23/03/2026
As a midwife, I often say: “Birth is not a medical event that occasionally happens naturally; more often it is a natural event that sometimes requires medical assistance.”
This means that while many births unfold safely and beautifully at home, there are times when transferring to receive medical care is the safest choice for mother and baby—and that is absolutely okay.
Some of the reasons a homebirth transfer may be recommended include:
* Labour not progressing as expected, despite all our midwifery ‘tricks’
* Maternal choice
* Concerns about the baby’s heart rate
* Meconium (baby doing their first poo in the waters) that requires closer monitoring
* Labour or birth emergencies that can’t be addressed at home (cord prolapse, malpresentation, excessive bleeding, etc)
* When additional medical support or intervention is needed for safety
A transfer is not a failure—it is simply part of ensuring the best and safest outcome for both mother and baby 🤍