Demand for home births has gone up by more than a third during the pandemic, as many women choose to avoid hospitals.
354 women opted for a home birth last year, compared to 272 in 2019.
Aisling Dixon, vice-chair of the Community Midwives Association, says women are opting to stay at home due to Covid.
"It has brought home birth up on people's radar. I think there is uncertainty when women get pregnant about where the hospitals may be around the issue of Covid, and by their birth happens 8 or 9 months later.
"So they have opted for home birth to provide certainty."
