I believe that it is the midwives role to give the all options with their facts (good and bad) and to support the womens choice. Many women will feel more secure going into hospital to give birth because it is now the norm and perhaps they don't realise that a home birth is an option.

I remember at my 'booking in' visit with my midwife she asked me where I would like to give birth. To be honest I hadn't given it a great deal of thought and hadn't even spoken to my husband about it so I said I would prefer a hospital birth thinking that nearer time I would discuss it with my husband and we would make a decision together. Immediately after saying a hospital birth the midwife turned to me smiled and told me that I had made the best and safest decision which put me in a position where I felt I couldn't change my mind at a later point.

This attitude goes totally against what I think is the responsibility of each and every midwife which is to explain all options available and support all decisions that they make - each and every different decision - whether it is their own preference or not.