'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.

blow but it would have been better had she asked me and not the midwife! That was my point.

I thought she sounded like a fucking twat.

It made me really, really angry.

Oh I see sorry I am still glad however there are doctors out there wanting to know re patients and drugs. I had two good MW at labour 1 - but as said was naughtily denied an epidural when I needed one.

I then met a Head Midwife to discuss future options and she came across as totally brainwashed to me. I felt the consultant had a far better all round view of labour and birth and what was going on. She gave me more rounded advice on what to do next. I chose ELC and it was marvellous exactly what I needed.

........ aaaaand one look at her instagram confirms it.

I'm not usually so nasty about strangers on the internet, but this boils my piss.

And IT'S NOT THE FUCKING SAME AS A HOME BIRTH!

Not read all the replies so don't know if already been screenshotted but this is on her insta today. It's all me me me

Ffs a caption of another photo. What a twat.

From 16 weeks, I felt her moving and Flynn learned to find her heartbeat with his ear.

I couldn't get past this bit. Does she mean he was supposedly listening to the babies heartbeat by placing his naked ear against her stomach?

I think he may have heard her digestive system

I had my fourth child at home with no assistance. Even DH wasn't there as had nipped out to do the school run. Very fast labour indeed and it was completely terrifying. Cannot imagine choosing to put my baby and myself in such a potentially dangerous position. Even now I am haunted by all the things that could have gone wrong. DH might have come back and found both of us dead.

Totally irresponsible to promote this as some sort of empowering choice. We are so, so lucky to have the medical technology and skilled professionals available to us. If DD2 and DS1 had been born at home, then DD2 would have died and DS1's birth would have probably killed both me and him (needed forceps)

The only reason DD3 and I are both alive today is sheer dumb luck, the very same reason this lady and her daughter are. Makes me feel sick with worry to think anyone reading this article might decide to give it a go. The consequences could be truly tragic.

The reason for all this is that she wants to go back to nature. If she knew more about nature then she would realise that animals/their young die during the birth process for all sorts of reasons. We are constantly bombarded by the 'miracle of new life' films and images.

Well, there's no cure for stupid, is there?

Anna: "It's not an unusual experience though hackmum, not in the slightest."

It is exceptionally unusual in this country.

As for people who say they consume the media online, that's fine. You are free to read it or not to read it. You're not paying for it, and the Guardian is under absolutely no obligation to pander to your tastes.

hackmum

Would she have been paid for this article?

Jesus h, what are you lot all getting your knickers in a twist about. It's her body, her baby, back off! You sound a bit deranged and mean

getting your knickers in a twist about
It doesn't really matter what else is written before or after that phrase, it all gets ignored because only twats use it.

wasa to be fair I have seen loads of ranty posts about being asked 'is s/he a good baby' on MN.

TheFirstMrsDV

Thank you. I wanted to say that. It's right up there with 'hysterical' and 'get a grip'

You one of her insta fan girls then moon?

Not so worried about her choice for her and her baby super with the benefit of hindsight, it all worked out pretty well!

More worried about others who might think that this sounds like an excellent plan. I do appreciate the 'experience' column isn't necessarily about encouraging others to have that same experience! She does it make sound like a good idea I think.

But there is no denying that things can go very wrong, very quickly in pregnancy and childbirth. Great if it all goes well, not quite so empowering if you, or the baby, or both end up dead.

Never heard of her. I don't understand why anyone else would care so much! Chill out

The guardian wouldn't have paid her for it I wouldn't have thought. That "column" is generally filled by people who want some publicity either for their business or for their ego or both.

'Getting you knickers in a twist' is an awesome phrase. 'Twat' - not so much, but hey ho

'knickers in a twist' is only ever used to shut women up.
Twat is a unisex insult.

So if you are trying to advocate for women's choices probably best not to use a misogynistic phrase designed to infantilise women and therefore render their opinions worthless then hey? ho

Mrsdv - in our house it's a light hearted comical insult used for both sexes. Twat means vagina so I think it's way more offensive. You sound rather angry

Oh dear yet another Shut Down phrase super 'you sound very angry'.
You will have to do better than that.
Why is vagina offensive