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Planning a home birth

Whether you would plan to give birth at home with a trained attendant. It involves who qualifies, who attends, how far the hospital is, and a plan for transferring if something changes.

Is a home birth right for us, and how do we plan one?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Not considering it; Open to it if low-risk and a hospital is close; Planned with a licensed midwife and a written transfer plan; Planned with an unlicensed attendant. Evidence: experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh. Best settled: during pregnancy.

Evidence
Experts disagree
Best settled
During pregnancy
Part of
Pregnancy to first birthday

Planning a home birth: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Not considering it

    You plan to give birth in a hospital or birth center.

  2. 2. Open to it if low-risk and a hospital is close

    You would consider home birth if your pregnancy is low-risk and a hospital is nearby.

  3. 3. Planned with a licensed midwife and a written transfer plan

    You plan a home birth with a licensed midwife and an agreed plan for transferring to hospital.

  4. 4. Planned with an unlicensed attendant

    You plan a home birth with someone who is not a licensed midwife.

Planning a home birth: what does the evidence say?

Experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh.

ACOG advises against planned home birth but supports an informed discussion, and treats breech presentation, twins and a prior cesarean as reasons it is not appropriate. The Birthplace in England study found that most first-time mothers planning a home birth, about 45% by summaries of the study, were transferred to hospital during labor, versus roughly 9-13% of those who had given birth before (Birthplace in England; figures from search summaries because the report PDF could not be read in full). UK NICE guidance reads the evidence more favorably for low-risk second and later births and notes a small increase in risk for first-time mothers. The attendant's training, hospital distance and a transfer plan matter as much as the setting

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Home birth is planned for low-risk pregnancies with a trained attendant and a clear route to hospital. A meaningful share of planned home births transfer during labor, especially first births, usually for slow progress rather than emergencies. The attendant's qualifications and how far you are from a hospital are central to the decision.

Questions to ask each other

  • What draws us toward, or away from, giving birth at home?
  • Who would attend, how far is the nearest hospital, and what is the transfer plan?
  • What would make us change our mind during pregnancy or in labor?

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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.