I rwemember when I was in orientation for my first OB nursing position.  The L&D instructor made the statement thal "all birth is high risk"!  This was the biggest level 3 maternity unit in the area, so they did get a high percentage of risk pregnancies.  However, this statement really bugged me and I could see over the time I worked there that this attitude did impact the experiences of ALL the moms delivering there.  The problem is when the risks, no matter what percentage, drive everyone's experience.  Walking down the sidewalk carries a small risk.  A car could jump the curb and hit us.  A tree limb could fall and give us a concussion.  The list could go on.  Does that risk mean we should wear body armor and helmets or avoid walking down the street altogether?  Of course not.  I know a gal that rode her bike regularly.  One day about 15 years ago something happened, she hit her head on the curb and remains in a coma to this day.  As a result of this and similar events, riders are encouraged or even required to wear helmets, but we don't restrict bike riding to trails only and those trails are not lined with foam padding "just in case".  
My point is that Yes, there is some risk in childbirth just as there is in anything we do-even sitting at home doing "nothing" doesn't mean we are 100% safe!   Certainly the pendulum has swung too far to doing lots of interventions "just in case".  However, we shouldn't go to the opposite extreme and say there is no risk at all.  We just need to put it in perspective.  People who birth at home have a backup plan, but not let it get in the way of the normal experience.

Winnie

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