to all during the lead up to the birth.

It would be interesting to know what statistical patterns exist in the health (physical and mental)of those born in hospitals and in the home. Perhaps leaving aside the results for those known to be at special risk prior to the birth.

R0bert

Making this debate into one about paternalism is not especially useful. Detractors of home birthing are not sitting around thinking about how to oppress women, they are concerned mainly for the welfare of chidlren. In my own case if I had considered a homebirth myself and my oldest child might not be here today.

There is possibly some room for movement in homebirthing as long as some safety aspects are considered - proximity to hospitals, qualifications of midwives, monitoring by an obstetrician for potentially difficult cases. As for insurance, well it seems to be a reality of the medical profession these days.

The most important thing at the end of it is a healthy and safe delivery for mother and baby.

Monica, A beautiful piece. Forget the misogyny on this list. How dare a woman actually have any deciding factor in her body and her baby. Ah just a vessel with clearly no interest in what she has nurtured. Go home boys. The subject matter may be homebirth but as Monica says there is something much bigger at stake, women's rights. I say women not the Australian Medical Association will choose how where and with whom they give birth. Oh and for all the die hard blind faith in medicine types have you forgotten that it is this inherently sick system that protected Dr Jayant Patel and Dr Graeme Reeves for all those years. Women in the majority of cases will protect themselves and their young. I support a woman to choose homebirth.

Lottie,

Haha, I knew I'd find a supporter. A kindred spirit. We're the only two on this topic who know what's really going on here.

pelican,

'Detractors of home birthing are not sitting around thinking about how to oppress women, they are concerned mainly for the welfare of chidlren[sic].' (I've changed my mind, I'm getting to like this sic business now)

Oh come on! They're a bunch of misogynists trying to oppress women! You're just blind! Are you a feminist? I mean a real feminist? You're letting down the sisterhood. Now, where's anti... I'm thinking, are all feminists like pelican, or like Lottie? I'd like to believe they're all like Lottie.

Actually. pelican, you must stand up and be a real woman, and distance yourself from the likes of Lottie!

Here's an idea thats really going to annoy some people! Lots more women giving birth at home.

Currently Australia is in the grip of a swine flu epidemic. So far we have been lucky and the flu while nasty and with some mortality is not paticularly virulent. Unfortunately pregnant women, and those who are have just given birth are at greater risk of becoming extremely ill with this disease.

I'm sure hospital's hygiene standards to counter the risk to pregnant women and those giving birth are scrupulous.

What though if we get a flu that is as virulent as the Spanish flu? In such a situation with hospitals dealing with vast numbers of extremely ill patients, maybe keeping healthy pregnant mothers at home to birth would be a better option.

It might not be a practical option as it would need to be medically supported, and as babies come when they like, there might not be enough staff to cover it, but its just a thought. Certainly home visits for pre-natal checks might be a better option and keep pregnant women out of waiting rooms with sneezing people, and similarly out of the hospitals who would be treating the victims of such a epidemic.

When my Mother-in-law gave birth to her last child in England, a home birth was the norm, in her area. It wasn't any big deal. So approached sensibly a home birth shouldn't be regarded as that much of a liability either.