You can read these home birth recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics and think something changed. And then it hit me what changed: home birth is on the rise. Essentially doctors who do not perform home births are trying to get us to fear birthing at home. If you are wondering why, I believe it comes down to money. Birthing at home takes us out of the hospital -- that means less money for them. So they put forward a grand statement to make people scared.

Remember, there are studies that show home birth to be as safe if not safer than a hospital birth. The AAP contends a hospital is the safest. Midwives aren't vagrant birth junkies living on the street. They are skilled medical professionals who come with all you may need in case of an emergency and a clear plan in the event a hospital visit is needed. The AAP statement elicits fear.

There is so much to know about having a baby. For a lot of us, we just assume birth has to take place in a hospital. Sometimes it does, but it's not the only place to have a baby. There are of course accidental home births -- one of my friends had her daughter unexpectedly on the kitchen floor in her home. And there are planned home births, as well. Those are the kind of stories that remind me how we can trust ourselves and have faith in our ability to have a baby naturally, without issue, and without 398 nurses, residents, and doctors monitoring every second. If you think about it, all of that fuss just adds to the stress. Stress is the last thing you want when in labor.

Enter the water birth. Don't we all feel relaxed in water? Who doesn't love a hot tub? Water births can happen at home or in a birthing center or hospital that has this type of service. And they have amazing benefits. I've got the facts on having a water immersion birth.

If a couple has ever loved being pregnant, it's Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa. Wiz even recently said he wishes Amber could "stay pregnant forever." That's a little much, but the point is they've enjoyed every minute of this special time.

But it's quickly coming to an end, and they recently shared their due date. Amber told MTV last night at the Grammys that she's due on February 24. "But you know, babies can come a week before, a week after. You never know. So we got a couple weeks left."

Regardless, they're all prepared for the big day. They have done their research and have a beautiful birth plan in place.

Back when I was "preparing" for labor, I read all kinds of helpful stuff about managing labor pain. Like how I should practice by holding an ice cube in my hand as long as I could. Really? As someone who has Been To The Mountain And Back, that was totally unhelpful. Holding ice prepares you for labor pains my ass. Not the same thing, people! Not the same thing.

So what IS helpful? An epidural, obviously. But perhaps you want to attempt an unmedicated birth. Or maybe you just want to postpone that epidural as long as possible -- people have good reasons for doing that. Here are some pain management tips that will at least help you through the first few hours of labor before things get really insane.

Many times we hear about a woman getting an induction at the hospital and we fear stalled labor, which will mean more Pitocin, which could lead to an unwanted c-section. We’d never expect to hear about a mom who ended up home birthing her baby after she was given induction medication while at the hospital and then sent home despite the mother’s pleas saying her baby was ready.

That is exactly what happened to Emabete Tadesse from Edmonton when she went in to Royal Alexandra hospital ready to give birth to her second child. She was induced but then sent home. They returned, only to be sent home again. While I’m glad this story didn’t end in an unnecessary c-section, this family wasn’t ready to home birth their baby, and there was a lot of fear. Plus, it’s clear the doctors were not listening to the mother who knew it was time.

There's no arguing that we love babies in this country -- but you might be surprised at how much we love them. According to the CDC almost 4 million little mushes were born in America in just one year! 3,999,386 to be exact. That's a whole lotta baby loving. And really ... who can blame us? Still, that's not even the most surprising stat rounded up below.

The thing that caught me most off guard is probably how few of those babies were born at home -- 29,650. I chose hospital births for my kids but I really thought more people opted for home births these days. Or maybe it's how many babies are breastfed -- 76.9%. That's actually a lot higher than I thought it would be -- which is all sorts of awesome.

Check out the infograph below and let me know which fact surprises you the most!

Just when we thought maybe she'd learned her lesson and decided to keep opinions to herself for once in her life, Gisele Bundchen is now linking hospital births with violence towards women -- which must mean she's officially trying to reclaim her title of being the most judgemental celebrity mom ever.

Ok, so she didn't exactly come right out and say that hospitals are violent, but she might as well have. Gisele tweeted out a blog post from her website entitled "Birth Without Violence," which was written by Mayra Calvetti, and basically insinuates that women who choose to go to the hospital to give birth to their babies are subjecting themselves to some sort of torture. (WTF?)

This story of a mom giving birth in her bathroom with only the assistance of her 6-year-old daughter is proof that there is power in love and being calm during labor. Of course, a fast delivery also helps. And a kid who watches medical shows.

That's exactly what happened when Kay Goodby, 28, of the UK went into labor in the middle of the night. Francesca, Kay's 6-year-old daughter, heard her mom screams when her water broke in the bathroom of their home. She came into the room and calmly starting talking her through the birth. Dad Michael went downstairs to call the paramedics, but Francesca was so effective as a midwife, baby was born before he came back upstairs.