In this much needed episode of mothers talking, Natalie (author of Why Home Birth Matters) chats to Alex Smith.  Alex Smith has been a childbirth educator since the 1970s and an observer of the changing attitudes to childbirth during that time. She has had the privilege of attending many home births and believes that this is probably the only setting where truly physiological birth is able to unfold. She regards the rapid escalation of induced labour and caesarean birth as an ecological issue with consequences for mankind that are as grave as the melting ice floes. As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Alex wants to see the winds of change shift in a way that will allow future generations of women to have restored faith in the natural process of birth - secure in their trust that medical resources are at hand, if needed, but as a safety net and not a conveyor belt. This deep dive into the history of birth and how it has shaped maternity care today, is as fascinating as it is reassuring especially about how safe birth actually is when you can trust it.  If you're wondering how to trust yourself when faced with the challenges of the maternity system, well you can use Alex's simple but very effective traffic light system... Thank you so much to Alex for this wonderful episode. AIMS (Association for Improvements in Maternity Services) https://www.aims.org.uk/ Natalie's website where you can buy her books, Why Home Birth Matters and How to Have a Baby www.nataliemeddings.com   As always, thanks for listening. If you would like to contact us please email motherstalkingpodcast@gmail.com