More babies were born at home in 2021 than in any year since at least 1990, according to data published Nov. 17 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Following a 22% increase from 2019 to 2020, the number of home births jumped 12% between 2020 and 2021.
While the rate of home births remains small—making up just 1.4% of all U.S. births in 2021—it’s risen by about 2% each year from 1990 to 2019. The NCHS researchers do not speculate about why home births have historically been rising in popularity, but other experts say that it’s being driven by a growing number of women and families who want to make their own decisions about where and how they give birth. The pandemic greatly accelerated that trend.
In West Virginia, home births increased by 49% from 2020 to 2021. Angelita Nixon, a certified nurse midwife there who delivers