By the mid-twentieth century, the practice of home birth and the profession of midwifery seemed destined for extinction in the United States. However, by 1970, the percentage of hospital births had reached an all-time high, and obstetricians dominated childbirth procedures. Then, surprisingly, a quiet revolution emerged. By 1977, out-of-hospital births more than doubled. “Coming Home: How Midwives Changed Birth” explores this phenomenon, analyzing the ideas, values, and experiences that led to this transformation and its long-term consequences for our understanding of birth, medicine, and culture.

The book delves into the backgrounds of these self-proclaimed midwives who, lacking knowledge of historic practices, learned through obstetrical texts, trial and error, and sometimes instruction from aging home birth physicians. Despite primarily serving educated white middle-class women, their model had the potential to transform birth practices for all women, both in and out of hospitals.

Published by Oxford University Press in 2019 with ISBN-13: 978-0190232511 and ISBN-10: 019023251X, this 264-page work offers a comprehensive look into the quiet revolution that changed childbirth practices forever.