Choosing where to give birth is an important part of preparing for your baby's arrival.
In the UK, depending on your individual circumstances and the maternity services available locally, you may be able to give birth at home, in a midwife-led unit or birth centre, or in a hospital maternity unit.
For some women with a straightforward pregnancy, giving birth at home offers the reassurance of familiar surroundings and the opportunity to labour with fewer medical interventions.
But home birth isn't the right choice for every pregnancy, and there are important considerations — particularly whether this is your first baby, your individual health and pregnancy circumstances, and what would happen if you needed to transfer to hospital.
Here's what to know when considering a planned home birth.
Can I Have a Home Birth on the NHS?
Yes.
Home birth is an established birth option within NHS maternity care, although the services available can vary depending on where you live.
The NHS advises discussing your preferred place of birth with your midwife. Your options will depend on your health, your pregnancy, your baby's wellbeing and any factors that could increase the likelihood of complications.
If you're interested in giving birth at home, ask your midwife about the home birth service in your area and how it works.
Am I Suitable for a Home Birth?
A planned home birth is usually recommended for women who have a straightforward pregnancy and where both mother and baby are well.
If there are medical or pregnancy-related factors that increase the possibility of complications, your maternity team may recommend giving birth in hospital, where obstetric, anaesthetic and neonatal care is immediately available.
For example, hospital birth may be recommended in circumstances such as a multiple pregnancy or when a baby is breech.
Your own circumstances matter, so suitability for home birth should be discussed individually with your midwife or obstetric team rather than decided from a checklist online.
Is Home Birth Safe?
This is one of the most important questions — and the answer differs depending on whether you've given birth before.
If you've had a baby before
For women with a straightforward pregnancy who have previously given birth, the NHS says a planned home birth is as safe for the baby as giving birth in hospital or a midwife-led unit.
There is also a lower likelihood of some interventions, such as forceps or ventouse, when low-risk women plan birth at home rather than in an obstetric unit.
If this is your first baby
The picture is slightly different. For someone having their first baby, NHS guidance says planned home birth is associated with a small increase in the risk of serious problems for the baby.
The figures given by the NHS are approximately: 5 in every 1,000 births in hospital compared with 9 in every 1,000 planned home births.
These numbers need context: serious problems remain uncommon in both settings, but the difference is important enough to discuss with your midwife when making an informed decision.
What Are the Potential Benefits of Home Birth?
For women for whom home birth is suitable, one of its biggest attractions is simply being at home.
You may appreciate:
- familiar surroundings
- not having to travel to hospital once labour has begun
- greater freedom over your immediate environment
- remaining at home with your partner and family
- the possibility of being cared for by a midwife you've met previously
- a lower likelihood of some medical interventions in a low-risk pregnancy
Some women find being in their own surroundings helps them feel more relaxed and comfortable during labour.
But these are potential benefits rather than guarantees. Every labour and birth unfolds differently.
What Happens During a Home Birth?
If you plan an NHS home birth, a midwife will attend you at home during labour.
They will assess how labour is progressing and monitor the wellbeing of you and your baby.
Although you're at home, this is still clinical maternity care provided by a regulated healthcare professional.
Your midwife will also be looking for signs that additional care may be needed. If concerns arise or labour isn't progressing as expected, they can arrange transfer to hospital.
You can read more about the role of your maternity team in our guide to Midwives vs Doulas: What's the Difference?
What Pain Relief Can I Have During a Home Birth?
Pain-relief options at home are more limited than those available in an obstetric unit.
Depending on your local home birth service, options may include:
- gas and air
- a warm bath or birth pool
- TENS
- massage
- breathing and relaxation techniques
- movement and different labour positions
An epidural isn't available at home. If you decide during labour that you want an epidural, you would need to transfer to hospital.
Ask your own maternity team exactly what pain relief its home birth service can provide, as local arrangements can differ.
What Happens If I Need to Transfer to Hospital?
Planning for the possibility of hospital transfer is an important part of planning a home birth.
Transfer doesn't necessarily mean that a life-threatening emergency has occurred.
You might transfer because labour isn't progressing as expected, because you want pain relief that isn't available at home, or because your midwife identifies something that would be better assessed or managed in hospital.
Emergency transfer can also sometimes be necessary.
This is why the NHS recommends discussing in advance:
- which hospital you would be transferred to
- how transfer would be arranged
- approximately how long it could take
- what circumstances might lead your midwife to recommend transfer.
How Common Is Transfer for a First Home Birth?
This is particularly important for first-time mothers.
NICE data indicate that approximately 450 per 1,000 — around 45% — of low-risk first-time mothers planning a home birth transfer to an obstetric unit during labour or immediately after birth.
That doesn't mean 45% experience an emergency.
However, it does mean that if you're planning your first birth at home, the possibility of transferring to hospital is something worth regarding as a normal part of contingency planning rather than a failure of your birth plan.
Transfer rates are substantially lower for women who have previously given birth. For example, NHS maternity information from King's College Hospital cites approximately 12% for second or subsequent births, although local figures can vary.
What About Monitoring My Baby?
Your baby's wellbeing will be monitored during a planned home birth, but the equipment and type of monitoring available differ from those available in an obstetric unit.
If your midwife identifies a reason that you or your baby require monitoring or treatment that cannot appropriately be provided at home, transfer to hospital may be recommended.
Ask your maternity service what monitoring it provides during home births and under what circumstances transfer would be advised.
What Should I Prepare at Home?
Your maternity service should explain what you need to prepare.
Practical arrangements may include:
- suitable space for you to labour
- easy access for the midwives
- towels and other supplies recommended by your maternity team
- arrangements for a birth pool if you're planning to use one
- heating and hot water
- somewhere appropriate for your midwives to work
- a packed hospital bag in case you need to transfer
You don't need to transform your house into a miniature hospital.
Your maternity team will tell you what equipment they bring and what they'd like you to have available.
Our Hospital Bag Checklist is also useful even if you're planning to give birth at home.
Can Your Partner and Family Be There?
One attraction of home birth can be having greater control over who is around you.
But think about what will genuinely help you feel safe and comfortable rather than trying to create the perfect “birth experience”. Some people want their partner and family nearby. Others prefer a very quiet environment.
If you're considering having children or other family members present, discuss this with your midwife and think practically about who will look after them if your labour requires your full attention or you need to transfer to hospital.
Your partner should also understand the transfer plan.
Our Pregnancy for Partners explains some of the practical ways a partner can prepare for labour, birth and the weeks afterwards.
What If My Plans Change?
Choosing a home birth doesn't mean you're committed to remaining at home regardless of what happens.
Equally, deciding earlier in pregnancy that you intend to give birth in hospital doesn't mean you can't discuss your options again if your circumstances allow.
Your health, your baby's wellbeing and your own preferences can change as pregnancy progresses.
The NHS explicitly advises that you can change your mind about where to give birth during pregnancy.
Questions I Should Ask My Midwife About Home Birth
If you're considering home birth, useful questions include:
- Is a home birth suitable for my pregnancy?
- How does the home birth service work locally?
- Who will attend my birth?
- What pain relief is available at home?
- Can I use a birth pool?
- How will my baby be monitored?
- What might cause you to recommend hospital transfer?
- Which hospital would I go to?
- How would transfer be arranged?
- How long does transfer usually take from my home?
- What should I prepare beforehand?
- What happens immediately after my baby is born?
These conversations can help turn the idea of a home birth into a realistic plan based on the maternity care available where you live.
Home Birth, Birth Centre or Hospital?
There isn't one birth setting that's right for everybody.
For some women with straightforward pregnancies, home birth can provide a safe and comfortable option with fewer interventions.
For others, a midwife-led birth centre offers an appealing middle ground: a more home-like environment while remaining within or closer to maternity facilities.
And for pregnancies where additional medical care may be required, an obstetric unit provides immediate access to obstetricians, anaesthetists and specialist newborn care.
Your individual health and pregnancy circumstances matter more than anybody else's ideal version of birth.
Talk through the benefits and considerations with your midwife, understand your local options and transfer arrangements, and make the decision that feels appropriate for you and your baby.
Preparing for Birth and Beyond
As your due date approaches:
Third Trimester of Pregnancy: What to Expect in Weeks 28–40+
Midwife vs Doula: What's the Difference?
What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
And once your baby arrives:
Fourth Trimester: The Complete Guide →
Written by Primrose + Ginger