So You’re thinking of an out of hospital birth. Surprise! It’s safe.

Birth is safe in any setting and midwifery care has many advantages

With COVID-19 on the rise and hospitals full of sick people, many women are wondering if an out of hospital birth might be right for them. Home birth is one option as is birth in a birth center. You may be surprised to know that both are equally safe and that, in fact, birth is safe in any setting.

Where does birth usually take place in the US?

Most of us assume that hospital birth is the only and safest option because it is so common. In fact, over 98% of births take place in the hospital, but this wasn’t always the case. In 1900, almost all US births occurred outside a hospital. By 1940, the proportion of out-of-hospital births fell to 44% and by 1969 to 1%, where it remained through the 1980s.

After a gradual decline between 1990 and 2004, the percentage of out-of-hospital births began a steady increase from 0.87% of US births in 2004 to 1.36% of US births in 2012, its highest level since 1975.

In 2012, 53,635 births in the US took place out of the hospital. Two thirds took place at home and 29% took place in a freestanding birthing center. The remaining 5% occurred in a clinic…