PLANNED homebirth, with qualified midwife, as a low-risk pregnancy is as safe as hospital birth. "The mortality rate per 1,000 births was 0.35 in the home birth group, 0.57 in hospital births attended by midwives, and 0.64 among those attended by physicians, according to the study. "Women who gave birth at home were less likely to need interventions or to have problems such as vaginal tearing or hemorrhaging. These babies were also less likely to need oxygen therapy or resuscitation" Source by frankiemarie5