Recommendations When Considering Planned Home Birth
| Candidate for home deliverya |
| • Absence of preexisting maternal disease |
| • Absence of significant disease occurring during the pregnancy |
| • A singleton fetus estimated to be appropriate for gestational age |
| • A cephalic presentation |
| • A gestation of 37 to <41 completed weeks of pregnancy |
| • Labor that is spontaneous or induced as an outpatient |
| • A mother who has not been referred from another hospital |
| Systems needed to support planned home birth |
| • The availability of a certified nurse-midwife, certified midwife, or physician practicing within an integrated and regulated health system |
| • Attendance by at least 1 appropriately trained individual (see text) whose primary responsibility is the care of the newborn infant |
| • Ready access to consultation |
| • Assurance of safe and timely transport to a nearby hospital with a preexisting arrangement for such transfers |
| Candidate for home deliverya |
| • Absence of preexisting maternal disease |
| • Absence of significant disease occurring during the pregnancy |
| • A singleton fetus estimated to be appropriate for gestational age |
| • A cephalic presentation |
| • A gestation of 37 to <41 completed weeks of pregnancy |
| • Labor that is spontaneous or induced as an outpatient |
| • A mother who has not been referred from another hospital |
| Systems needed to support planned home birth |
| • The availability of a certified nurse-midwife, certified midwife, or physician practicing within an integrated and regulated health system |
| • Attendance by at least 1 appropriately trained individual (see text) whose primary responsibility is the care of the newborn infant |
| • Ready access to consultation |
| • Assurance of safe and timely transport to a nearby hospital with a preexisting arrangement for such transfers |
Data are from refs 6, 7, 10, 11, and 13.
ACOG considers previous cesarean delivery to be an absolute contraindication to planned home birth.7