My wife was born in a doctors office, her family lived in a very rural area. Most of her friends were the same. But the day a hospital (small to be sure) was built in the area was a day of joy and rejoicing.
All of our children were born in hospital - I am a trained/licensed EMT with years of experience and we would never consider home birthing, but that’s just us - there is too much that can go wrong - fast.
Our daughter had her children (we were both there to assist) in a birthing room. The room looked ordinary enough, but the walls could fold back allow use of the most modern medical equipment avaliblible. Best of both worlds, I suppose.
For years Alaska had the highest IMR is the US, today, things are much better.
Chose as you will, but be prepared for the costs if the choice turned out to be a bad one.
Alaska got its first NICU not so long ago, if I’m right. Before, they had to airlift babies down to Washington if they could move them at all. Technology makes a difference.
It’s great to know how to deliver a baby in an emergency situation, but if the bad times come, I want myself and my family being as healthy as possible going into them. That means I take my blood pressure medication now, even if I can’t get it then, my husband takes his Lipitor, and my children get their vaccinations, and I give birth in the hospital - we benefit from modern medicine while we can.
The Soviet Union made sure that it vaccinated its citizens.
After its fall, it did not take many years for diptheria and other preventable diseases to make a comeback.
Mrs VS
I know of a baby that died from meconium in a home birth. Too many things can go wrong that are easily addressed in a hospital. If my baby died or had birth defects from a home birth gone wrong, I don’t think I could forgive myself. And then who’s going to pay for a child with birth defects all it’s life? The state? I’d hope not. Anyone who has problems from a home birth should be ready to absorb the costs themselves. I don’t think it’s worth the risk.