Why at home?

I used to subscribe to Mothering Magazine but haven't read it for quite some time. This article (Candles not required) was passed on to me through the Friends of Missouri Midwives email list and it is really well written and addresses a lot of preconceptions about who chooses to homebirth and why. An excerpt:

...after exploring my options, I decided I wanted to give my baby and I the best natural childbirth experience I could. That was paramount for me. What I wanted could not be found where I was looking and I chose to look elsewhere.

So think of me as you may. Be it martyr, fruitcake, anti-establishment chick, or hippie-wanna-be. I prefer to consider myself a woman who found what she was looking for in the last place she looked: right at home.

Consequently, I also found out that while having a homebirth, chanting is optional, new age music is your choice, and candles are not required.