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For these women, out-of-hospital births are not accidents of timing, but deliberate expressions of their values. For most, a desire to retain control over one of life's most emotional, intimate and primal processes is paramount.My views on Unassisted Childbirth? I agree that it is indeed a powerful, primal and raw experience. I feel a little envious of those who have had the chance to experience it. But would I personally choose an Unassisted Childbirth? No. Not because I believe that it is dangerous or that women who choose to birth their babies in this fashion are wrong, but simply because I enjoy having a midwife at my birth. I am comforted by the presence of a midwife, by the laughter and joy that a midwife can add to a birth. Just like UC'ers feel most comfortable birthing alone or with only their partner, I feel most comfortable birthing with my partner, my mother, my sister, my cousin, and my midwife. And women should be able to choose to give birth in the way that they feel most powerful, and most comfortable.
But the freebirth phenomenon alarms many obstetricians, midwives and feminist health experts, who characterize the practice as ill-advised at best — and life-threatening at worst.
I do believe, however, that having an Unassisted Childbirth should not be taken lightly. If a woman decides to go that route, it is my strong belief that she better get her butt in gear to prepare for the birth by ensuring she takes care of her self in terms of prenatal health, that she has a valid back up plan, and that she researches and educates herself on the process in childbirth and what exactly could happen. Which, from my understanding, is what most women who choose the UC route do.
So what is your view on Unassisted Childbirth? Do you believe that women have the right to choose to give birth in this manner, or in any manner of homebirth?
3 comments:
I believe women have the right to birth however they so choose.
That being said, I don't think unassisted childbirth is very responsible. I am sure many would say the same about homebirth, but the difference is a midwife is trained in spotting a problem and knowing if something is wrong with mom or baby. If something does go wrong, she would be able to make sure you get the assistance you need or get you to a hospital if necessary. A good midwife is there more to supervise anyway. Your body is going to do all the work "unassisted" no matter who else is present.
I don't care how "prepared" you are for birth, things do happen that you are not expecting.
Things can and do go wrong. Babies and mothers do die during birth. While an unassisted childbirth sounds romantic and appealing, it is not worth the risk in my mind... no matter how small the risk. I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to my child's life.
I don't know much about free birthing. I find it a bit nuts, but even 3 years ago I thought homebirth was nuts. Currently I'm researching HBAC, so ask me next week, and maybe I'll have a different perspective on free birthing. ;)
I think in this incredibly interventionalist legalistic society that we live in free birthing can be a bit "risky" if things go wrong. Worst case scenarios might be manslaughter charges or child protective services (if applicable) getting involved. Of course, I'm being extreme.
I think that if I were ever to decide to freebirth, that I would go through as much midwifery training as possible. I would probably do Bradley training with my DH. If I were already an experienced midwife or doula, perhaps I'd feel more comfortable doing it myself (with my DH).
So, when I get pregnant again, I'll simply hope for VBAC and try and convince DH and myself that I will likely be more successful VBACing at home!
There was a time when I thought it a bit strange too; it didn't make much sense to me. Sure, planning a routine managed birth (hospital *or* home) is adding risk. But why wouldn't you at least want someone there to monitor and observe and deal with complications if they arise? And that's a completely valid point, of course. What I didn't realize at the time was that there is another true thing that is at odds with it -- that the presence of an observer is in itself an intervention in that it affects the hormonal process and psychological state of the mother. Sometimes it's a good intervention; sometimes not. If you think about how difficult it would be for most people to become sexually aroused and orgasm in the presence of anyone but a lover, you can begin to see how it could create dysfunction in birth as well, which is also biochemically very much a sexual process, and emotionally an intimate process. The equation isn't so simple and one-sided then.
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