Home Birth

Associate Professor Hannah Dahlen, from the Australian College of Midwives, said evidence had long showed mothers have higher satisfaction rates when giving birth at home.

Midwife home birth as safe as hospital, says study

Louise Hall Home birth assisted by a trained midwife is just as safe for low-risk mothers and their babies as a delivery led by a midwife in hospital, a study of more than half a million women has found.

Home birth program that delivers

Kate Benson It took Bailey Mannion only 75 minutes to slip calmly into the world, amid the comforts of his own loungeroom, unaware he was quietly making history.

Baby steps as hospitals deliver a helping hand to home-birth push

John Elder Midwives working away from labour wards are to be covered by insurance under a pilot scheme, writes John Elder.

Born in an ambulance

Nicole Salinas When I found out I was pregnant for the 3rd time I was over the moon. The emotions I felt with my other pregnancies and births came rushing back! I was sure I was going to go early and have a fast...

Birth rights

John van Tiggelen In many countries, home births are commonplace - and generally regarded as safe. So why in Australia, where such births are rare, is the Government discouraging the practice? John van Tiggelen...

Roxon joins mother of birthing battles

Leslie Cannold The Rudd Government's threatened ban on home births is moving closer to reality.

Push against home births

AAP Proposed laws which would stop mothers accessing registered midwives for home births would jeopardise the health of thousands of women and babies, a peak maternity group says.

It's a woman's right to choose how she births

Monica Dux In five months' time, if my pregnancy progresses without complication, I will birth my second child at home, attended by two registered private midwives.

Birthing after July 1, 2010?

Melissa Maimann Essential Baby explains the changes to legislation and the consequences it may have for those birthing after mid-2010.

Emma's homebirth after two caesars

Emma I have had two “failure to progress” labours leading to two emergency c-sections. My third time around I was aiming for, and achieved, a HBA2C (home birth after two caesars)!

Home births in jeopardy

AAP Home births could be pushed underground in "fragile, secretive arrangements" after a federal review rejected funding for the practice, an academic says.

Midwifery reborn in birth review

Julie Robotham Midwives would be allowed to prescribe medicines and their services could, for the first time, attract a Medicare rebate under reforms to maternity provisions proposed in a national review of birth...

Tips for a VBAC

Melissa Maimann Are you planning or considering a vaginal birth after a caesarean (VBAC)? With the Australian caesar rate up to 31% more and more women are reconsidering a subsequent caesar.

Orgasmic birth an old midwives' tale

Avril Moore Hippie claptrap aside, childbirth is far more agony than ecstasy says Avril Moore.

Birthing your baby at home

Melissa Maimann Homebirth is increasingly being spoken about as an alternative to hospital birth, however it remains a less common choice for birth, with the majority of Australian women birthing in hospital.