For what it's worth, I think your both right. The risks between a home birth and a hospital one vary depending on the circumstances of the mother, and cannot be given a value that applies to all. Hospital births would be safer for a first time mother, despite the risks posed by infections or forcep happy doctors, and home births would be just as safe, if not safer, for someone with a history of easy births and a partner who isn't scared to help. There does need to be some more research on this so people can make a more informed choice. In reference to midwives, how much actual authority have they got to drag a new mother off to hospital? Surely they go by the same guidelines the Ambulance service do, if the patient says no, then it's no?