"My wife just had our fourth child earlier this year. Once again we used a midwife but this time we had a home birth. You couldn't have paid me to accept a home birth when we were new parents. I wish I knew then what I know now."

Good for you and the very best wishes.

We had all four of our children at home - two of them breech[1] - and avoided a big basket of unnecessary interventions and complications.

One of the biggest benefits was opting out of the tremendously disempowering culture of medicalized birth fostered by both male and female care providers.

An outsider would not be faulted for thinking that birth care was purpose-designed to disempower, discourage and disenfranchise women giving birth.

[1] Relax. A "frank breech" is considered a normal birth in most of the global north and is not medicalized as it is in the United States - nor does it need to be. (Not to be confused with dangerous conditions like a footling or kneeling presentation).