Common homebirth myths and misconceptions

If you've had a homebirth or a planning for one, chances are you've encountered some of these myths and misconceptions. 

"Isn't homebirth dangerous?" 

"Isn't homebirth messy?"

"Isn't homebirth illegal?"

In this blogpost we look at some common myths and misconceptions to see what the evidence actually says.

Birthing at home means you have no medical care.

The majority of families who birth at home in Australia do so under the care of a midwife, either through a publicly funded homebirth program or from a private practice. This midwife will provide personalised support and medical care throughout pregnancy, attend the birth alongside a second midwife, and provide antenatal care for mother and baby for up to 6 weeks post birth. 

Some women choose to freebirth, which means giving birth without the attendance of a medical professional. There is no official data on the exact number of women freebirthing in Australia. Women freebirth for a variety of reasons including not being able to access midwifery support, or the desire to have absolute sovereignty over their birth.

Homebirth is dangerous.

Probably the biggest misconception about homebirth is that it's dangerous, and that by choosing to birth at home you're putting yourself and your baby at risk. But the research into homebirth shows that it is actually as safe or safer than giving birth in hospital for many women. Research shows that women planning to birth at home are three times more likely to have a normal (non-instrumental) vaginal birth, have lower rates of perineal trauma and haemorrhage, lower rates of postnatal depression, higher breastfeeding rates and greater maternal satisfaction with the birth. 

There is no statistically significant difference in infant mortality in babies born at home vs. in a hospital setting. Midwives carry out the same monitoring and assessment of a baby's wellbeing during labour and birth whether at home or in hospital, and will advise transferring to hospital if there is any concern about the safety of mother or baby. The World Health Organisation recognises homebirth as a safe option for women at low risk of complication.

For a further breakdown of the research and a look at the history of homebirth, listen to this episode of the Great Birth Rebellion podcast.

Homebirth is illegal.

It is legal to give birth at home in all states in Australia. Publicly funded homebirth programs are only available in some areas and often have stringent eligibility criteria. Privately practicing midwives are able to attend homebirths in all states. They are extremely skilled, currently a PPM must have had over 5000 hours experience in a tertiary (i.e a hospital) setting & have done post graduate study.

Homebirth is messy and unhygienic.

Many midwives argue that homebirth is actually less messy than hospital birth! Less clinical waste is produced as less single use items are needed. This means that homebirth is also considered more environmentally friendly than birthing in hospital. 

If you're under the care of a midwife, they will handle the majority of the cleanup after your baby arrives including emptying and packing down the pool, putting towels in the wash and disposing of waste. There will likely be little evidence of the birth left at all other than your new baby!

As for concerns about hygiene, midwives bring their own sterilised equipment and are trained in infection control practices. Although birth pools are reused, a single use liner is fitted to ensure cleanliness and once your hose has been used to drain the pool it isn't reused.

Homebirth is only for hippies/crunchy mums.

Women who choose to birth at home are definitely a small minority - just 0.6% across Australia according to the 2025 Australia's Mothers and Babies Report. But all different types of families choose homebirth for a variety of reasons. And many more families want to birth at home, but are unable to because of financial, geographic and other barriers.

There are numerous birth story podcasts where you can listen to Australian women from all walks of life telling their homebirth stories, such as Birthing at Home: A podcast (hosted by HBV co-creator, Elsie!) and Homebirth Stories Australia. It's also worth noting that up until the 20th century when birth became medicalised, the vast majority of babies were born at home under the care of community midwives, and the term "homebirth" wasn't even used because it was the norm.

Homebirth isn't an option for first time mums. 

It is true that the majority of women who birth at home in Australia are second+ time mums, as shown in the Mothers and Babies Report. 

However, this is not a criteria for having a homebirth.

Both publicly funded homebirth programs and private midwifery care are available to first time mums. This misconception possibly stems from some international publicly funded homebirth programs which are only available to second+ time mums who have previously had straightforward hospital births, but this is not a criteria for Australian programs.

My home isn't big enough for a homebirth /I need to own my home/I live in an apartment/I need my landlord or neighbours permission to have a homebirth.

Some families feel more comfortable sharing their plans to homebirth with their neighbours, particularly if they are close by such as in an apartment building and noise is a concern. Another option some people choose is to put up a sign on the front door saying something like "Homebirth in progress, please do not disturb" in case anyone is concerned by the noise. However this is personal preference and you are not required to tell anyone or ask anyone's permission to give birth at home.

Not having enough space to have a homebirth is also a common concern, particularly from families living in apartments or units. However even in a small studio apartment you're likely to have more space than you would in a hospital birth suite, and you can also get more creative with how you set up the space. Some women like to set up different "stations" around the house, for example a yoga mat on the floor in one area and the birth pool in another. If you are planning a water birth, many companies now make and hire mini birthpools which can be another way to save space. If you have any concerns about space, your midwife or doula will be happy to provide suggestions.

Finally, if you can host a group of adults in your apartment, you can absolutely have a birth pool full of water in your apartment!

Let us know in the comments, what homebirth myths and misconceptions have you encountered and how did you respond to them?