So I watched a documentary tonight on freebirthing. It's when women not only want to have their babies at home, but with no midwife, doctor or even a doula. They say that women have been having babies for thousands of years and it's a natural thing and that they don't need anyone there.
Now I don't know the exact numbers, but I do know that the fatality rate for mother and babies was sky high back then... Just a thought. And when they were asked about things that could go wrong, they all just said, "Oh, we don't like to think about that."
Only one woman looked like she had it together. She had her baby in a little blow up pool in her living room and said, "I'm attempting a pain free birth." Me too. I mean, I'll also attempt a pain free birth. I'll let you know how that goes. But she delivered her baby all by herself, pulling him out and everything. No screaming or hollering or swearing and what not.
The other three women were nothing like that. They were all screaming. A lot. And saying they were scared and "DON'T TOUCH ME!" The thing was, they were so uneducated. One girl didn't even know where to cut the cord after her baby had been born. I mean, if you're going to deliver a baby, especially your own baby, don't you think you should know what you're doing? At least? It was so ridiculous. Then her placenta didn't deliver and she waited hours and hours before going to the hospital where she was very demanding asking the doctor how he was going to fix it. And he was just kind of, "Well, what will you let me do?" Then she actually had the nerve to say, "I'm glad I did it myself. My baby could have been in danger if someone professional had been there."
Anyway, the short of it is this for me: Home births can be great. All though the ones kneeling down in a narrow tub of 4" of water didn't look it AT ALL. I'm all about water births and midwives, etc etc. If you can do it drug free, good for you.
BUT, I don't see any glory or trophies in freebirthing. While having a baby in the hospital is obviously not the only choice, why deliberately deprive yourself of some of the good things that have come from medical technology? Why risk your health and especially your baby's? Midwives (some of them) are brilliant and help you have a more peaceful atmosphere than a hospital. Most doctors now adays let you have complete control over your "ambience". Mine is great.
So I'm planning a hospital delivery. I'll get an epidural if I feel like one. I'm not knocking home births or midwives or anything in anyway. But don't be stupid and put your family at risk. Saying you did a freebirth for the sake of a freebirth, especially if you're so dim you don't even bother to research where to cut the cord, just makes you sound stupid.
I dont think i would ever want to take the risk, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI was planning a home birth with my daughter with a midwife. I also was having a Vaginal Birth After C-section. I didnt get a home birth becuase my water broke and 4 days later still not one contraction . I ended up with an induction, no epidural and a very good hospital birth the way I wanted.I was allowed to roam the halls, get into the tub and have my son there when he wanted to be . I personally wouldnt do an unassisted homebirth but many women who choose to do them are very educated and have amazing births.
ReplyDeleteFreebirthing is a little too radical for me. I don't understand why you wouldn't want someone with medical knowledge there.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking into going to a birthing center this next time around. My dr has closed her office so I am free to all the options now. I had also thought it would be great to have a midwife and give birth at a center but I didn't want to leave my dr. Well I guess my opportunity is here! Of course, I'll be doing lots of research and visiting centers and midwives before I make a final decision.
Bring on modern medicine! If we weren't supposed to have it, it wouldn't be here. I believe it's a blessing to have all the modern technology that we have today. Take advantage of it and have a safe delivery. At least you know you're in better hands in a hospital than at home with no one.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the program you are referring to. By your description, though, I think it's pretty sad that someone would feel the importance of taking responsibility completely upon themselves and not be educated about it. (Incidentally, I believe that whether or not you have a medical professional involved you shouldn't be placing all responsibility on that person in any situation.)
ReplyDeleteThere is a group of women who refer to their birthing choices as "Spirit-led birth" and I favor that term because in my case it fully describes where I believe my feeling toward this type of birthing comes from. Not all women who feel inspired to have a baby in the same way that baby was created (with only spouse and God present) is uneducated. In fact, in my experience of contact with such people I feel the opposite is true in most cases. A lot of women who choose this feel it is due to their education that they feel they and their babies are safer at home. I have spent the equivalent of a college education in time on studying just pregnancy and birth. I don't feel uneducated in this area at all.
Education aside, what Heavenly Father wants for me and my baby can not be swayed by the judgment of others who don't fully understand. (I'm not saying I feel personally judged by you. Just offering another view of the subject.) Women must be able to birth in the way they feel most comfortable.
Didn't mean to make it sound like anyone who would choose this option is uneducated. Like I said, one woman had a completely peaceful birth. It was the other two who had NO CLUE what was going on that I thought was ridiculous. Their videos made it sound like they were doing it because it sounded cool and not because it was what was best for their child. I just couldn't believe that one in particular didn't even bother finding out where to cut the cord! Doing even that the wrong way could put you baby at risk.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm not saying any way is the wrong way. I'm grateful there are so many options as every woman and every pregnancy is different. But whatever a woman chooses to do, she should be EDUCATED. Not being so just seems stupid to me.