1st reading: I found this reading to be interesting and engaging; the author is well versed in the topic and

was able to engage the reader into thinking critically about the topic at hand. Of particular note was the authors leading comment about the reduction of childbirth deaths in the last hundred years. This is often acknowledged as the result of great advancements in the realm of medical science. 2nd reading: Author begins buy questioning why Australian governments attempt to discourage home births when they are not uncommon throughout the rest of the world. The author then goes on to recount a story about a particular birth and how it was assisted by a midwife as a home birth. The midwife then discusses how she will apparently soon be out of a job due to government changes to private medical assistance. The author presents an equal argument by explaining why statistically homebirths in Australia are considered more dangerous than hospital births.