Perhaps out-of-hospital births seem like a trend, but in reality, hospital birth are the more recent cultural phenomenon. The term of out-of-hospital birth is used as if these women are choosing something "outside of what's normal" but when we consider history, they are simply returning to what has always been done.

Enlisting my team for support was the biggest gift I could have given myself during the labor and birth of my son Oliver. It felt as though all the support I've provided as a doula over the past years was shown back to me 100-fold.

I believe that as a physician it is my duty to offer a recommendation to my patients based on my years of training and experience. While discord can be uncomfortable with patients with whom I disagree, I owe it to the women I care for to enter a dialog surrounding their medical choices and to engage in thoughtful discussion and respectful debate.

While watching a DVD of Meet the Fockers, Gwen has a contraction. I grab a pencil and the closest thing to write on (oddly, a scrap of wood) and begin timing. Five minutes apart and lasting one minute! Wahoo! Make the call!

Parents-to-be will spend countless hours researching doctors and baby names and planning appointments and baby showers -- but what is the right choice when it comes to a home birth versus a hospital delivery?