In "Trials of Labour," Burtch (1994) notes how the medical institution has actively worked to ensure that midwifery remain a marginal and suspect approach to the processes of birth. This paper will consider the information Burtch (1994) provides regarding home births, and the relation that this information has with medical constructs of health "risks" for pregnant women. Topics addressed are, a review of the practice, health advantages and health risks. 7.5 pgs. 14 f/c. 3b.