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Objective: to understand the exercise of professional autonomy by obstetric nurses in dealing with complications in planned home births., Methods: this is a qualitative study, supported by the Discourse of the Collective Subject methodological framework, whose data collection took place from January to March 2021, through interviews guided by a semi-structured script, in which seven midwives who are members of a childbirth care collective in northeastern Brazil and who work in the home context participated., Results: four central ideas emerged from the collective discourses related to the exercise of professional autonomy by obstetric nurses: shared decisions; theoretical-practical instrumentalization; professional expertise; and teamwork., Final Considerations: obstetric nurses' autonomy in the face of complications reflects the safety of planned home births and is based on collective critical thinking, reinforcing this professional' leading role in obstetrics.

Objective: To understand the challenges faced by urban midwives in assisting planned home births during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Qualitative study, based on the Collective Subject Discourse methodological framework, carried out with eight professionals, members of a birth care collective from the northeast region of Brazil. Data was collected between September and October of 2020 using the focus group technique., Results: The collective discourses revealed five central ideas: Changing assistance strategy; Dealing with frustration; Facing the fear of contamination; Avoiding exposure to the virus; and Keeping distance during the care process., Final Considerations: The challenging condition the pandemic brings to the care of planned home births is made evident, being marked by the need for collective protection and the pressure of following health recommendations. The study also points out the need for official protocols and good quality information based on scientific evidence and humanizing principles to guide health care.