kol hakavod to coffeeadict and frumladygit for attempting to bring some light to this subject. I am also a homebirth mom, more than once, and would never opt for a hospital birth again if I had a choice. I also have tremendous respect for the midwives I have worked with, both for their extensive knowledge and compassion. One thing you are not mentioning here, though, is the fact that the OBs have women convinced that it would be irresponsible, endangering their baby etc. if they choose to follow the natural routes. As a result, women are very afraid of their births and only feel secure when putting themselves in the doctors’ hands. This is a very difficult barrier to educating women about homebirth, and addressing the massive ignorance. It reminds me of the chiropractic arena. For many years chiropractors were denigrated by traditional doctors, and the public was warned against using them, for fear of the harm that could be done. As more patients began using them anyway when traditional medicine did not heal; chiropractors gained recognition, and are now even covered by most insurance policies. But the medical community is a defensive bunch, they don’t want anyone telling them there is an alternative.
And BTW, when I last had a home birth I learned that my midwives had a very active practice in the chassidish community.