for a safe home birth:
- The woman must be committed to actively engage in health promotion
- The place of birth must be planned before the onset of labor
- The attendent must be skilled, able to screen appropriately, provide vigilant care, and manage emergency complications should they occur
- There is a system in place for access to medical consultation, hospitalization, and emergency transport
Home birth is very safe, birth can be trusted, and a trained midwife can help you to have a wonderful birth experience, but there are risks, however small they may be. In the end, you must be willing to take an honest look at the risks and benefits associated with both home and hospital birth, and decide which risks you are willing to take. Then, you are ready to sign an informed consent document for your care provider.
For your reference, here are some websites where you can find home birth studies, and read what care providers are saying about them. Be aware that each opinion is biased: