A new study of where babies are born was recently conducted - and they didn't mean whether it was in Cardiff or Swansea, but whether they were born in hospital, a midwife led unit or at home. Many of the findings have hit the news and the best part is that giving birth is generally safe (despite the many horror stories you might hear!)
The biggest take home finding though seems to be for first time Mums. It seems that for them, a planned home birth increases the risks for the baby. For women having a first baby, there is a fairly high probability of transferring to an obstetric unit during labour or immediately after the birth.
If you are having your first child and want to think about a home birth this is an important consideration and should you decide to go ahead then there are some steps you can take to make this as safe as possible for your baby. Dr Beattie recommends that mums to be should read the study and make an informed decision and have a 'ready for birth' scan at 36 weeks to ensure that the baby is healthy, well grown and head first if you are planning a vaginal delivery at home or in a midwife led unit.