In Holland homebirths are very common. In fact I was born at home as well.
For me however it would never be anything to think about for the same reasons you state above but I have friends who did it and would do it again.
I have 6 kids...and never even thought about having a home birth--NO WAY! Too much could go wrong...then what? Mid wifes are only trained so much.
I have a friend who did it for her last 2 babies.....she just preferred the comfortable home....no stress...no drs pushing medicine, no nurses coming in every 5 minutes....and her whole family was their to witness birth.
Just not for me
See,,,for me...I would be paranoid w/out the beeping machines...For starters...my 1st birth did not fare so well.....Ended up having a emergency csection....for my sons heart kept dipping and would even miss a beat,,,the cord was wrapped around his neck and shoulder several times....he was just all kinds of tangled up.....So,,,when I got preggo for the 2nd time....Surprise....it was twins....and my doc suggested the hospital that I needed to go to....It was the one I had my 1st in..they have a stage 3 neo natal intensive care unit.....just in case...