Home Birth and Midwifery in Illinois

Most women give birth in the hospital and some would not have it any other way.  But there are other women who prefer to have their babies in the comfort of their own home in the care of a midwife.

Last January, a government study by the U. S. National Center for Health Statistics found home births in the United States jumped 29 percent between 2004 and 2009. In recent years, an average of 30 thousand babies, or 1 percent of all babies, are born at home.  But year to year, the number of home births is increasing. We'll look at the midwifery model of childbirth and how it's practiced in homes and hospitals, hear from couples in central Illinois who've had successful home births and look at women's home birth options in the state and nation.

This is the fifth installment in our five-part series on midwifery and home birth in Illinois.  See links below for the other four parts of this series along with links to our guests' websites.