Home birth!

I am very excited about this post: home birth! Sometimes it is still surprising to even me that I am going to have a home birth. I honestly didn't even think of it as a legitimate option probably up until 3 years ago. There are so many funny little things that I am looking forward to about having the home birth rather than the hospital:
I am excited to have my kids meet their sibling just minutes after he/she is born. (Yes, we still haven't found out whether I am carrying a boy or a girl - we have held out strong :)
I am excited to have pictures where I am not wearing an ugly hospital gown.
I am excited that those pictures will be in my very own home.
I am looking forward to being able to walk around freely during labor.
I am glad I will have a shower that I am comfortable with right there, easily accessibly, before and after the birth.
I am glad I will not have to lay on my back when pushing or during any part of labor, if I don't want to.
I am looking forward to trying unique things during labor to distract, ie: playing the piano, passing a volleyball with hubby (guess you have to know me to get that one)
I am relieved of the pressure of knowing "is this really it or not?" and whether to pack everything up and head to hospital. My midwife lives 10 minutes away, and hubby and I will prepare in every way we can, just in case she is few minutes late, so that we can handle everything until she gets here, even the delivery itself.
I am looking forward to spending at least part of my labor OUTSIDE, my favorite place on Earth.

So there are some of the personal reasons, well maybe not the original reasoning, but some of the great side benefits I am looking forward to with the home birth. But here are a few facts and statistics about home birth:
-Women choosing home birth have the lowest chance of needing drugs and intervention and the highest chance of a normal birth of any modern birthing option.
-Globally most babies are still born at home.
-Home birth was the norm in westernized countries until 50 years ago (that's our grandparents).
-Mortality for women is equal for hospital and home birth - but there is an increased risk of infection and other medically caused problems for mother and baby in the hospital.
-The major risk of hospital birth is the risk of unnecessary intervention.
-Cesarean surgery is much more likely if choosing a hospital for your birth.
-Hospital stats: 1/2 are induced, 3/4 use an epidural, 1/3 end up a C-section
-Home birth stats: 70-80% have no intervention, and only 5-10% result in cesarean
-Right now only 1% of births occur outside of the hospital in the U.S.

Yay, it gets me excited all over again to talk (write) about it. Thanks all you readers for listening :)