Use these resources to help teach patients about the possible advantages and disadvantages of a home birth experience.

American Pregnancy Association

http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/homebirth.html

The American Pregnancy Association's website on home birth lists reasons why home birth may be appropriate or inappropriate for certain patients. For example, the Association doesn't recommend home birth if a woman has diabetes or preeclampsia. Also discussed is what to expect during a home delivery. Perfect for patients, this website is easy to understand and broken down into comprehensible sections. It also provides other resources, such as books patients may want to read before planning a home delivery.

Mayo Clinic

http://goo.gl/zbsGVU

This website provides a brief overview of home delivery, what to expect, and when it may not be appropriate. It reviews why a hospital transfer may be necessary and the possible risks associated with home births. Created by the Mayo Clinic staff, this review of home delivery is written in layman's terms so it's easy for patients to read and comprehend.

Midwives Alliance of North America

http://www.mana.org

Although geared more toward healthcare professionals, specifically midwives, the Midwives Alliance of North America's website also provides resources that patients and healthcare professionals from other specialties can use. For example, it provides access to landmark studies that support the safety of home birth with midwives. On this site, visitors can search for midwives by state and find links to other resources on home births, midwifery, and maternal care. Direct patients who are seriously considering home birth to its sister site, http://mothersnaturally.org.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

http://goo.gl/9yJJRP

ACOG is best utilized by healthcare professionals to learn more about home delivery so that they can properly educate their patients. The link provided is the Committee on Obstetric Practice's opinion on home birth, which provides clinical research and other evidence on the pros and cons of home birth. This website also has links for patient education materials, guidelines for women's healthcare, eModules, and more.