It?s a practice frowned upon by the Island?s medical establishment, but Sophie Cannonier insisted on having her baby the way women have been doing it for thousands of years ? naturally, at home, and without medical intervention.

A week ago last Friday, after months of research and preparation, Ravi Cannonier-Watson was born to Ms Cannonier and Michael Watson at their Cavendish Heights home.

The couple decided on a home birth almost as soon as they knew they were expecting.

?I didn?t want to go to the hospital because it?s a cold environment there and I don?t feel comfortable,? she said. ?I just wanted the least amount of intervention as possible.

?I believe that birth is a natural process and things go well if you think that way.

?And doctors are there for emergencies and when you go to hospital they treat you like it?s an emergency and you?re there just in case something happens.?

For first time father Michael (it was also Sophie?s first) the experience was a ?beautiful, overwhelming experience?.

?I can?t say I was nervous, but I was definitely very focused on what was about to happen. I was very comfortable with what needed to be done,? he said.

?It?s an incredible experience to be there and deliver your own child and come face to face with him. He came out head first, facing forward so his face was right there when he came out. I caught him when he came out. As soon as his head cleared, his shoulders cleared within seconds. I put him straight onto Sophie?s chest and he stayed there for 15 minutes before we cut the cord.?

Their experience may open a national discussion on conventional birthing practice in Bermuda ? it is not illegal to have a baby at home, but for a variety of reasons the system makes it next to impossible.

?There?s always been a small , steady demand, but the demand wasn?t enough to sustain one?s body and soul,? said Pandora Hartman, a Bermudian midwife who now practises out of a Baltimore hospital.

Ms Hartmann was a midwife in Bermuda but she left the Island after practising here for about four years. ?I left out of pure frustration at not being able to practice full scope midwifery in the manner I was trained to do,? she said.

At hospital births doctors catch the baby, while midwives do the labour management and postpartum care, she said.

Ms Cannonier sought out Ms Hartmann following her decision to have a home birth.

?We worked through the birth figuring out what the issues were and what the challenges were ? a lot of the things that would have been done in my office. The biggest part of prenatal care is the education of women,? Ms Hartmann said.

?When you are in the throes of labour you don?t want to be in a cold room with people coming in and out and you can?t relax,? said Ms Cannonier. ?Birth is not an emergency waiting to happen ? it?s a natural process.?

She added she felt the hospital environment made the experience more traumatic than it need be, and increased the chances of medical intervention.

As it happened the delivery went nicely ? no drugs and no unnecessary discomfort.

Still, she didn?t take any unnecessary chances ? plans were made to have a doctor attend the birth, but the baby came two days early when the doctor was off the Island.

In the end, just three people were home when the baby came ? mother, father and a doula ? a trained labour companion.

The couple stressed they were extremely well prepared and that a natural home birth was not necessarily for everyone.

Had there been any complications with the pregnancy or any signs of potential trouble, they would not have had a home birth, the couple said.

?But she had such a good pregnancy and we were both very clear in our minds as to what we wanted to do,? Mr. Watson said. ?It?s not for everybody and not everybody should do it either.?

Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Cann could not immediately discuss the Health Department?s policy toward home births when contacted last week.