Home Birth vs. Hospital Birth: What Will Kate Middleton Pick?

Home birth, a traditional way of having a baby, may be in Kate Middleton's mind as she is "keen on the idea," a new report claimed.

For centuries giving birth at home was the norm but by the 1900’s increasing numbers of women started having their babies at hospitals as they are more controlled and the environment is sterile. The option of giving birth at home involves the participation of trained midwives or nurse-midwives in cases of low-risk, healthy pregnancies.

According to American Pregnancy Association, you can opt for a home birth if you have a low-risk pregnancy and want to avoid an episiotomy, cesarean section, epidural and other similar interventions. However, if you are diabetic, or have chronic high blood pressure, or have experienced preterm labor in the past then home birth is not advisable.

The report also cited a U.K. study that said approximately 10 percent of women who have previously given birth are transferred to the hospital for delivery due to complications from home births.

Exhaustion during birth, premature rupture of membranes, high blood pressure, no progress with labor and fetal distress are some of the reasons why women are transferred to the hospital while undergoing home birth.

Last week, the Kensington Palace announced Prince William and Middleton will welcome their third child, who will be fifth in line to the British throne. The palace also said that the mother-to-be is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a type of pregnancy complication.

In a report, Vogue said Monday that Middleton could be planning to give birth to her third baby in Kensington Palace to avoid media attention. During her last two births — Prince George and Princess Charlotte, hoards of paparazzi and their crew had surrounded the St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. Giving birth in the palace will help avoid the public attention that the baby starts getting right after the duchess goes into labor, Vogue reported.

Home births have been a traditional practice in the royal family, and Queen Elizabeth II had her sons Charles, Andrew, and Edward at Buckingham Palace, and her daughter, Anne, at Clarence House. The practice however ended in the 70s when Princess Anne had her baby at London’s St. Mary’s hospital.

Princess Diana also did not go for home births when she had Prince William and Prince Harry.

When Princess Diana was pregnant with Prince William she asked to be induced as she could not handle the "press pressure any longer; it was becoming unbearable,” she told journalist Andrew Morton, reports said in 2013.“It was as if everybody was monitoring every day for me.” Prince Charles also felt the pressure, saying that “everyone had gone berserk with excitement.”

“Kate watched the news from home,” an insider told the media outlet. “She was desperately sad that she couldn’t make it but she is on firm bed rest now until she feels better.”