Most of the time, it's probably safe, but there are situations where it's not at all safe. What if the baby comes out with a serious medical issue? Because I'm interested in Biology, I've studied up on a lot of deformities and sometimes parents are very surprised to learn that a baby that had seemed normal when they had all the prenatal tests came out and needed immediate emergency care.
The Hensel twins were a surprise to their parents. They thought they were having one baby, but they actually had conjoined twins. There are also cases where the baby might have trouble breathing when they come out and need oxygen or something like that. Juliana Wetmore's parents thought that she just had a cleft palate before she was born but when she was born they realized her face was severely deformed and she had to be in the neonatal ICU for a while just so the doctors could save her life.
There's also the issue of liability. If something goes really wrong during a hospital birth you may be able to sue the doctors for malpractice and get some of the money you will need to help with the resulting costs, however if you use an individual such as a midwife, even if you got a judgment in your favor you can't get the money from someone who doesn't have it.
Topic: For the Record : Midwives (Read 376 times)