Home Birth
Home birth is safe.
A large body of evidence now exists to support home birth as a safe option for mothers and babies.
Births at home have far fewer interventions like cesarean section. 1 2 3 As well. mothers who choose
home birth report greater satisfaction with their birth experiences.
Attending out-of-hospital births is part of a midwife’s scope of practice.
It is included in the scope of practice in all other jurisdictions in Canada where midwifery is regulated.
In order to comply with federal regulations regarding labor mobility, midwives in Nova Scotia must be
competent to practice in all settings.
Midwives are trained to attend home birth.
Midwives are specialists in normal birth. They are required to be competent to attend births in both
hospital and out-of-hospital settings. Midwives are trained to recognize developing conditions and
transfer care to the appropriate specialists. They are trained to recognize problems emerging during
labour and to transfer the mother to a hospital.
The choice of place of birth should be available to those who want it.
Choosing to have a baby at home is a relatively uncommon choice, but it is
important to families who want it. Their choice should be respected. Regulated
midwifery will make competent care available to women in whatever setting
they choose for childbirth.
Download the Homebirth info sheet.
Also see the research on the safety of home birth
