For some parents, home feels like the safest place to welcome a baby. But experts warn childbirth can be unpredictable and the risks aren’t always widely understood.

More U.S. families are choosing home births instead of hospitals. More than 50,000 women had planned home births in 2024, a nearly 71% increase from a decade prior. Parents said they want a familiar ...

Home births became more popular during the pandemic, when hospital deliveries came with a risk of contracting Covid and few visitors were allowed. For other women, giving birth at home may be the only ...