I had strong opinions on home birthing but research changed my mind completely

A prolapsed umbilical cord meant I had to have a C-section. It was logged as a 'failed labour' 

Home birthing functions well in countries with networks of highly trained midwives in the community.

I was 29 years old expecting my first baby. My birthing plan was sprinkled with soothing, lavender-smelling, pastel-coloured words like hypnobirthing, yoga, incense.

Somewhere in my labour (who among us can ever re-navigate that fog) a wonderful midwife called Gabrielle discovered that I had a prolapsed umbilical cord which meant that my ten-pound baby was coming down on top of it. I was wheeled from the room with colourful bouncy balls to the sombre-hued medical wing of a London maternity hospital.