Big increase in home births across UK
Reported December 10, 2008
More women are giving birth at home, according to official new data provided by the Office of National Statistics, The General Register Office for Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
The biggest increase – more than 14% – has been in Scotland, where 872 (1.5%) women had a home birth in 2007. Across the UK in 2007, 20,548 of all births (765,317) took place at home, compared with 18,953 (2.5%) in 2006. This is an encouraging rise of 8.4% home births but still only represents 2.7% of all UK births.
England and Wales also show an 8% rise in the number of home births. In England, 18,323 (2.8%) had a home birth. Wales has the highest proportion of women having home births 1271 (3.7%) and Northern Ireland having a rate of just 82 (0.3%).
Since 2000, numbers of home births have risen 54% compared with the rise in total numbers of births of 14%, showing that home birth is becoming an increasingly popular option for women. Wales shows the biggest increase in the number of home births since the year 2000 of 84%, with Scotland having the second biggest rise of 73%.
Mary Newburn, Head of Policy Research at the National Childbirth Trust, said; “It’s great to see that home birth rates are on the increase, allowing women greater choice but it is not as high as we would have expected.
“Many women around the UK still find it difficult to access a home birth because low midwifery staffing levels mean home births are not offered or withdrawn at short notice. The NCT hears regularly from women who are not able to arrange the kind of birth they want.
“Considerable work now needs to be done if the Government’s promise of choice guarantee for place of birth is to be honoured and all women are to be offered a choice of home birth. All PCTs should have specific plans in place to ensure increased provision for home birth.”
Government policy, as set out in Maternity Matters (2007) in England, published by the Department of Health, states that “women should be offered the choice of planning birth at home, in a midwifery-led unit or a consultant-led unit”.
NCT member Rosie Evans, of Rugby, said, “After giving birth to a still born girl, followed by a miscarriage, we were very anxious for the birthing experience to be special. We chose to have a home birth because I knew that in a hospital environment I would not feel able to birth, because for birth you need relaxation and for relaxation I need privacy and control. The home birth was very positive. Everyone who meets our daughter comments how calm and contented she is. I have no doubt that this, my effective contractions and short labour were all down to the fact that she was born in water and at home.”
The NCT, National Childbirth Trust, is the UK’s leading charity on pregnancy, birth and early parenthood – we’re with parents all the way from bump to baby. Each year we support thousands of parents through a life-changing experience, offering expert information and trusted practical and emotional support and we campaign for maternity services.