Kathleen Kennedy Townsend advocates for home births in The Atlantic

Former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who gave birth to three of her four daughters at home, writes about the advantages of home births in The Atlantic.

Home births are a less expensive and more personal option for some mothers, she writes.

"Each of my home birth experiences was different. The first labor was very long. I took a couple of showers, and when I got hungry, I ate. The third time, I walked around the house, up and down the stairs, made the beds, and even had time to watch The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. I liked Elizabeth Taylor's character so much that I decided to change my new daughter's first name from Rose to Katherine."

(I wonder how Rose Kennedy felt about that!)

"She was born while I was standing up," Townsend continues. "My husband caught her before she reached the floor."

Townsend cautions that home births are not for everyone.

"When it came time to decide about her own child's birth, our second daughter, Maeve, who had been born at home -- delivered by my husband, because the midwife didn't make it on time -- recently opted for the hospital."

You can read Townsend's complete Atlantic piece here.