Ask any mother to name one of the most significant days of her life and giving birth would probably top her list. It’s something women have been doing since the beginning of time, but with today’s medical advancements, for some, childbirth can seem far from natural. So, we explore an alternative approach to birthing, with the labor of love that comes from a midwife. MULTIMEDIA WATCH THE VIDEO Callie Bailey is expecting her third child. But this one will be coming into the world a little differently than the others. “I want to share this with just my husband, us together, sharing this is a huge thing,” says Bailey. Callie and her husband, Nathan, have chosen a less common and more natural form of delivery: giving birth at home with a midwife.

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The number of babies born at home in Maryland has increased dramatically since 2001. According to MarylandReporter.com, 291 babies were born at home in 2001, compared to 409 in 2010. At-home births accounted for just 1 percent of all births, and while the trend does not appear to have taken hold in Allegany County as dramatically as in metropolitan areas, several mothers here have given birth to their children in their homes with great success. Jamie Bailey, 32, of Grantsville is the mother of three children. Her first two children were hospital births but she wanted to do things a bit differently with her third child. “The hospital births were not the worst experiences, but I wanted better. I wanted to labor and deliver my way — without an induction, dangerous labor-augmenting drugs, pain meds and constant monitoring — all which raise the risk of C section,” she said. “I didn’t want to be on a time schedule; if it was going to take two days, then I was up for the challenge. I wanted my family there, including my other two children. I wanted to bring my new infant into a quiet, dim and warm environment, where bonding and breastfeeding could begin immediately.” Delivering her child at home not only met Bailey’s expectations, but exceeded what she had hoped to be the outcome of her home birth. “I found that it wasn’t just the amazing birth experience that I had received. In actuality, I received an amazing pregnancy experience, too. I had a caregiver who listened and gave advice and was experienced enough to refer me elsewhere if a problem arose.” Bailey and her midwife met regularily for her checkups and the midwife also met with Bailey’s husband and other children prior to delivery. “It was amazing. I progressed a lot faster in my own home and warm tub than I anticipated. My midwife actually missed the birth by five minutes. I caught my own 8-pound, 15-ounce baby boy, Blake. I felt on top of the world — tired and sore — but on top of the world.

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Home birth on the rise by a dramatic 20 percent - Yahoo! News ›

One mother chose home birth because it was cheaper than going to a hospital. Another gave birth at home because she has multiple sclerosis and feared unnecessary medical intervention. And some choose home births after cesarean sections with their first babies.

Whatever their motivation, all are among a striking trend: Home births increased 20 percent from 2004 to 2008, accounting for 28,357 of 4.2 million U.S. births, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in May.

White women led the drive, with 1 in 98 having babies at home in 2008, compared to 1 in 357 black women and 1 in 500 Hispanic women.

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Gisele Bundchen & Patriots' Tom Brady Chose Home Birth ›

Two months after giving birth to her son Benjamin the supermodel, who had a home birth in a bathtub says giving birth “didn’t hurt in the slightest.”

The model gave birth in her home in Boston with her husband Tom Brady, her mom, and a midwife by her side. “My delivery was in a bath tub, in water,” said the 29-year-old. “I wanted to have a home birth. I wanted to be very aware and present during the birth… I didn’t want to be drugged up.”

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