Freebirthing - a great idea or courting disaster?
Freebirthing, delivering your child at home without any healthcare professional present, even a midwife, is becoming more popular in some circles. Some women do take advantage of health care for prenatal tests and care, but then they choose to deliver at home with only their partner and/or family and friends present.
If you read this article, Freebirthing: Is it madness or the ideal way to give birth?, the mothers seem to think that if they don’t worry about emergencies, they won’t happen. I’m all for the power of positive thinking, but that seems - to me - to be really playing with fire. Not having any emergency plan or back up could result in disaster.
I’m all for women taking control of their bodies and their deliveries, I just have a huge issue with intentional unattended births.
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POSTED IN: Labor & Delivery
5 opinions for Freebirthing - a great idea or courting disaster?
Meagan Francis
Jul 30, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Unattended births have always freaked me out, too–even though I’ve had four easy, uneventful births, and three were out of hospital, I was always very glad to have a professional there so that i didn’t have to worry about whether everything was really all right. However, I understand that in some cases, women end up having unattended births because they are denied VBACs or don’t have access to the homebirth midwives because they are illegal or unavailable in their state–and that makes me angry on their behalf. It’s not my thing and I have some serious reservations, but I believe strongly in birth choices on both ends of the spectrum–and I guess until I’ve walked a mile in somebody else’s swollen feet, I can’t condemn it too strongly.
Marijke
Jul 30, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I agree Meagan - I believe women should have the choice but I’m just so uneasy about unattended births. I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I lost a child or my child developed a disability because of a choice I made. But, that’s just me.
tjwriter
Jul 31, 2008 at 10:26 am
I agree Marijke. I can’t tell other women what to do, but it would kill me is my decision resulted in harm to my child.
I’m glad that people have had success, however, and I can completely understand both the desire and the philosophy.
Chika10blue
Oct 22, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I dont understand why any woman would want to take that chance and put themselves and their baby at risk. At least if something goes wrong in a hospital or with a midwife, they would be prepared for anything. When your home, there is no one to help you. What if you are bleeding on the inside and dont know it? What if the baby gets stuck coming out? I have had two children and I wouldnt change their births for anything, my hospital was wonderful. I respect you if you want a home birth, but at LEAST have a midwife on call…
Ashlee
Nov 19, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I gave birth at home with my Husband, Mother and Best Friends at my side. We bought a small pool and filled it with warm water, it was so peaceful, and it was wonderful to have control over the birth. We bought sterilized items from the hospital took infant CPR classes and prepared in everyway possible. I went to all my pre-natal visits, but i knew i wanted to give birth without intervention. It was wonderful!
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