Are you expecting a baby and thinking about a giving birth at home? Planning a home birth isn’t always easy, and talking to other people who have given birth at home can help you boost your confidence and find out if its the right choice for you.

Local mums and NCT committee members Corinne Mason and Nicola Elward-Hopkin both feel passionate about home birth and women’s choices surrounding birth. So they’ve decided to form the Rugby Homebirth Group giving parents-to-be a chance to meet in an informal atmosphere, share concerns and get support.

Nicola says: “I have given birth to three of my five children at home and have found the local community midwives to be very supportive.” Corinne adds “A lot of women are not aware that they have the choice of giving birth to their baby at home, instead of in a birth centre or a hospital. There is very little information out there about home births, and many women do not know they have the right to have a home birth if they wish. By telling parents-to-be about our experiences, we hope to take away some of the fear and help people plan and look forward to a home birth.”

The group has been meeting since August 2010 and is open to all parents to be. Meetings are on the first Tuesday of every other month at 7.30 pm at the Friends Meeting House, 28 Regent Street, Rugby.

For more information about the Homebirth Coffee or other NCT activities in Rugby, please call us on 0844 243 6253 or email nctrugbychair@yahoo.co.uk.