As featured in the Daily Mail on 15th May 2006, you are being given every encouragement under Government plans to shake up maternity care.

Ministers want to move away from the assumption that the hospital is always the safest place to have your baby. Are you one of the many women hoping for a home birth and have faced medical opposition, especially if you are a first time mother.

Under the new approach,a home birth would no longer be the exception to the rule.

You already have the right to request a home birth but have you found obstacles have been put your way? If this attitude does change it will have a significant impact on the way maternity care is provided.

Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, who is a mother of 2, has commissioned a report to examine the latest evidence on home births and to make them more available.

For those campaigning or wishing to have a home birth and are battling against a system designed for hospital delivery, let us hear your stories. This is positive news but undoubtedly it will have an impact on midwives. There is already a reported shortage of midwives in the profession, will this change have an effect on the NHS, as they struggle now to provide the maternity care needed by you.

Let us know your experiences and how you have found your requests for a home birth was managed? Did you plan a home birth and then have to be admitted to hospital?

If you are a midwife, please let us know what you think?

To read about the story visit the BBC page Home Births

Your Views and Comments

I'm having my first child at home mainly because I don't have much confidence in the hospitals midwives.What I've been told and seen at the hospital, it leaves me wondering if they have enough midwives to give me the care I need. I've had a perfect pregnancy with no problems but am now overdue by 1 week. I have 3 days left for a home birth or hospital will be the last resort. Fingers crossed.

Emma

I’m just about to have baby number 5 and my experience of home birth has been generally very positive. My eldest child was born 12 years ago when pregnancy was definitely dealt with as an illness. There was no way they would let me have a home birth for my first child, but I think first time nerves stopped me fighting this and my hospital experience was OK. Once I’d had one straight forward delivery it was easy to convince the midwife to let me have me next child at home. Children 2,3 and 4 were all born at home in very supportive health authorities (Cornwall and Gloucestershire).

I ’m finding that with number 5 although there was no direct opposition to me having a home birth the midwife tends to throw in concern after concern, which if I wasn’t so sure it was the right thing, could influence my decision. I have large babies and the current worry is that if this baby is likely to weigh more than 11lb I have to go into hospital…where’s the logic in that? I managed to delivery my 10lb3oz daughter at home with no pain relief in 3 hours…so what’s their problem this time?

What is important is to stand firm with your decision once you’ve listened to all the pros and cons from your health professional. Child birth should be all about choices. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do, so do it your way!

Bex

I had a home birth with my first and second babies. The first was a controlled birth and a very positive experience. The midwives didn't make it to the second as it all happened so quickly and my partner had to deliver our daughter. Thankfully this happened second time round otherwise we'd only have one child! Very different experiences but I'm still pleased I did both at home. Midwives extremely supportive about homebirths.

Pip

I had a homebirth with my first child in 2001 and it was a very positive experience. Advocacy for home birth was low but my midwives were happy to support our wishes. In the event we narrowly avoided transfer to hospital because of fetal distress, but the one-to-one care that I received throughout established labour meant that any problems were detected early. I think this is a huge benefit to home birth and one which has been totally ignored by recent press reports. Hospital midwives are rarely able to attend you throughout your labour, meaning that minor problems can develop into crises by the time they are detected.

I was also told that I was 'very brave' for having a home birth, but always felt to the contrary that a hospital birth requires more bravery than remaining in your own relaxed surroundings if everything is progressing normally.

Charlotte

I am 5 weeks away from my second child and was really looking forward to a home birth. I have a 1 year old and it would make life easier, but my first child was 9llb 15oz's and arrived start to finish 3hours,40 minutes after arriving in hospital and no time for any pain relief, they think the second child will be bigger so I have been advised it would not be a good idea to have a home birth - which I am really dissapointed about but have to take there advise, unfortunatly.

Julie

Now 31 weeks pregnant. Hope to have first baby at home. Doctor and midwife very positive. Said childbirth not an illness and hospital not always needed for a safe delivery. North Tees Health Authority

Clare

I didn't think I would be allowed a home birth as this is my first baby, but it was my midwife who suggested it! I jumped at the chance, and havent looked back since. My midwife has backed me all the way and has been fantastic. Ive had a mixed response when people have asked where I'm having the baby. Most seem to think I'm "very brave" to have it at home... how strange! I'm looking forward to being at home, being more relaxed and able to do what I want to do, and not be surrounded by strange machines, in a clinical environment. I'm sure giving birth at home is extremely beneficial for mum, dad and most importantly baby.

Lianne

My son is now 6 and I had a homebirth, he is an only child. I have a great GP surgery who have a team of midwives, all I did was request if I could have a home birth. I was monitored as normal and near the end a box was bought round. It was a fantastic experience my midwives were great. People at the time were quite suprised that I was allowed a home birth and how easy I found it. I would recommend anyone to have a home birth. I was lucky to have my son but if I manage to have another child I would definatly go for a home birth.

Maria Clarke

I had a home birth with my second baby. I found that while it was generally supported by my midwife and GP, there were incidences where I was almost threatened with not being "allowed" a home birth if I raised objections to tests or practices I wasn't happy with. I am now pregnant with my third and planning another homebirth, things are different this time around but mainly I think because I've approached it with a different attitude - I am a low risk pregnancy and I am legally entitled to a homebirth.

Beverley Dent