'Free birthing' AIBU to think this woman should not be encouraging people to do this

[WilliowGreen]

In this guardian article this woman boasts about her wonderful birth experience by rejecting all care including scans because "it was not empowering".
Before I had my baby (she is 2 weeks old) I would probably have thought her lack of self awareness was funny. Now it quite irrationally fills me with rage.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/28/experience-i-had-a-free-birth.

www.instagram.com/verylacey/?hl=en

Some hospitals are great. When I was expecting dd, our local hospital was not. It was known throughout the region as an unhappy hospital, and had been described as such for 20 years+. Once I'd met my midwife I knew I was not going to have dd there.

We booked holiday, took my maternity notes, and had dd in a lovely hospital in the country.

We moved to Devon, and our tiny little cottage hospital has the most amazing maternity unit. Everybody here loves it, people are jealous if they live a few miles out and are thus sent elsewhere. Of course, the Tories are closing it now. The hospital will only do outpatients henceforth.

Thanks for the instagram link.

She's a self absorbed naval gazer isn't she? Barely any photos which aren't of her. How very dull.

Omg that placenta post on Instagram. "I broke down in reverence"

Could she be any more annoying?! I feel like setting up a rival Instagram account entitled givemeallthedrugs

WHAT A TRIP!! 🌍🚀💃🏼 This is my FREE BIRTH story in the @guardian* today (it's actually in the magazine section which I'm told is KIND OF A BIG DEAL 💅🏼)! Dear baby Krishna, it's been a wild 24 hours. 😝 The article has been shared online THOUSANDS OF TIMES, 💥 I've been interviewed live on the Stephen Nolan show on the BBC, 📻 received tons of positive feedback (I love you guys 👭💖), a butt-loads of negative feedback (but FUCK IT 👊🏼) AND kicked the inflammation in Righteous Righty (dats my boob 🍈). To read the story, Google "Guardian Experiences" or pickup the paper today! 💛 What I hope most in sharing my story is not to get errrrybody free birthing 🤗 BUT to get pregnant mamas and ALL MAMAS 👩🏼‍🎤👩🏾‍🎤 inspired to feel confident and POWERFUL ENOUGH to make decisions for themselves that FEEL GOOD! 🙋🏼👍🏼 I said to Flynn yesterday that what got me in the newspaper was MY PUSSY. 🐱💪🏼 What that means to ME is that I turned in the direction of my WOMAN STRENGTH, my fierce MATERNAL FIRE 🔥 and did what was right for me. That's what it's ALL ABOUT. 🌈🙏🏼 #radicalisingmotherhood
Today Now I feel as if I'm bullying the poor wee soul though.

Even her instagram intro blurb is sickening

RADICALISING MOTHERHOOD! ⚡️ Heal your relationship to motherhood.

What does that even mean?

Child birth is the most dangerous thing humans do. It was medicalized for a reason. For anyone to poo all over decades of proven medical research for this kind of shit - well they deserve everything they get.

No Instagram account so I can't read the posts

"Child birth is the most dangerous thing humans do."

Child birth (and just afterwards) is the most riskiest stage of an infants life (the period where they are most likely to die).

It isn't necessarily the most dangerous things humans do. I can think of plenty of other things that carry greater risks.

Actually in fairness when you read what she intended message to be she doesn't seem a bad old stick. Still think her decision making was poor though.

You don't need an instagram account to see her posts.

I'm actually devouring her account with furious glee. It's everything I hated about living in North London wrapped up into one ball.

She's rather obsessed with her 'pussy' isn't she?

I think she's sweet, in a MANIC sort of way.

"I was very afraid of what it meant to become a mother. Was it giving up? Was it a conciliatory prize based on biological abilities for those unwilling to really “try” at life? My views on motherhood were not positive or uplifting. When Flynn and I decided to create life, I decided to start healing my relationship to what it meant to be a mother. I wanted to understand what beliefs I carried so that in choosing to become a mother, I’d also be choosing to revere, love and value my place in this world"

She'll be happy now, she's SUCCEEDED at giving birth

I don't think she's sweet, I think she's self obsessed

But I am grumpy and cynical, so.

midwife... Who will obviously call an ambulance IF, but only IF there is need for an emergency C-section"

How dreamy, unrealistic, and... well... theoretical of you

In reality, "emergency" doesn't mean "Let's spend 3 minutes on the phone explaining the situation, wait 10 mins for ambulance to arrive, another 10 mins to get to hospital, minimum 3 more minutes until baby can be cut out." Emergency in these situations means a fucking emergency - baby needs to get out now and doesn't have 25-30 minutes.

"And will not subject you to random men walking into the room and gawking at you while you give birth when it's a completely normal birth and the humiliation is not made up for by any benefits."

Bless. You have never had a baby so your complete lack of understanding about what goes on during birth is perhaps somewhat understandable but seriously. Do you really think make doctors will come in just so they can stare at and admire your beautiful fanjo and huge pregnant body in all its glory with goggle eyes?

"Now, I am a very stubborn person and will therefore likely not give birth at all when my country refuses to give me adequate conditions for it."

Let us know how that goes for you. As I said, this issue is properly Darwinian. The character trait of such stubbornness that one would refuse to procreate because she won't get her (ignorant, prejudiced, and completely inexperienced) way during childbirth probably isn't worth passing on to the next generation for the good of the species anyway.

I think she's sweet, in a MANIC sort of way. Yes she is.

people used to die in childbirth all the time.

they still do, but they're mostly brown and poor so they don't count

Male doctors.

You don't need an instagram account to see her posts

Where do I click to see them? Tried the 358 posts bit and nothing happens? Am missing the party

"I did decline the blood test for downs and other anomalies as I wouldn't terminate at all."

I had a nuchal scan with DS. I was 37 and even when I was having it, I was told 'You'll be scheduled for amnio if the results indicate high risk.' I told them, 'I will not have an amnio, ever,' and boy did they get shirty and bullying. 'I've done my research, I will not have amnio. Ever.' They even brought in a consultant, before they even did the fucking scan!!

So yes, I can see where some women feel bamboozled and even harassed.

It definitely goes on! There was a thread on here a while back and the subject of these carbon monoxide tests pregnant women are being told to take came up and it was blatantly obvious women were being lied to and told it was to detect CO from faulty appliances, which is total BS, it's because it's not believed if you tell the HCP that you don't smoke.

My neighbour has brain damage due to oxygen deprivation at birth. Their were no scans back then, and there was a problem with his umbilical cord.
I dont believe any well meaning hippy has the right to inflict that on any child due to their irrational fear of the waves that dolphins emit from their heads.

www.livescience.com/38087-can-dolphins-detect-pregnant-women.html

I remember going to a NCT class before DS was born and the instructor was very sweet but completely focused on the idea that the right attitude was what you needed, and having a home birth was better because you were more relaxed without all that unnecessary medical intervention and antiseptic hospital smell and bright lights. Personally, I couldn't think of anything more relaxing than knowing I'd was in the hospital with expert medical professionals only seconds away if anything went wrong.
And it did. And so here I am to tell the tale.

BattleaxeGalactica

Click on the individual pictures and the text comes up (and the comments).

Very interesting

I don't do Instagram, and I imagine it's used for mostly saying how great things are, but the top right pic (yellow turban) is really interesting in what she's deliberately NOT saying about how she feels.

Be honest Lacey. It might help people too