Home Birth in the UK: Is It Right for You?

Medically reviewed content. Last updated: April 2026.

Having your baby at home is a safe option for many people in the UK, and it is fully supported by NHS community midwives. If you are considering a home birth, this guide explains who it is suitable for, what happens on the day, and how to prepare.

What is a home birth?

A home birth means giving birth at your own home with the support of NHS midwives. Two midwives attend during the active stage of labour, bringing all the equipment needed for a normal delivery and for handling most emergencies.

Home birth is an established part of NHS maternity care. NICE guidelines state that midwives and doctors should support all women in their choice of birth setting, including home birth, as long as they have been given full information about the options.

Is home birth safe?

The largest UK study on birth settings, the Birthplace Study published in the BMJ in 2011, found that:

• For people having their second or subsequent baby with no complications, home birth was as safe as hospital birth. There was no increased risk to the baby, and there were significantly fewer interventions (caesareans, epidurals, instrumental deliveries).
• For people having their first baby, there was a slightly higher rate of transfer to hospital and a small increase in adverse outcomes compared to hospital birth. The absolute risk remained low.

Based on this evidence, NICE recommends that people having their second or subsequent baby with a straightforward pregnancy should be informed that a home birth is a safe choice. For first-time parents, NICE recommends a full discussion of the benefits and risks.

Who can have a home birth?

Home birth is generally considered suitable if:

• You are at least 37 weeks pregnant
• You have had a straightforward pregnancy with no significant complications
• Your baby is in a head-down position
• You are carrying a single baby (not twins or multiples)
• You have no medical conditions that require closer monitoring during labour

Even with some risk factors, you have the right to choose a home birth. Your midwife will discuss the specific risks with you so you can make an informed decision. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Home birth is generally not recommended if you have pre-eclampsia, placenta praevia, a baby in breech position, require insulin-treated diabetes management, or have had a previous caesarean (though this is debated and some trusts do support home VBAC with appropriate risk discussion).

What are the benefits?

Familiar, comfortable environment

Being in your own home means you control your surroundings. You can move freely between rooms, use your own bath or shower, eat your own food, and have whoever you want around you. Research suggests that feeling safe and relaxed can help labour progress by supporting the release of oxytocin.

Fewer interventions

The Birthplace Study showed that people who planned a home birth were significantly less likely to have a caesarean, episiotomy, or instrumental delivery compared to those in hospital. This may be partly because being at home reduces the opportunity for routine interventions, and partly because the relaxed environment supports normal labour.

Continuity of care

In many areas, community midwifery teams offer better continuity for home births than hospital births. You may get to know the midwives who will attend your birth in advance, which can improve both your experience and your outcomes.

No need to travel during labour

One of the most practical benefits is that you do not need to time your journey to hospital or worry about getting there during contractions. You are already where you need to be.

Recovery at home

After a home birth, you recover in your own bed, with your own things around you. There is no waiting for discharge, and your partner and other children can be there from the start.

What are the potential drawbacks?

No epidural available

An epidural is only available in hospital. If you decide you want one during labour, you will need to be transferred. Other pain relief options (gas and air, a TENS machine, warm water, and pethidine or diamorphine injections) are available at home.

Transfer to hospital

Around 12% of people having their second or subsequent baby at home transfer to hospital during labour. For first-time parents, the transfer rate is higher, at around 36 to 45%. Most transfers are not emergencies but are for slow progress, a request for an epidural, or as a precaution. Emergency transfers (such as for cord prolapse or heavy bleeding) are rare.

Not all trusts have reliable home birth services

Staffing pressures mean that some trusts occasionally cannot guarantee midwife availability for home births. It is worth asking your local maternity unit about the reliability of their home birth service and having a backup plan in case a midwife is not available on the day.

How do you arrange a home birth?

Tell your midwife

Let your midwife know early in pregnancy that you are interested in a home birth. They can discuss your individual circumstances and refer you to the community midwifery team if needed.

Prepare your home

You do not need to make major changes to your home. Your midwives will bring everything they need, including gas and air, equipment for monitoring you and your baby, and supplies for managing emergencies. You will need to provide:

• A clean, warm room with space for the midwives to work around you
• Old sheets, towels, and waterproof sheeting (a shower curtain or plastic sheeting works well) to protect your floors and furniture
• Good lighting (a desk lamp or bright torch in case the midwives need to see clearly)
• If you want a birth pool, arrange hire or purchase well in advance and have a trial run filling and emptying it

Have a hospital bag packed

Even if you are planning a home birth, having a hospital bag ready is sensible in case of transfer. Include your maternity notes, toiletries, clothes for you and baby, and a car seat.

Plan your support

Decide who you want with you during labour. Your birth partner, a doula, or family members can all be present. If you have other children, arrange for someone to look after them during the birth (or have them present if that is what you would like).

What happens during a home birth?

Early labour

You will manage early labour at home as you would before going to hospital. Stay mobile, eat and drink, use a TENS machine or warm bath, and call your midwife when contractions become regular and strong.

Active labour

When you call your midwife and they assess that you are in active labour, they will come to your home. A second midwife is called as the birth approaches. They will monitor you and your baby at regular intervals using a handheld Doppler and check your blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.

The birth

You can give birth in whatever room and position you choose. Many people use their living room or bedroom. Birth pools are popular for home births. Your midwife will guide you through delivery and manage any complications that arise.

After the birth

Your midwife will help you deliver the placenta, check you and your baby are well, help you start breastfeeding if you wish, and complete the initial newborn checks. They will stay for at least an hour after the birth before leaving you to rest at home. A midwife will visit you at home the following day.

Key takeaways

• Home birth is a safe option for most people with straightforward pregnancies, particularly those having their second or subsequent baby
• The Birthplace Study found that home birth for experienced parents carries no increased risk to the baby compared to hospital
• Benefits include a familiar environment, fewer interventions, no need to travel, and recovering in your own home
• Epidurals are not available at home, and transfer rates to hospital are around 12% for experienced parents and 36 to 45% for first-time parents
• Arrange your home birth through your community midwifery team and prepare your home with basic supplies
• Always have a hospital bag packed as a backup

Sources

• NHS. Where to give birth: the options. nhs.uk
• NICE Clinical Guideline CG190. Intrapartum care for healthy women and babies. 2014, updated 2023
• The Birthplace in England Collaborative Group. Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth. BMJ. 2011
• RCOG and Royal College of Midwives. Home birth: joint statement. 2017
• NHS. Home birth. nhs.uk