Elective out-of-hospital delivery

Objective: To analyze the wishes of expectant mothers and provide data for comparisons between in-hospital and out-of-hospital obstetrics. Methods: Survey of expectant mothers requesting out-of-hospital delivery. Results: Most of these women considered delivery a natural process, not an illness requiring hospital care. The women cited freedom of choice concerni ng the delivery, less anxiety in the home than in the hospital environment, a more personal relationship with the midwife, and, as far as possible, ma rking do without medical equipment. Conclusions: The interviewed women were a selected collective regarding age , parity, socioeconomic status and obstetric risk profile. Nonetheless, the results suggest ways that in-hospital obstetrics can be adapted to meet th e requirements of pregnant women. individualized, family-oriented obstetric s with judicious use of medical technology should be possible in the clinic al setting.