Unassiste childbirth (UC) is birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant. Unassisted childbirth is also known as unassisted homebirth, freebirth, unhindered birth, and couples birth. The term "UC" is used to denote that these circumstances were chosen by the mother and were not merely the result of an emergency situation or ill timing. While most UCs do happen within the home, planned homebirths usually include the presence of a midwife or other birth attendant.