Midwifery practices are experiencing a drastic shift as up to five times as many women choose to give birth at home.

Tough restrictions on patient visits and fears of contracting COVID-19 have left many women feeling control of their pregnancy has been stripped from them.

‘My Midwives’ Managing Director Liz Wilkes told Deborah Knight home births have jumped from 4 per cent to 60 per cent of their clientele.

However, she said, benefits are equally matched by the dangers, such as increased risk of bleeding.

“Home birth is not for everybody. There are certainly women for whom making the decision to have a baby at home would be a very poor decision.

“It’s fascinating to me that women are making this change in these vast numbers, because it’s certainly not something we would push.”

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