Choice of birthplace is a core part of midwifery care. We support clients who want to plan a home birth, and we work hard to keep that option safe.
Home birth works well when the conditions are right. It requires a healthy, low-risk pregnancy, a home within range of the hospital, and a midwifery team available on the day. When those conditions line up, home birth can be a wonderful experience. When they don’t, hospital birth is the safer choice, and we’ll talk through that with you well before the birth itself.
This page covers how we approach home birth, who it’s a good fit for, and what to expect.
When home birth is a safe option
We offer home birth to clients who are:
- Healthy and low-risk through pregnancy
- Carrying a single baby in a head-down position
- Free of pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes requiring medication, or signs of preterm labor
- Living within 30 minutes of Vernon Jubilee Hospital
These criteria aren’t about saying no. They’re about making sure that if something unexpected happens during labor, we can get to the hospital quickly and you and your baby stay safe.
We assess eligibility throughout your pregnancy, not just at the start. A planned home birth can shift to a planned hospital birth if circumstances change, and that’s a normal part of careful midwifery care.
When hospital birth is the right choice
Some pregnancies and births are safer in hospital from the start. We don’t offer home birth for:
- VBAC (vaginal birth after a previous cesarean)
- Twin pregnancies
- Breech presentation (baby positioned bottom-down)
- Pregnancies with medical complications
If your situation falls into one of these categories, we’ll still provide your full midwifery care. The birth itself will happen at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, where the resources for safer outcomes are immediately available.
Where we offer home birth
Home births are currently available within 30 minutes of Vernon Jubilee Hospital. We’re keeping the catchment area conservative as we settle into the community. This may change in the future, but for now, please ask during your initial consultation if you’re unsure whether your home is within range.
When a planned home birth may shift to hospital
Even with the right conditions, a home birth sometimes needs to move to hospital. This happens for reasons including:
- A second client going into labor at the same time, leaving us without enough midwives for two safe home births
- Inclement weather or unsafe roads that would slow an emergency transfer
- A change in your health or your baby’s during labor
We discuss this possibility with every home birth client well before the birth. Flexibility is part of the safety plan, not a failure of it.
How we decide together
Birthplace isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a conversation we have across your pregnancy, with check-ins at key points. By the time you go into labor, you’ll already know what your plan is, what would change it, and what to do either way. No surprises.
If you’re considering home birth, we’d love to talk through it with you. The best way to start is with an initial consultation.