Comment: that's being a little dramatic

I had no problems at my last hospital birth. The nurse was curious about my reason, but was not pushy. She went through the rest of the stuff: Vitamin K, eyewash, etc. to make sure my wishes were followed. All the states have laws that let you decline - that doesn't mean the hospital people will like it, but whatever. I would print it all up and put it in a folder and toss it in my "going to the hospital" bag that stays in the trunk that last month.

I would also say that if your hospital is in a competitive market, you have less chance of being hassled. I remember complaining about a nurse once, and the administrator overheard me and came in asked if everything was OK. I probably got her fired, but hey she wasn't cut out for the work.

The one case I know of of baby snatching was in PA, I think where some zealous social worker went on a power trip because the mom didn't want to sign papers while in excruciating pain. I know HSDLA got involved and proceeded to sue the crap out of them, for kicking the mom out of the hospital over it.

If you've ever had a baby who needed immediate NICU attention, you can understand why some people are hesitant with a homebirth. The thought scares the fool out of my husband, especially after our son was born with a collapsed lung. Another issue is that most insurance will not cover midwives, making the MD/hospital route affordable.