Homebirthing isn't illegal anywhere. Where legal issues come into play is with attendents. In some states it's illegal to have midwives attend homebirths. Some states only allow CNMs to attend.
There's a state or two (I think Nebraska is one) where it's even in the law books that husbands cannot catch a baby except in emergency. (There's your loophole...Oops! We couldn't get to the hospital on time).
But no where will you go to jail just for having your baby at home. Birth is too unpredicatable to make a law that sends women to jail for birthing at home.
Here are midwifery laws by state: http://mana.org/laws.html
And midwifery legal status by state: http://mana.org/statechart.html In IL midwives are prohibited from attending homebirths.
However, check out www.homefirst.com.
HTH,
There's a state or two (I think Nebraska is one) where it's even in the law books that husbands cannot catch a baby except in emergency. (There's your loophole...Oops! We couldn't get to the hospital on time).
But no where will you go to jail just for having your baby at home. Birth is too unpredicatable to make a law that sends women to jail for birthing at home.
Here are midwifery laws by state: http://mana.org/laws.html
And midwifery legal status by state: http://mana.org/statechart.html In IL midwives are prohibited from attending homebirths.
However, check out www.homefirst.com.
HTH,
