smartcookie, l’chatchilah a wife becomes nidah very soon into hard labor or if she sees the mucus plug earlier. B’deved a husband of course is allowed to do what is necessary. However, WE don’t count on doing things that we are not allowed to do l’chatchilah. So we have to take that into consideration and because anything can happen and because frum people do not invite a crowd in at birth, as I mentioned before l’havdil to the goyim, you have to take into consideration that the midwife will need the help of the husband. Since we do have to take all issues into consideration and plan for all events, we have to take that into consideration as well and not just say, “well in the case of an emergency, we can ignore the fact that the wife is nidah”. You can’t, that fact is always a given. Even so much as “hold the baby while i cut the cord”. Is that mutar if the baby is still connected to the mother? Yes of course, in an emergency situation everything is mutar, but to plan it that way???????????
We can all say how this is nice or that would be nice, but WE can’t give a couple a heter to do that. If a couple is planning to have a homebirth with a midwife they had better also discuss it with their Rav so they know exactly what is mutar and not and how to be prepared for all occurrences. Hatzlocha to all whichever choice they make.