United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Prior to my first pregnancy, I would always have opted for a home delivery as I was terrified of hospitals.
Here in the Uk home births are not the norm and one would have to be quite dogmatic to get one in most areas.
I was considered a high risk Mum because of a few factors and Michael was delivered after a long and hard labour in hospital. There were issues surrounding birth asphyxia and feeding problems, so I was glad that
I was in hospital for the delivery ultimately.
Because of the problems when I delivered Michael, when I had Gavin 14 months later (robpi) there was NO question of a home delivery - NO midwife would have agreed to attend.
Gavin's delivery was even worse as it was complicated by a severe Shoulder Dystocia and even though he suffered a group 3/4 injury, I would NOT have wanted to deliver at home, I honestly believe that had we been at home with only one midwife in attendance (that's the norm here) then Gavin would certainly have been stillborn and I might possibly have died also.
Despite the fact I have NOT had good experiences with my deliveries, I don't feel that the reason for the shortcomings lie with the hospital - I just don't think I deliver well- LOL
I am pleased I was in hospital for the deliveries, I truly feel I would have lost both of my children if I hadn't been in a facility with expert help on hand.
I do have some issues with the care given in hospital and can fully understand why anyone would prefer to deliver at home - the continuity of care, familiar surroundings etc etc, but for me, I think we made the best choices

unplanned and unwanted midwife here in this case...result was Erb-Klumpke's pasly (2 ruptures, 2 avulsions and 2 stretches (1 of which made it bilateral). She just didn't want to admit she couldn't handle the shoulder dystocia and waited until the head was out for over 5 minutes before calling for assistance. To each their own--plenty of drs react badly and cause this injury as well.

original question was not about simply midwives but those that deliver at home (I think?)
...and it was regarding a mother who was a candidate for a homebirth I will assume.
Comment about the percentage of homebirths? The number is now between 1 and 3% and I guarantee that a MUCH smaller number than 1 or 3% here on this board was injured at home.Think about it.Not by midwife but by HOMEbirth midwife.
Now if you look at cause and affect it could very well simply bethat the safer births at home occur because only low risk healthy moms are allowed to deliver at home,high risk moms deliver at the hospital...
but objective interpretation of statistics for women who are healthy candidates for homebirth suggest it far safer for those women to birth at home, not in the hospital.