With the option to give birth at Malton Maternity Unit under threat, mums in Ryedale are facing a stark choice between a long drive to hospital in York or Scarborough, or a home birth.

CLAIRE METCALFE spoke to one woman who believes that staying at home is a much better idea than most people realise.

SARAH Fram has given birth to all four of her children at home. The first two were born when she lived in North Essex, where midwives were strongly promoting the option, and take-up was among the highest in the country at 20 per cent.

"When I had my first child, Susannah, in 1999, I didn't have any strong feelings about how I was going to give birth and the midwife was really proactive and said it was by far the best way, " said Sarah, a teacher.

"It was a really great experience. Obviously, you can't understand what the pain is going to be like.

"But the midwife was very reassuring, she came round and checked me and said I was going to be a while so I had a bath and then she was with me throughout and it was a fairly normal first birth."

She went on to have her second child, Rebecca, at home in 2001, and when she and her husband Michael moved to Oswaldkirk and she was expecting her third child, Emma, in 2003, she was clear about what she wanted.

"When we came up here, I had it in my head that I definitely wanted a home birth since I'd had such an easy time of it before, " said Sarah.

"When I told the midwife, she said that was my choice and they would try and accommodate it, but there were no guarantees."

Currently, there is only one midwife on call in Ryedale at any one time, so if more than one person goes into labour, only one of them can give birth in Ryedale - whether it's at home or in the maternity unit.

"I was lucky and the midwife was free and I could have my home birth, but other women due before me were overdue and ended up going to Scarborough, " she said.

She gave birth to Emma with little trouble, and, last August, she had her fourth child Charlie, just two hours after the midwife arrived, also at home.

Sarah now feels strongly that home births should be promoted, and thinks they are by far the best option for the majority of women who have had uncomplicated pregnancies and are expecting low-risk births.

She agrees with the idea that women should have as much choice as possible, but believes that we can be too quick to write off the home birth option.

"I'm not for closing Malton Maternity Unit, it would be a shame if it wasn't used as it's a wonderful facility. I just don't think we should demonise home births, " she said.

"In a rural area, a home birth is far better because you don't have all the anxiety of when to set off, and all the discomfort of travelling.

"There is this perception that they are closing Malton Hospital and replacing it with a worse service, but a low-risk home birth can be far more relaxing and less stressful.

"Obviously, we organised for someone to take care of the children while I was in labour, but as it happened, each time it was at night and they were asleep, so they just woke up to find a new baby sibling."

She added: "You need to have a contingency plan worked out, and if you are renovating your home or you are a single mum then it wouldn't be appropriate, but most of the people going to Malton to give birth could have a home birth."

She added: "Home births should be a real choice, for 80 per cent of women it would be a great choice."