I am actually in my eighth month of pregnancy with a little girl, my first, and have been planning a home birth since before I found out I was pregnant. There are many, many variables that play into this and it requires a lot of thought and planning, much more than if you were pursuing a typical hospital birth. I recommend watching "Pregnant in America" and also "The Business of Being Born", both eye opening to the current health care system. Also, any of Ina May Gaskin's books are great. There aren't as many options to pregnant women as you would think. With health care laws as they are now, women, midwives, and doulas seeking alternative birthing strategies kind of have their hands tied. If you're in the US, a birthing center will hopefully try harder than a hospital will to work with you on having a natural childbirth, but they have to follow protocol or they risk insurance problems just like a hospital will, so in many cases you'll be required after a certain period of time to allow pitocin at least. This usually leads to further medical intervention. You also won't be allowed to have a water birth in any situations unless you are at home with a licensed midwife, although some birthing centers will allow you to use a birthing tub for pain management through much of your labor.

I would say the most important thing for her is to research, research, research. And don't wait. If she pursues a home birth, she needs to find her midwife, now. A good midwife wants to be your prenatal care through your entire pregnancy, and if they are going to do a home birth you will need to do things throughout your pregnancy to ensure you are as low risk as possible. A good midwife will also refuse to work with you for your own safety if she has any concerns about your delivery, and if one says no, do not go find another that says yes. My midwife won't do a home delivery for anyone who is overweight or who gains over 60 pounds during the pregnancy, no multiples, no preterm babies, no high blood pressure, no protein in urine, etc. She also requires you to attend childbirth classes and relaxation classes with her, you have to have a hospital within 15 minutes of your home that has an OB on staff 24/7, and she gives you a huge list of emergency supplies you have to stock your house with before the birth. We also will be setting up a birthing tub, and I take prenatal yoga and do plenty of exercising to ensure that I'm as healthy as possible. Kegels, kegels, kegels!! She's brilliant and I'm 100% confident in her skills and knowledge, but I'm still realistic about the possibility of needing/wanting to go to the hospital, and so we have a backup plan and have toured the hospital and also reviewed their procedures. If she is really serious about wanting to have a natural birth, knowledge is the only way to go. PM me if you have any other questions, not that I'm an expert but I'm definitely in the researching phase of this.