hey bailey, I'm in the same boat, although no children yet. Homebirth is a wonderful start to a childs life. Besides, most hospital policy is very un-libertarian. Unless you are well educated on the subject, and constantly asking invasive questions (which I hear can be difficult when in active labor) the hospital staff can pull some fast ones on you. Example: You have come to the hospital after a few hours of mild labor. They admit you, check you, and find that you are 3cm along. Next, they make you lay down. After a few hours of that (with minimal eatage and drinkage) and no progession, they put an IV drip with pitocin in it. The drug starts very strong contractions, and very soon, you are in severe pain. Remember, contraction are GOOD, they push the baby out. But these contractions are so sudden and so severe, they can be dangerous. So they give you a pain reducing epidural. THAT drug slows labor even more, and also has a depressant effect on baby. All this time you are laboring while laying down (which I hear is extremly painful, more so that squatting or kneeling) because they won't let you get up(even if you could with al those wires and tubes coming out of you) After checking the Fetal monitering system with is attached to babies head via SCREW the nurses see that his heart rate has dropped dangerously low. Now your only choice is a ceasarean section. Baby is delivered, hopefully breathing, and everyone involved is drugged-up and groggy. No harm done, right? Not exactly.
Of, course not all hospital births are like this. Some are worse. If you don't really want to take responsibility for yourself and your child, the hospital is the PERFECT place. I guess because they know EVERYTHING about ANYTHING, including what feels right to you (and I bet half of those people have never delivered before!)
With all this technology, (and with some 80% of women delivery in hospitals) the US still manages to have THE HIGHEST infant and maternal mortality rate IN THE WORLD. Is it me, or is this just retarded?
Ah, I degress.
I suppose my point is this: Hospitals are for sick people. A pregenant/laboring woman isn't sick, she's just going through a natural process that her body was very well constructed for. Most women don't have complications, and if they do, that is what 911 is for.
I am done with my rant for now. Feel free to push my buttons, I love making the truth about hospital birth known, but most people don't want to hear it.
Happy Homebirth!

-Jennifer