Why Home Birth

Image credit: Ruthson Zimmerman

Statistics

In New Zealand, around 3.5% of births are home births. In certain regions, such as the West Coast of the South Island, the rate of home births is at a much higher rate of around 12.5%.

Benefits

There are physical, emotional, political and personal benefits to birthing your baby at home. The statistics indicate that home birth is a safe and positive choice for low risk pregnancies.

Image credit: Capturing Life Photography

Image credit: Kelly Dorgan

NZ Maternity System

The Maternity system in New Zealand is based on the concept of having a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) who coordinates your maternity care in a partnership with you, they are contracted through Te Whatu Ora.

Cascade of Intervention

There is a high chance that one medical intervention thought to be harmless, will begin a domino effect and lead to another one, with many of these interventions often being unnecessary.