Free Birth

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Am watching the programme on the BBC about Childbirth All or Nothing.

I had two of my kids at home which everyone at the time thought was a bit "out there".

AIBU to think "Free Birth" with planned no medical intervention or medical professional present is maybe a risk too far and possibly not fair on the baby should it need medical intervention?

I am prepared to be told IABU.

I once came across someone who did this. Her DH was a farmer who was "used to delivering lambs". It all turned out fine in her case, but I was a bit
They were on a relatively remote farm, so getting help there quickly if it was needed wouldn't have been easy. I'm glad there were no dramas but I think it was more stupid than brave tbh.

Sure, happens all the time in the third world. But maternal and infant mortality are alarming!

Maybe for a multip it'd be not so worrying.

I've never known a midwife or obstetrician do it purposely.

There's a reason for that.

post children it's not just death is it but also injury? What if the cord was around baby's neck for example? It is also about maternal safety, what if she bled heavily for example?

I think yanbu op. In one way yes it's her body but in another if she dies she is leaving children behind. I've also had a homebirth btw.

I thought the law prevented you using solely an unqualified attendant. Which can leave partners vulnerable to prosecution (though I doubt that would happen if the mother and baby were healthy. Fortunately, unqualified attendant births are so rare that I've not heard of a case in UK with poor/fatal outcome whether avoidable or not).

As the aim of delivery is the production of a person who has their own right to life from the second she emerges, then this isn't just the mother's body (as it is in earlier labour). The newborn needs proper care, and that might include life altering situations eg resuscitation. Because they have the right to interventions that would be expected to avoid death of impairment. Requiring an attendant to be qualified in these areas provides that.

i do also wonder who assesses the post-delivery perineum if there is no qualified attendant, and whether unstitched (or delayed stitched) tears cause problems more frequently than treated ones.

The law states that it's illegal for anyone to act as a midwife. It's meant to prevent anyone impersonating a midwife. So it is actually legal for a woman to choose just to have her husband or a doula there as long as neither of them have told the woman that they're a midwife!

www.homebirth.org.uk/law.htm

This site sounded well informed to me - scroll down an bit for legalities of unattended birth. It seems to be saying that women do not have to have any attendant for their birth, but if they plan to have one, it must include someone qualified. So a partner/doula who plans to attend can be prosecuted (they cite a case of such a prosecution). It's all about planning to be there, not whoever is there if there is an emergency.

I know this is a bit off topic and will out me if anyone reads it but here's my opinion.

I had an unassisted birth with my first son at 15. Circumstances were such I didn't tell a soul I was pregnant, I was young and fit and healthy and my son was 9lbs but I still managed to pass out from blood loss, get septacemia and was in hospital for a long time. Looking back after my next two hospital births (both were induced at 39 weeks) I am so grateful that ds1 and I didn't die.

Having an unassisted birth is so risky and personally I think it's irresponsible. But that's my biased opinion.

Please can I just correct the common misconception - home birth is not messy

I wondered with the lotus birth (which I also thought uneccessary) if people/family/siblings would be a little repelled by the new baby because she smelt so bad.

I agree it's a women's choice but what about the baby and any problems it might experience in life due to birth complications?

I really enjoyed the programme and was crying when they had their babies! So looking forward to this little one making an appearance, although when you see the head and everything coming out it makes me uncomfortable as for some reason I can't relate it's happened to me probably all those drugs in labour!

I agree that I think free birth is dangerous but each to their own, she seemed to be part of a wican circle or something was that their version of baby shower?

The one who are her placenta I was very envious of her birth she seemed so calm and baby came with no escalation from her, I said to OH I was never as calm as that with DS but he was back to back and had been in labour for 12 hours even though OH tried to reassure me I didn't get hysterical!

I will be going to my local marernity unit again mainly because I need the 3rd stage to be midwife managed due to big PPH last time and their birthing pool is amazing. I had toyed with the idea of a home birth but OH flat out refused as unit is 25 mins away and he was worried plus I wouldn't be suitable for one with the pph.

Giving birth has become over medicalised in recent years. All births seem to involve problems and dramas. There has to be a happy compromise available for the vast majority of women who should have uncomplicated labour and delivery. Freebirth may be a step too far but I can understand why some women are tempted.

A good friend of my parents was a midwife in the UK for 30 years before setting off to the Philippines as a missionary in her 50's.

Working in the slums and villages around Manila she quickly realised that there was no antenatal care and no medical support for labouring women there and they were essentially "free birthing" as a matter of course. All too often the results were devastating.

As a result she opened up her home to labouring women who snatched her hand off at the chance to give birth with medical support, and over time she has fundraised and trained staff so that now, in her 80's, she runs a fully staffed birthing centre with antenatal care. It's nothing like the services available in the UK. We are talking a big room with half a dozen beds separated by curtains, and little more than G&A and paracetamol for pain relief. But it is a life saver, literally.

I don't think some people realise just how lucky they are to have the medical support we do, nor do they realise how priveliged they are to be able to choose not to use it. Far too many women and babies in the world are dying because they don't have any choice.

So basically I think free birthers are over entitled and selfish.

While I fully agree that birth is becoming ever medicalised, Midwives have been assisting and supporting women through childbirth since the dawn of time. Taking their knowledge and support out of birth seems a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I'm watching this now after seeing this thread. The thing I am most perplexed by is why on earth this lady and 2 kids have to go on business trips with her husband?? Super bizarre, even if she is part of the business! Maternity Leave!!!

All births seem to involve problems and dramas.

That isn't true. I know plenty of people who have have problem-free, textbook births. My daughter's birth was as well, and I suppose I could have had a free birth (stupid name) then, but I certainly couldn't have carried out my own free-third-degree-tear-repair afterwards.

I agree it's a risk too far. We're lucky to live in a part of the world where medical help is available when needed. I think in the past women were just told to "shut up and do what they're told" during labour that was obviously horrific but now I sometimes think there's so much emphasis on the "birth experience" that it actually becomes far too pressured for women. I know women who feel like failures despite a healthy baby because they didn't end up with a natural labour. Sometimes it also feels competitive in the extent to which you can ignore medical advice which seems a bit crazy to me.

(Obviously I'm not talking about normal home births with a mid wife present or people who want to discuss other options with their medical team etc.)

I've got this recorded to watch today so not seen it yet, but wanted to say I did have a placenta smoothie and it was actually great - I just knocked it back and it tasted of berries and gave me a real boost!

i had a massive urge to freebirth with dc3. I relented and called for te midwife to come out, but she was so crap, i wished i hadnt bothered. She pissed me off more than anything.

Even in third world countries they tend to get a local experienced lady or family member in. Although not medically qualified they are doing their best. These women are trying to get the best outcome using the people they have access to whilst the free birth lady is actively declining help or a safety net for her baby in case anything goes wrong. Very selfish IMO.

Tbh I understand it. I've had a home birth which was fab. but midwife nearly missed it.

hospital birth was shit. o was neglected and ignored and I'm Convinced their over interference afterwards is partly responsible for how poorly dd 2 ended up.

waiting fir staff to come and actually do something was definitely the most stressful parts of both births. expecting help and then being left to it was far worse I can imagine than knowing you get to do what your body needs to do fully supported by your family or dh or dw or whatever.

It's not a choice I would make myself. But surely when women cone back from hospital reporting all sorts about having drugs pushed on them or being left not knowing what was happening and the sheer fear of birth plans not being respected or the constant changing of staff and no one appearing to know what was said to the last one and all the unnecessary intervention people received, we can understand why women want to cut all that crap out.

That said I am. aware that some people do require intervention. and I would hope that partners would call for help should it be needed.

If one looks at the statistics sadly humans do not have a good record. We are too near the limit. Every mother/couple have the right to make their own decision obviously and then we get into motives and priorities.
My decision was baby first me nowhere - well not quite as I had my farmer husband (used to lambing and foaling so no hang-ups there) and retired Health Visitor mum with me and I left it up to them - I was away with the fairies totally submerged in the process (without drugs).
As everyone knows who has given birth; until you have been there there is no way of knowing what it will be like for you - and then things can go wrong. So, if proper fact finding is done it really boils down to your personal attitude to risk! And as long as one understands and accepts that one ought to be able to live with the consequences. And of course, with parenthood those consequences include the opinions of others...

"While I fully agree that birth is becoming ever medicalised, Midwives have been assisting and supporting women through childbirth since the dawn of time. Taking their knowledge and support out of birth seems a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face."

Exactly.

The only person I know who deliberately free-birthed (gave birth alone in her own bath) had midwifery training and an uncomplicated pregnancy/labour, and I still thought she was mad.