It used to be that giving birth at home was looked at as a "hippie" thing to do. Most people thought that no normal, conventional woman would consider such a thing, completely forgetting that until the 1920s home births were the norm.

Now, more and more women are eschewing high-tech hospital births in favor of a more natural approach in the comfort of their own homes. And just like more conventional births, home births vary greatly in how they come about and how they progress. The following stories are just a couple of the many home birthing stories out there.

Karen Hawkins, a mother of two from Bridgton, Md., knew she was going to have her babies at home by a very young age.

"I have always been very animal oriented," says Hawkins. "Since I was a child I declared I was going to have my babies at home. If the animals could do it, there was no reason I couldn't also!"

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