Women told to give birth at home

BBC on-line, UK, November , 2006

Mothers-to-be in Bridlington will be encouraged to opt for home births

A maternity unit in Bridlington is to close as an NHS trust attempts to claw back £7m of overspending.

Hospital bosses say mothers-to-be in the town will be encouraged to opt for home births.

The move is part of a raft of measures announced by Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust on Friday, in a bid to save £4.5m a year.

The trust also announced a recruitment freeze, but said it did not plan any compulsory redundancies.

To read the rest of the article visit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/6115210.stm

While I love the idea that the U.K. is officially promoting home birth, I don't think anyone should tell a woman where to give birth.

Home birth a family affair (New Zeland)

Hawkes Bay Today, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, October 27, 2006
KATE NEWTON

Alex Cameron has never liked hospitals, not even when he worked in one, so when his wife Ruth decided to have their first son at home he was rapt.

"It meant I could be more involved. In a hospital I wouldn't have been able to do anything - just sit there and hold her hand," the former army medic said.

When Jack was born 20 months ago and then Isaac eight months ago Alex was on hand to run the baths, lay down the tarpaulin and sheets in the lounge and serve coffee on demand.

Read the rest of the article at http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3707238&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Colette's comment: typical feel-good homebirth story