How duchess would be going against NHS advice

HOME births are generally considered a safe option if women have already had a baby – provided there were no complications.

But they are not normally recommended for those having their first child.

This is because new mothers may experience problems during the birth which require a caesarean or forceps delivery, which can only be done at hospital.

In recent years health officials have been trying to encourage women to consider having their babies at home, or in birthing units, instead of in hospital.

Not only are these options cheaper for the NHS, they also provide a more relaxing experience away from the stress and noise of a busy labour ward.

Furthermore, a large number of NHS trusts do not have the staffing capacity or funding to provide dedicated midwives to run birthing units. But many women are understandably reluctant to have their babies away from hospital just in case something goes wrong, and they are far away from doctors and nurses.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that only 2.1 per cent of women in England and Wales had a home birth in 2017. The remainder had their babies in hospital or midwife-led units, although the data does not give the respective numbers.

There are no official figures on the safety of home births compared to those which take place in hospital or smaller, midwifeled birthing units.

Guidelines from the health watchdog NICE, published in 201 , state that women do not need to book a hospital delivery unless they are at high risk of complications. They can consider a home birth if they have already had one child. But if it is their first child they should go to a midwife-led unit. The guidance states: ‘Midwives should explain to the mother-to-be that she may choose any birth setting... and support her in her choice.’

It adds: ‘Midwives should advise low-risk women who have already had at least one child to plan to give birth either at home or in a midwife-led unit.’

Advice from Tommy’s, which funds research to prevent stillbirths, says: ‘If you’ve had a baby before and this pregnancy is low-risk, giving birth at home is generally a safe and suitable option.’