When Laura Gray gave birth to her fourth child, her husband Steven delivered their daughter at home, earning the rugby fan and player the nickname "Mr Safe Hands".

Now the couple are preparing for the birth of baby number five and their third to be born in the comfort of their home.

Four years ago, Mrs Gray was apprehensive about the birth of son Lauchlan after two “straightforward but dramatic births” in hospital. Living in Pitlochry, she was also concerned about the distance to the hospital in Perth, so she started researching alternatives.

She said: “The evidence I was looking at suggested it was safer for me to have a home birth as my risk factors were really low.”

READ MORE: Only two in 300 mothers in Scotland having a home birth - but NHS Tayside records 10-fold increase

After a seamless birth with Lauchlan at home, it was an easy decision to do it again two years later with daughter, Vaila, who was delivered in just 40 minutes.

Mrs Gray said:”Lauchlan had never been away from me before. It meant he didn’t need to be separated from us and then brought back in to a little interloper in the house. And for the older boys as well, just the continuity of taking away that disruption.”

That her husband could stay after the birth and keep himself busy during labour when he was not needed was another bonus. She said: “He was able to support me with our baby without having to leave at the end of visiting time.

“There was no feeling of being rushed, it was all very relaxed and calm. I felt in control of what was happening. It was my space so I could call the shots.”

Mrs Gray, 37, was so comfortable in her own surroundings, she needed no pain relief. She said: “It was painful but I was in control. I think when you start to panic, or you feel out of control, that’s when the pain becomes something you can’t cope with. My first two births were more painful than my last two.”

So good was the care she received she believes it would rival that of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry are reported to be planning to have their first baby at home.

Mrs Gray said: “It’s not just something celebrities or royals can do with a huge amount of resources at their disposal, the NHS provides the same level of really good care. You have two midwives with you all the time and they are monitoring you so closely.”

Gemma Nealon is an NHS midwife,  co-founder of Birth Trauma Scotland and runs Positive Birth Scotland. She also teaches midwives and student midwives at Edinburgh Napier University and with NHS Lothian and has attended more than 50 home births.

Ms Nealon firmly believes the traditional culture of fear surrounding birth needs to be change, which is one of the reasons she chose to have her daughters at home. She said: “From what I knew of the physiology of birth, I just thought it was where I would be the most relaxed and calm.”

She went on to have “unbelievable” births that left her feeling “fabulous.”

From her professional background, Ms Nealon knows fear “is not conducive to childbirth.”

She said: “The culture around birth needs to be changed. It’s always scary birth stories that are shared and that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy because if you do go into hospital in such a state of fear often you have a longer labour because you are actually slowing it down with this ongoing fight or flight response.”

A home birth is not suitable for everyone, whether through choice or circumstance but it doesn’t have to be stressful, Ms Nealon said. She recommends labouring for as long as possible at home so the hormones that promote calmness can have a chance to kick in. She said: “Birth is so natural and instinctive . Our bodies are incredible machines that do what they have to do.”

READ MORE: Back to the Future: Will home births ever become the norm again?

Mother-of-two Bekki Robinson, 36, endured a traumatic birth with her first daughter during a five day labour where she was induced then wheeled in for an emergency caesarean before her baby was pulled out with forceps. She said: “It was very stressful and hospital for me was a very frightening place.”

Pregnant with her second daughter a year later, she attended the Edinburgh Positive Birth Scotland workshops and realised she could do it differently this time.  She said: “It just totally changed my thought process around birth because you hear negative birth stories all the time and I discovered you could have a positive experience if you take control and learn about the process of childbirth.”

Her two births were like “day and night” with her new-found knowledge and confidence. She said: “I knew  what my body needed. I knew when to sleep and I even cooked during labour as a way to relax. I just felt totally empowered.

“You need to be in your most relaxed state [to give birth]. And I didn’t have that in a hospital.”

Giving birth at home by candlelight meant she was able to pull her daughter out and nurse her almost immediately. She said: “It was a real Lion King moment ... it all felt very primal.”

ANALYSIS

Dr Jenny Patterson is a research fellow at Edinburgh Napier University and recently completed a PHD in birth trauma and post traumatic stress disorder. She has worked in the NHS and as an independent midwife. She writes:

"The news the Duchess of Sussex is planning a home birth is a very positive thing. Having worked as an independent midwife, and as a mother who has had two children, I’m strongly in support of a home birth in the right circumstances.

"My research has shown it’s the women’s subjective experience of what happens to her that’s the most important thing. A woman can go through obstetric interventions in a hospital environment or she could go through a lovely home water birth and either of those births could be traumatised, depending on how they perceived that experience.

"A huge amount of research, initiated by government, shows continuity of care anddeveloping trusting relationships with midwives is hugely beneficial in terms of outcomes, both physical and psychological. There is a five-year plan working towards that – and within that there’s a greater scope for supporting home births.

"Feeling safe is the key thing and some women feel much safer in hospital because they know they’ve got the support. That peace of mind makes a huge difference. For others, being at home is where they feel most safe and secure and that will facilitate the chance of a better birth outcome.

 "But if we want this to work well for women, we need the staff to be supported and enabled to give that care. At the moment, the pressures on staff, the under-resourcing, the lack of access to as much training as some of the staff would like to follow up on, these things make it very difficult.

"Ultimately, what I support is women’s choice because it’s important to recognise home birth isn’t always right for every woman. It’s up to women to be supported in the route they choose would be best for them to have their babies.

"The system has to be structured in such a way that becomes a real option for women. The new NHS models, Best Start In Scotland and Better Births in England are working towards making that a real possibility and that’s a very positive and exciting change."