A psychosocial analysis of women planning birth outside hospital.

Most of the women requesting out-of-hospital delivery considered delivery a natural process, not an illness requiring hospital care. The women cited freedom of choice concerning the delivery, less anxiety in the home than in the hospital environment, a more personal relationship with the midwife, and, as far as possible, making do without medical equipment. 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 the requirements of pregnant women. Individualized, family-oriented obstetrics with judicious use of medical technology should be possible in the clinical setting.