Childbirth Choices - Whose Decision is it?

Often times I get couples who have a difference of opinion on where their child should be born and how. I find this to be interesting because, as a woman and mother of six, I feel it should be a decision that a woman makes and her partner supports and becomes educated about. Our bodies are wonderous and wonderful creations that are capable of doing things our minds can't even conceive. If a woman knows her body and listens, is in tune with and follows it's lead, childbirth won't be the hysterical circus the media, hollywood and hospitals/OB's will have us to believe it is.
Our bodies are perfectly capable of not only creating, growing and developing another human life, but when it's time the body will let us know and begin to open up and lead our gift out of the womb and into the world.
The choices available to women when considering where and how to birth a child are numerous. Some states have midwife services available both in and out of hospital and some only legally allow hospital births. Of course, any woman can decide to have a baby at home, unassisted - which is possible and happens quite often, especially in states where midwifery is illegal. Unassisted women tend to do much more research and gather things they will need on their own, without help or guidance from a professional. Hospital birth experiences vary from hospital to hospital, however, most hospitals are constantly preparing a woman for "emergency cesarean" from the time they are admitted. Cesarean rates in the US are up above 31% now - meaning one in three women have a c-section in a hospital. This number is steady climbing and is absolutely astounding. Some women are scheduling their c-sections the moment they find out they are pregnant - not even considering that they have choices, but allowing another person to make that decision for her.
Giving birth is the most intense, emotional, empowering and beautiful event in a woman's life and should be embraced, celebrated and supported by the woman and her family. To go through the range of feelings and emotions from the beginning of a pregnancy to holding your new baby is beyond comparison or definition and is something that should not be acted upon so irrationally It saddens me to hear a woman say -"My husband won't go for that", or " my husband won't allow me to do that" when referring to a natural or out of hospital experience. Is he going to switch places with her? Is the husband/partner in some way going to become so uncomfortable and distraught that he needs to feel safe and secure in a hospital, stuck in a bed with fluids and drugs being pumped into him? Why should a woman feel pressured into going to a "sterile" (yeah right) environment that is cold, noisy, bright, uncomfortable and smelly when she can labor freely in her own home/ birth center that will be a setting she creates - warm, comfortable, dim, smells like home, able to eat and drink as much as she wants, move freely in and out of the home/center and have anyone she wants around her without having uninvited people or having to meet 12 new people every few hours during a shift change.
Whose decision is it? The answer is (women) - YOURS! Your body, your experience, YOUR decision. IF your partner is unhappy with your decision then they need to become educated or make other arrangements for your event. You are the person who will be going through the labor and delivery, you are the person who will need to be comfortable and create your environment - what will it be???