freebirthing

[aquariusgirl]

Having watched the programwe on it I wondered what people thought about freebirthing. I am told that it is becoming more common in the UK.

[LackaDAISYcal]

Not for me, but each to their own I suppose.

I would be too worried about anything going wrong, but I have had two sections, so need to be somewhere close to medical support for my next baby.

[LaTrucha]

Someone asked this recently and there was a pretty unanimous 'no!' as far as I remember.

[aquariusgirl]

oops I am new to MN so haven't worked my way through tried and tested sunjects!

[LaTrucha]

That's ok - you could search for it.

[noonki]

My DH is a paramedic and couldn't understand the concept....

I mean what if what if....

[gabygirl]

I think I understand why people choose to freebirth. If you believe that for women to labour well they need to birth undisturbed then it's logical you'd be attracted to freebirthing.

I was tempted myself with my second and I know someone who's done it. It wasn't planned but when she went into labour she simply couldn't bring herself to go into hospital and didn't want any health professionals near her. Her DH delivered the baby in the end.

I got in independent midwife in the end and had a homebirth. It was the nearest I could get to freebirthing without the additional risk to me and my baby ! She just left me alone to get on with my labour, which was what I wanted.

Ideally I think very few people would be attracted to the idea of freebirthing if they had access to truly sensitive, unconditional, hands-off midwifery care at home.

[aquariusgirl]

I searched LaTrucha and found many posts for freebirthing thanks

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

No way. I needed to keep asking the midwife what was happening - being talked through what stage I was at, and talked through the actual birth and I would have been quite frightened if I hadn't had that. Giving birth is very primal, but that doesn't mean we are designed to go it alone!

Plus I tore really badly and might well have bled to death if I hadn't been sewn up straight away!

[ajm200]

I think it is popular in America as they are trying to outlaw homebirth. Homebirth is illegal in a number of states.

I know it is a natural process that should require the minimum of intervention but too many women and babies have died back when babies were delivered by neighbours and lay-mws.

I'm planning a homebirth waterbirth this time and explained to the (NHS) MW that I want to left to it with the minimum of checks/interventsion. She has agreed to check babies HB with an underwater doppler every hour or so and otherwise will leave me alone until I need her.

She is very supportive as she has her children at home and didn't call the MW until she was pushing and needed someone to catch the baby just in case of problems.

If I give birth in hospital, I'm hoping my friend (a MW) will deliver my baby as she will leave me to it as well.

Last time if I had tried to freebirth both baby and I would have been at serious risk as my BP shot to dangerous levels and his HB dropped very low

[lulumama]

I understand why women feel compelled to do it, but i would never do it, or support another woman to do it. historically, women have had someone with them when they give birth..right back to biblical times..having no ante natal care either makes it more dangerous.. i.e placenta previa may not be detected..

many women seem to want to do it becasue they have a deep distrust of hte medical profession, having been let down or hurt in some way thorugh a previous birth or experience .

or they want to maintain absolute control over their birth experience without any constraint of policy or anything like that

[foxytocin]

lulumama look at this post By YumMum22 on Mon 22-Sep-08 14:33:38 on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1365/573041. you'll love it.

[Upwind]

Wish I could afford an independent midwife. As it is I will have a total stranger, whether at home or in hospital, unless the incompetent M/W I have seen for my antenatal appointments happens to be on call. And she is very much against my having a homebirth and insists that , in her experience, "first time mothers always transfer to hospital, and not usually for pain relief either" and that "you might be waiting a very long time for an ambulance".

Under these circumstances, I can see the attraction of freebirthing and why women might consider it. I won't though! I do wonder whether it becoming more common is because of the intentions of the parents - do they just wait too long to go to the hospital or call a midwife?

[lulumama]

woo and indeed hoooooo !

[foxytocin]

now can you answer me an idiot question? i have been having loads of contractions but all have been painless. i am 40+ wks currently. is this wierd?

[ajm200]

Upwind One of the community MWs that I saw last time round kept giving reasons like that to stop me having a homebirth.

In the end, I spoke the the head of the CMW team who was very supportive and was willing to let me have a HB even after my BP started to spike to dangerous levels and I was booked for an induction. She was willing to attend the HB as long as I went into labour by midnight the night before the induction.

Reading the freebirthing stories that I've found on the web, they make a very deliberate decision to avoid the medical profession.

The most natural birth that I saw on TV was a women who gave birth in the sea with the DR watching from a distance in case of problems.

[lulumama]

silent labour? you will cough and hte baby will simply fall out?

BH not necc. painful, but usual to feel tightening/ twinges

does your bump go hard with the ctx?

no other signs of anything?

most women do feel their BH IFYSWIM, but i don;t think it is weird for them not to hurt

when is your next MW appt?

such a wide variety of what is normal for ach woman in each pregnancy ., isn;t there

[foxytocin]

yes, the whole bump goes tight. lots from early last night and still coming period type pains at the bottom of the uterus from 4am onwards but that has quietened down since. I am still feeling the tightenings and many times I'm only sure of them by touching my bump.

I am wondering if bfing dd (still) may be why I am having so many with no pain.

MW appt this morning at 10

[foxytocin]

During my mid pg, I was entertaining the idea of free birthing. In essence, because of distrust of the MWs responsible for my care. I was having deliberate stumbling blocks put in my way from having a HB.

Having to fight for something which is my entitlement certainly does not endear or foster trust in them.

I feel now that they are giving me a HB because they know that I won't give in so are being perfunctionary. Fine by me. I'd rather they stay in the dining room while I labour in my living room if that is what it takes.

My first experience when I was induced due to pre-eclampsia was so bad that the only thing I can consider comparing my first labour delivery with is date rape. To go back into hospital is still the most petrifying thing that can happen to me in this pg. The only reason I plan to go in is for a C/S.

[ajm200]

Foxy My friend labours like that and her last one arrived in the toilets of the Antenatal ward after one painful contraction. Total labour 15 mins!

Having DS last time, I got all the way to transition with loads of pressure and some light period type cramps.. Ended up with an Epidural to crash my BP as it spiked too high and it was that or a CS so can't say if the whole labour would have been so easy.

I hope you are going to have a silent labour.. childbirth without pain.. everyone will be so . They may just be BHs though.

I've been getting painless tightenings for the past 4 days, mostly about an hour apart but they do get closer at times. I've got 4 weeks to go though so suspect BHs.

[cupsoftea]

freebirthing - no medical check-ups or availability of medical help- if need be with the birth?? Child neglect imho as it's the life of the baby that could be at risk.

[foxytocin]

gosh ajm200. I would love that. would love to wake up tomorrow am with dd2 lying next to me.

[Pushpinia]

LULU are you there? We need your advice on this lickle thread please, if you get a minute!

* thankyou *

[cupsoftea]

smk - they are seriously misguided then - if they want to suffer giving birth by themselves & to have no health checks then this is their choice but it's not fair on their baby to impose no medical care for the baby.