Seeing Birth in a New Light: How Exposure to Homebirth Transforms Midwives’ Understanding of Physiological Birth

Abstract

Since the 19th Century, hospital has been considered the default place of birth for Australian women, with the vast majority of women giving birth in hospital labour ward settings. Currently in Australia, less than 1,000 women give birth at home each year, with homebirths representing just 0.4% of all births in 2020.1 As such, many maternity-care providers have never been exposed to homebirth in their personal or professional lives, making them unfamiliar with this unique birth setting.