Appendix: birth can safely take place at home and in birthing centers: the coalition for improving maternity services

Although most women in the United States give birth in hospitals, a substantial body of research suggests that planned home birth or birth in freestanding birth centers have equally good or better outcomes for low-risk women. Out-of-hospital birth often facilitates mother-friendly care. Rationales and systematic reviews of both home birth and freestanding birth center birth are presented.