A small but growing number of U.S. women are choosing to give birth at home. However home birth midwives are not regulated by the state of Illinois. Many mothers still choose to stay home, despite the risks involved in not having a proper vetting system.

A small but growing number of U.S. women are choosing to have their babies at home. In more than 30 states, including most of the Midwest, it’s legal for certified professional midwives – trained specifically in home birth – to assist them. Illinois is not among them; but the state Senate wants to study the issue.

Women in the Illinois Senate want to address a surge in maternal deaths related to childbirth.

On The 21st: We learned about a new birth center in downstate Illinois and talked to families that choose to have their babies at home. We also spoke with the newest play-by-play announcer for the White Sox.