womens right.

who has the right to say that a woman has to have people with her when she gives birth?

that's like someone saying you have to hold your fork a certain way, or brush your hair a certain way.

I abhore people who think that they have the right to say how a woman should give birth.

many women successfuly give birth outside of a hospital envirnoment, many women give birth before they get to said hospital or birthing centre because baby comes quicker than expected.

don't instituionalise giving birth.

in a natural environment not stained by society all mammals would wander off alone in peace and quiet to give birth.
only "civilised society" puts these fears that we must allow doctors to intervene in our heads.

*steps off soap box*

Hmm... i can see both sides to this.

i think it is definitely a personal choice, one that you need to research *very* thoroughly before you decide to do it. if someone just decides on a whim to have a "freebirth", that probably isn't the greatest idea. but as long as the woman knows all the pros and cons to it, what can go wrong, and how to handle an emergency, then i guess more power to her.

personally, i would never do it. i'd be too afraid that something would go terribly wrong and i wouldn't be able to do anything about it. there are professionals in this field for a reason - because they know what to do and how to do it. i trust the medical profession enough to know that they will ensure i have the safest delivery possible.

sorry but...

"giving birth is the most dangerous thing a woman will do in her life"

what anyone want to explain how the human race has survived many 1000's of years without medical intervention?

medical intervention is often the "cause" of problems in the first instance.

what if the cord is wrapped around the neck like it so often is?
I understand the birthing at home i do, but with no one to help. every birth ive been too there has been something wrong, wheater that be with the placenta being delivered or the baby swallowing blood on the way out. With no one there who knows what to do in this situation there is just too much at risk. We as mothers want the best for our children. the best schools, the best nutrition, the best saftey. It is our job to protect our children and i think that this just isnt doing that.

'


like i said even 1000's of years ago when women gave birth they still had others to assist.

I personally wouldn't do it, but then again .i'm a huge worrier. I would be nervous about the cord, the shoulders, the baby's position coming down... if his/her heartbeat dropped I would never know about it... what if he/she wasn't breathing... etc...

It terrifies me.

a woman on another forum i go to did this and the baby died. i don't remember the details but i was angry with her, if she'd gone to the hospital at some point the baby most likely would have lived. i do remember that her water broke and there was merconium(sp?) and she continued to labor for 12 more hours at home. isn't the merconium a bad sign? also, the baby's shoulders were stuck and she was stuck for a long time (2 hours if i recall). i think she eventually called an ambulance but by then it was much too late.

that was the first i'd actually heard of this. i'd never thought about it before and didn't realize women gave birth at home all by themselves. this girl's story turned me away from it completely, not that i would have ever done it but now i can't see how anyone would do it.

i'm all for women giving birth at home (though i would never do it), but i really think a midwife or someone should be present. there's too much that can go wrong. maybe i'd feel differently if my first exposure to this wasn't the story above.

but what about the millions of births that don't have the cord around the babies neck?

I'm sorry that every birth you have been to has had problems - but that only signifies to me that medical intervention is more likely to cause problems.

we have survived as a species too long for it to be pure coincidence.

and you don't have to be a doctor to know how to clean a baby up after/during birth.

also there is nothing to stop these women calling for assitance if at any time they feel unable to continue alone or if things don't feel as if they are progressing correctly.

in the case Bridget states, then yes, that is stupidity.
any woman intending to freebirth should know what to expect and what signs are good and bad.

basics are things like merconium - it is a classic sign that there are problems - at this point the woman would have been wise to call for assistance.
also if she knew the baby was stuck - not calling for assistance is (in my view) not wise.

sometimes I think I ought to be burning bra's or something (not that I wear one at home lol) - I am so much for natural and unassisted child bearing/birthing. I feel like I should belong to a liberation movement or something.

I feel that it's a woman's right. But I also feel that having someone there would be the better way to go about birthing a child.

I have thought long and hard about my next birth, and plan on doing it at home. With no medical intervention(again) *but* with someone there to assist if something like a nucal cord, or shoulder displasia, were to occur.

There are many many midwives who won't even touch you or the baby. They allow you to birth and catch your own child if that's your choice.

I had marconium in my waters(.oni pooped), and she ended up inhaling some of it. The marconium also is what caused my body to go into shock.(I had a fever of 103 & rising). Her poop actually infected me afterwards.

That doesn't necessarily mean that that happens in *every* situation, but it's very very likely to.

I'm allll about no intervention. But to have someone there who is specifically trained in the field would be the most intelligent thing to do.

ALthough thousands of women gave birth at home just a century ago, we have to remember the amount of infant deaths and deaths of the mothers that occured because of not having 'trained' people around.

Sarah

Women did not always have someone to assist. There are cultures where it is normal for a woman to be in solitude when she gives birth. I know that the inuit were one culture where women at least sometimes gave birth alone. The way we give birth is a cultural thing, that's why it seems so odd for someone to do it alone but it has happened millions of times before. I personally know someone who gave birth all alone in her bathtub because her husband took too long to get home. She said it wasn't so bad and the baby was fine.

I would love to give birth at home as well but unfortunately I don't have that choice because I can't get a midwife and you need one here to have a home birth. They are paid for by the government but there aren't enough to go around.

and your friend is the exception.

I'm totally aware that millions of women birthe alone. And I'm totally for it!

I'd be the woman, to risk it, and to have something fataly wrong happen. Ya know?

So, *if* she tore, who would stitch her up? Her husband? If her child came out limp and non responsive, who would thoroughly suction her lungs? her husband?

I'm just asking becasue my daughter inhaled marconium and had to have her lungs thoroughly suctioned to remove it completely. She was not crying or breathing "normally". ANd I know my husband would not have known what to do in that instance.

I'm positive she *eventually* went to the hospital.

Sarah

I agree with you very much except for part this statement.
it isn't neccesary very very likely, but very very possible - yes.

I would have loved to have a home birth. In my own bed where I feel safe. I don't know that I'd manage on my own very well, I'd probably want my husband there at least

I think it is a total personal choice and very empowering! Women have been giving birth since the begining of time. I'm pretty sure my body knows what it is supposed to do, I'd just have to trust it.

well when it comes to marconium, infection is extreeeeeemly likely to occur.

Not necessarily in the baby, but in the mother.

You mix poop with an open wound, and bada bing bada boom! lol!

My temp was 103.5 before she even started stitching me...if they would have waited, I would have prob gone into septic shock.

Sarah

.

This is the exact reason I refused any medical intervention with my birthing experience.

Even though I was in a hospital, the room mimiced my house. Wooden floors, wooden armouir, ceiling fan, etc.

Sarah

I'd like to add that in my view it would be "wise" to have a midwife on "standby" and to undergo something like this you need to edcuate yourself well and to know your own body.

It isn't for everyone by any means.

An understanding "hands off" midwife in the near vinicinity would be wise but it should be a womans right to chose not to have even that.

I don't think having a partner/husband there should make it illegal - it makes more sense for them to be there to physically and mentally support their wife/partner at that time.

I think the suggestion that it is illegal to have husband/partner present if they are not a medical professional actually increases the chances of a woman not calling for help if she feels she needs it.

I totally agree! and what about the placenta? if you don't get all of that out you can get an infection and die,can't you?

I think that if you have a homebirth with a midwife it is perfectly fine but whenever you have nobody there to help I think that could be dangerous.

I do know a girl that delivered her brother in the downstairs bathroom because her stepmom went into labor really fast. Her mom had the baby before the paramedics even got there.

Oh boy..*opens can of worms*

I think it is absolutely a woman's right to birth alone if she wants to, but she probably should honor herself by getting a lot of education prior to that and investing in the tools that home birth attendents carry around with them. Also maybe have paramedics on spped dial.

I am horribly dissatisfied with my birthing experiences. I had no drugs and wanted no intervention, but I had to be induced the first time with pitocin

(Any pregnant moms may want to stop reading here...)

This was the most horrible experience of my life. My contractions came one on top of the other and I never had a break. At 6 cm I started screaming obscenities and then I just buried my face in my pillow and screamed non stop for almost 45 minutes untiol a nurse (finally) came in. I went to the hot tub and dilated fully. Then i went back to deliver baby and couldn't get her out. I pushed unmedicated for 4 hours. Finally they strongly suggested an epidural, and after 15 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing I gave in. My labor stopped and I ended up with a section. I was OK with it at the time, but I felt like a failure ever since.

With my second child I was determined to "do it right". The hospital here "allows" women to "attempt" a .V.B.A.C. so I was certain that I would have one. The day I was due I went to the midwives and she was concerned about baby's position. I went for an US and sure enough, the naughty girl had flipped and was breech. My water broke, and I went to the hospital, not really realizing that they don't "allow" breech birth. what?? I guess they should have told Hannah. Well there I was at 7 cm, not feeling an ounce of pain, no meds, laughing with my family and had my 4 y.o. daughter on my lap. The got me prepped, shaved me like a 14 year old girl and cut my baby out of me. I am crying right now as I write this because I am so angry that I never got to birth like normal women. I am so mad. I feel like a failure. I have panic attacks when I have to go to the hospital. They play a lullaby over head every time there is a baby born which is sweet, but I have to run out and leave every time I hear it, because I will just start crying.

So, I wish I had birthed at home both times. paramedics can be easily summoned in case of trouble, but I am sure I would have had a simple birth- at least the second time, had I not been meddled with.


So do I think it should be a woman's right? Absolutely. Would I want to fly solo? Probably not, but that's just me. I think if left alone most women would do just fine. Something should be done about the C-section rate inthis country. It is a great procedure to have, but I think it is overused.

*closes can*