Is a home birth safe?

For low-risk pregnancies with a certified midwife, research shows outcomes comparable to hospital birth. You need to be within reasonable distance of a hospital and have a clear transfer plan in place. Not every pregnancy is a good candidate, which is why midwives screen carefully before agreeing to a home birth.

What supplies do I need for a home birth?

Your midwife provides a birth kit with medical supplies. You supply waterproof pads or sheets, plenty of towels, receiving blankets, a bulb syringe, a heating pad, snacks and hydration, and postpartum supplies like adult diapers and peri bottles. Your midwife will give you a specific list well before your due date.

When should I transfer to the hospital during a home birth?

Transfer if there is excessive bleeding, an abnormal fetal heart rate, prolonged labor without progress, a baby who is not breathing well after birth, a retained placenta, or if you simply want to go. Your midwife is trained to recognize warning signs early, but you always have the right to request a transfer at any time.

Can I have a VBAC at home?

Most providers consider home VBAC too risky. ACOG recommends hospital delivery for VBAC due to the risk of uterine rupture, which requires immediate surgical intervention. Talk to your provider about your specific situation. If you are planning a hospital VBAC, see our VBAC birth plan guide for how to prepare.

Who should be at my home birth?

Your midwife, a second birth attendant, your partner, and optionally your doula. Some families include older children. Your midwife brings at least one additional trained person for safety. Anyone else should be someone who makes you feel calm and supported.

How do I prepare my home for birth?

Set up a birth space with waterproof protection on your bed or floor, gather your supplies in one place, prep snacks and drinks, arrange sibling care for older children, and test the route and drive time to your backup hospital. Your midwife will usually do a home visit around 36 weeks to review your setup.

Home Birth Plan That Covers It All

Why a Home Birth Plan Matters

When you birth at home, you do not need to tell a hospital staff what you want. You are already in charge of your environment. But a home birth plan is not about controlling your space. It is about making sure everyone who enters it, from your midwife to your doula to your partner, knows what you expect, what you have prepared, and what happens if things do not go as planned.

A hospital birth plan communicates preferences to strangers. A home birth plan communicates logistics to your team. It covers your midwife protocols, your emergency transfer plan, your supply list, your backup hospital, your sibling care arrangement, and your pain management approach. These are not things you want to figure out in the moment.

If you are also preparing for other birth scenarios, check out our guides for a VBAC birth plan, C-section birth plan, and birth plan for induction.

Key Sections of a Home Birth Plan

Midwife Protocols

Your home birth plan should document the basics about your midwife and their practice. This is not about mistrust. It is about clarity, especially if your midwife has a backup provider who may step in.

Credentials and certification. Note whether your midwife is a CPM, CNM, or another credential. This matters if you transfer, because hospital staff will ask.
Backup midwife. Who covers if your midwife is at another birth or gets sick? Include their name and phone number in your plan.
What your midwife carries. Most midwives bring oxygen, emergency medications (like Pitocin for hemorrhage), IV supplies, a Doppler or fetoscope, and neonatal resuscitation equipment. Ask what is in their bag so you are not surprised.
Transfer agreements. Does your midwife have a formal or informal transfer agreement with a local hospital? Some do, some do not. Either way, know what the handoff looks like if you need to go in.

Emergency Transfer Plan

This section is the one you hope you never use, and the one you absolutely must have. A hospital birth happens inside a system that already has emergency protocols. A home birth does not, which means you build your own.

Which hospital. Choose the closest hospital with a labor and delivery unit. Not the one with the best reviews 40 minutes away. In an emergency, minutes matter.
The route. Drive it ahead of time. Know construction zones, traffic patterns at different times of day, and an alternate route in case your main road is blocked.
Who calls ahead. Your midwife or your partner should call the hospital while you are en route so they can prepare for your arrival.
What to bring. Pack a small hospital bag now, not when you are in labor. ID, insurance card, birth plan, phone charger, a change of clothes, and baby's going-home outfit.
Handoff letter. Some midwives prepare a transfer letter with your prenatal history, current vitals, and reason for transfer. It helps the hospital team take over smoothly. Ask if your midwife does this.

Supply List

Your midwife will bring a birth kit with the medical supplies they need. But your home preparation covers everything else. Here is what most families need:

Waterproof sheets or pads for your bed, couch, or birth pool area
Plenty of towels (more than you think you need)
Receiving blankets for the baby
Bulb syringe for clearing baby's airway if needed
Heating pad for your back during labor or postpartum cramping
Snacks and drinks (honey sticks, electrolyte drinks, easy-to-eat foods, water with a straw)
Postpartum supplies (adult diapers, peri bottle, witch hazel pads, comfortable clothes)
Birth pool if you are planning a water birth, plus a hose and adapter to fill it
Trash bags and a designated waste area for cleanup

Your midwife will give you a customized list around 34 to 36 weeks. Follow it exactly. Running out of towels at 2 AM is a problem you can prevent now.

Backup Hospital

Even if your pregnancy is low-risk and everything points to staying home, write down your backup hospital details in your plan. Include:

Hospital name, address, and phone number
Drive time from your house (measured, not estimated)
Whether the hospital is VBAC-friendly, if that applies to you. If you have had a prior C-section, talk to your midwife about whether home birth is appropriate. Most providers recommend a hospital VBAC plan instead.
Insurance verification. Call before your due date and confirm your plan covers an emergency visit to that hospital.

Sibling Care

If you have older children, you need a plan for them, not a vague idea. Labor is unpredictable. It could start at 4 AM or 4 PM. It could last 6 hours or 30 hours.

Who is watching them? Name a specific person, not "my mom, probably." Have a backup person too.
Where will they be during the birth? Some families want kids in the room. Others want them at a neighbor's house. Decide now, and tell your kids what to expect in age-appropriate language.
Do they want to be present? Some older kids are curious and excited. Others would rather be elsewhere. Let them choose if they are old enough.
Contact info for your sibling care person. Put it in the plan so your partner or doula can call without fumbling through their phone.

Pain Management at Home

You will not have an epidural at home. That is the whole point for many families. But you will have options, and your plan should document which ones you want to try and in what order.

Hydrotherapy. A birth pool or warm bath is one of the most effective pain relief tools available at home. If you are planning a water birth, confirm your pool setup in your plan.
Breathing techniques. Practice whatever method you plan to use before labor starts. Your doula can help you rehearse.
Movement and position changes. Walking, swaying, lunging, hands and knees, side-lying. Your home gives you full freedom to move, which is one of the biggest advantages of birthing there.
TENS unit. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device can help with back labor. Many midwives and doulas have one you can borrow.
Doula support. A doula provides continuous physical and emotional support. They suggest position changes, apply counterpressure, remind you to eat and drink, and keep the atmosphere calm. Evidence shows that doula support is associated with shorter labors and fewer complications. Check what doulas cost in your area.

If at any point you decide you want an epidural, say so. You can always transfer. Wanting pain relief is not a failure. It is a decision, and your plan should say that you are open to transfer if you change your mind, just like it should say what to do if a C-section becomes necessary.

When to Transfer to the Hospital

Your midwife monitors you and your baby throughout labor. She is trained to recognize when staying home is no longer the safest option. But you should also know the signs that mean go to the hospital, so you can speak up if something feels wrong.

Excessive bleeding.

If you are bleeding more than a normal amount during or after labor, you may need interventions that are only available in a hospital. This is one of the most common reasons for transfer.

Fetal distress.

If your midwife detects an abnormal heart rate pattern in your baby, it is time to go. Continuous monitoring is not available at home the way it is in a hospital.

Prolonged labor without progress.

If your labor stalls and your midwife's strategies are not working, a hospital can offer interventions like Pitocin or assisted delivery that are not options at home.

Baby not breathing well after birth.

Most midwives carry neonatal resuscitation equipment, but a baby who needs more support than what is available at home needs a hospital.

Retained placenta.

If the placenta does not deliver within a reasonable timeframe, you may need a procedure to remove it. This requires a hospital setting.

You want to go.

You always have the right to transfer. You do not need a medical reason. If you feel unsafe, overwhelmed, or simply want to be in a hospital, that is a valid reason at any time.

The best home birth plans acknowledge transfer as a real possibility, not a distant one. Studies show that approximately 10 to 15 percent of planned home births result in transfer, most for non-emergency reasons like prolonged labor. Writing it into your plan does not make you pessimistic. It makes you prepared.

For guidance on specific hospital scenarios, see our hospital birth plan guide and our full birth plan examples resource.

Your Next Step

You have thought about your midwife protocols, your transfer plan, your supplies, your backup hospital, your kids, and your pain management options. Now put it all in one document that your team can read in five minutes. That is your home birth plan.

Our free birth plan template has a dedicated section for home birth preferences, including space for transfer details, supply checklists, and pain management. Download it, fill it in, and share it with your midwife and doula by 36 weeks.

Or start with the guided birth plan walkthrough if you want step-by-step help building your plan from scratch. It walks you through every section and gives you copy-and-paste language for each preference.

Want personalized support? Our Birth Plan Confidence Session gives you one-on-one time with an experienced doula who will review your plan, flag gaps, and help you feel certain that you have covered what matters. Learn more about what doulas do and how they support home births specifically. You can also explore how to choose a doula who aligns with your home birth philosophy.

"I almost skipped the transfer section of my home birth plan because I thought it would jinx things. My midwife insisted. When my labor stalled at 18 hours, we transferred calmly because everyone already knew the plan. Best case: you never use it. Worst case: you are grateful you wrote it."

— Megan R., San Antonio

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How to Write a Home Birth Plan That Covers Every Scenario