I believe all women should have the right to choose their birth place.  Where ever they feel most comfortable whether it be home, birthing clinic or hospital. – Trudy

In many countries in the world homebirth was the norm in my parents generation. Slowly over the 20th century hosptital birth became mandatory.

When my children were born home birthing was illegal and midwifes who helped happy couples birth healthy babies were always working just outside of the law. My midwife was truly an intricate part of my healthy easy birth for my first child. She provided personal care throughout my pregnancy and for a few weeks after my birth. I will be forever grateful to her even though I ended up having a natural birth in hospital.

Times change and over the years and many provinces in Canada have made it legal to have a home birth. A 4 year baccalaureate midwifery education program has operated at Ryerson University in Ontario since 1993.

There is a wealth of opportunities for women birthing in both hospitals and at home from hypno birthing to water birthing to

A two year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2002 showed that women who gave birth at home attended by a midwife had fewer procedures during labour compared with women who gave birth in hospital attended by a physician. It was also found that rates of perinatal mortality, 5-minute Apgar scores, meconium aspiration syndrome or need for transfer to a different hospital for specialized newborn care were very similar for the home birth group and for births in hospital attended by a physician.

A more recent  four year study  published in the same journal in August of 2009 found home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth.

Now that we have proven that home birth assisted by a midwife is as safe as birthing in a hospital; I hope women will enjoy a wide range of options for their birthing experience.