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Almost everyone who attempts a home birth has a safe successful delivery.  However, for most women, delivering a baby is the most dangerous thing they have ever done in their lives.  The risk of a mother in the U.S of dying during pregnancy (11 per 10,000) is higher than the risk of dying during one year of driving a motorcycle, driving an ATV recreationally, or having HIV, and most people would consider these to be risky conditions where certain safety practices should be considered. 

Most women think that an amniocentesis is a risky procedure.  However the danger of having a baby die around time of delivery (1% in the U.S.) is at least 2x as dangerous as the chance of miscarriage after an amniocentesis. 

Most patients want to do what is safest for their babies.  Without question, this means delivering in a hospital, delivering in a birth center next to a hospital, or at least delivering with a provider who has expertise and training.   I support patient autonomy and the right of mothers to make their own choices, but in reality, home delivery with a direct entry midwife is a sensible choice only for those mothers who put their personal birth experience above the safety of their children.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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