The percentage of women opting to choose home births has fallen this year to 2.7%, the first drop in a year-on-year rise since 1988.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), there has been a 0.2% drop in home birth rates - a "real disappointment", to the General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Cathy Warwick.   

Ms Warwick spoke to Nursing Times about the decline, saying: "Even though it is a small one, the drop in the home birth rate is a real disappointment, particularly because as the UK already had a low rate compared with many other countries."

However Mary Newburn of the charity The National Childbirth Trust, believes there is "no reduction in demand", according to BBC News, and that more women are simply finding it harder to actually book the home birth.  "Maternity services are additionally stretched due to a rising birth rate and too few midwives", says Newburn, supporting a recruitment drive being pushed by those in nurse manager jobs and other senior positions.

"The option of booking a home birth should be offered as a mainstream option for all women who want it, alongside options to book for care at a birth centre and at a hospital maternity unit.", Ms Newburn claims. 

Despite the NHS' drive on choice, and the recent Government policy encourage women to choose the place in which they give birth - be it at home, in hospital or at a birthing centre - the rates have continued to fall. 

This may be linked to additional ONS figures, which show a decrease in the overall birth rates throughout the UK.  In England and Wales throughout 2009, there were 706,248 births - a fall of 0.3% from 2008.