Is Home Birth Safe? A Collection of Resources and Evidence
- Mary Haseltine
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 26
Without doubt, one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to the option to birth at home is "but is that safe??" Whether it's a skeptical spouse, nervous family, or poorly trained professional, many assume that being at the hospital is safer for mother and baby. But is that true?
For thousands of years, birth at home was the default. It was only in the early/mid 20th century that there was a swell of movement toward hospital birth as midwifery care and birth at home was actively campaigned against and vilified by those in power who could profit from the pathologizing of birth and moving it en masse into the hospital system. It has now become the norm in our culture. Planned birth at home occurs for just over 1% of women in the United States. But what do the statistics and evidence say about the difference in outcomes?
Today, any objective look at the best available evidence clearly shows that mortality rates (death rates) for both mother and baby in "low-risk" pregnancies are statistically equivalent whether planned at home or hospital.
The evidence also overwhelmingly shows that morbidity rates, which refers to the state of health related to complication, intervention, satisfaction, and long term consequences, are VASTLY better for mothers and babies at home. When we consider the overall health and wellbeing of both mother and baby, the outcomes between home and hospital are very different. The rates of cesarean surgery, vaginal/perineal tearing, NICU admission, infection, hemorrhage, instrumental delivery (using forceps or vacuum), pathological jaundice, trauma, complications due to induction/anesthesia/narcotics and more are significantly lower for women planning to birth at home. Breastfeeding success and emotional satisfaction are much higher at home as well.
Is home birth for everyone? No. But the great majority of women could safely birth at home with better outcomes for them and their babies than if they were in the hospital, especially if they have access to appropriate intervention when needed and indicated.
This article is not meant as an exhaustive article on the benefits or how-to's of home birth - whole books can be written on that - but it is rather a collection of resources for help in answering this common question and objection to home birth. Below you can find documentaries, studies, interviews, and more to dig into and share.
When it comes to hesitant husbands, we've found the most effective resources are watching the documentaries and/or simply scheduling an interview with a midwife to sit down and ask all the "what if" questions.
This will be a working article and we will be adding to it as we learn of more resources. If you know of an article, book, podcast episode, or other resource specific to this topic that we should include, please let us know!
Documentaries:
Podcast Episodes:
Is Home Birth a Good Choice for You? from The Great Birth Rebellion
This episode contains a WEALTH of information breaking down the research behind planned home birth (can be found here or on any podcast platform)
“But What if Something Goes Wrong?”- How Midwives Handle Emergencies at Home from Happy Homebirth podcast
(can be found here or on any podcast platform)
Studies:
PubMed: Home Versus Hospital Deliveries: Follow Up Study of Matched Pairs for Procedures and Outcome
Regarding significant flaws in the Wax et al study that purported a higher incidence of neonatal death at home, the study upon which many professionals stake their opinion against home birth:
AJOG: Maternal and Newborn Outcomes in Planned Home Birth Vs Planned Hospital Births: A Metaanalysis
Additional Support/Stories/Information:
