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Original poster

Free Birthing, Thought this was quite interesting

50 replies

Toady · 10/05/2007 19:00

article on Free Birthing

What do you think?

OP posts:
bananabump · 10/05/2007 22:26

I've heard of this before, and I have to admit that the thought does appeal. The NHS figures on cesarean rates, intervention, induction etc make my blood run cold. However I also know what a big wuss I am. (I cried for almost 15 minutes once when I dropped a glass on my toe) so I don't know if I'd panic when it started getting very difficult.

Definitely does appeal though. No prying eyes, no-one stopping you from getting in any position you want. Not worrying about how you look, what you say- it must be wonderful to go through it with so few inhibitions!

The woman who avoided all contact with the NHS then gave birth to twins- wow! What an amazing surprise. Surely though some of these women would benefit from at least having some tests and scans just to ascertain everything is nice and low risk before they do this?

welliemum · 11/05/2007 02:29

Some of them sound really sensible and some of them are clearly as mad as box of frogs.

My guess is that this is popular in the US because birth there is so medicalised. I don't see it catching on here in NZ where you already have a lot of choice in how to do things.

And it's "delivering" babies not "birthing", urrrggh!

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:11

I think it's reckless.

ruthydd · 11/05/2007 08:16

I stopped relating to this article from "I didn't have any experience of pain".

LoveMyGirls · 11/05/2007 08:18

I couldn't give birth with absolutly no pain relief, no-one to rub my back tell me they love me and im doing a wonderful job or for the father not to see his child born into the world - all completely mad as fish to me.

giraffeski · 11/05/2007 08:34

Message withdrawn

hippmummy · 11/05/2007 08:36

I can't really relate to this. I completely understand the desire for unmedicalised natural birth.
But doing it alone sounds frightening because however normal childbirth is, it is difficult, and sometimes dangerous.
Women have had always had someone there to help however untrained or inexperienced.

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:39

ummmm... I think birth and deliver both refer to vanginal as well as caesarean.

Vaginal birth
Caesarean birth
Delivered vaginally
Delivered by caesarean

giraffeski · 11/05/2007 08:43

Message withdrawn

giraffeski · 11/05/2007 08:43

Message withdrawn

welliemum · 11/05/2007 08:45

Just a word preference for me giraffeski.

I had active labours and active births for both mine, and the way I would express that is to say "I delivered dd2 standing up" etc etc.

"Delivered" doesn't have medical connotations to me - and actually, "medical" doesn't have bad connotations either - they're just neutral words as far as I'm concerned.

I think there's too much ideology in this and not enough practical thinking, ie what's the best way for this (individual) baby to be born, which will encompass a huge range of possibilities.

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:46

I too refer to the poster who differentiated between deliver and birth. I don't really understand the difference. Don't they mean the same thing? Or is it a grmmatical error? As in perhaps "birth" is not a verb... off to check the dictionary.

giraffeski · 11/05/2007 08:49

Message withdrawn

welliemum · 11/05/2007 08:49

"Birth" as a verb sets my teeth on edge.

If other people like it they're welcome to it; I delivered my babies.

giraffeski · 11/05/2007 08:50

Message withdrawn

welliemum · 11/05/2007 08:50

I'm a grammar pedant I guess. It just sounds wrong to me.

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:52

Aha.. it appears birth is a noun. However, according to Google is is used in the Southern US (dialect) as a verb. So, I think this a matter for the grammar experts.

Webster (American) does have a noun definition, but Oxford (UK) only had a noun.

welliemum · 11/05/2007 08:52

oh, definitely giraffe, it was both of us working together, that's what made it so lovely.

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:53

Webster (American) does have a verb definition, but Oxford (UK) only had a noun.

Eleusis · 11/05/2007 08:55

Babies don't deliver themselves. You are bonkers. The baby might help set things off (chemically), but the mother does the work. Although, in my case, the surgeons did most of the work.

I'm now in the "delivered" camp. The things I learn on mumsnet!

hatwoman · 11/05/2007 08:57

I love the fact this has turned into a verb cf noun birthing cf delivering thread. only on mn

hippmummy · 11/05/2007 09:00

Thought this too hatwoman !
Although, seriously - it is a really interesting article and a great debate could be had about Free Birthing. I hope people don't get put off posting because it has become an arguement off on a tangent again..

welliemum · 11/05/2007 09:09

Ahem.

Anna8888 · 11/05/2007 09:15

Personally I prefer the phrasal verb "to give birth" to the verb "to deliver". I think the concept of a baby being "delivered" goes back to a by-gone age when people didn't talk about the nitty-gritty of birth. A midwife is not a postman and she does not deliver the baby, IME - I gave birth to my daughter

hippmummy · 11/05/2007 09:23

Agree welliemum. Giving birth to me is a time where you need support on both a practical and emotional level. There were times on both occasions of childbirth that I actually felt afraid. I think it's to simple to say that women's bodies know how to give birth, therefor they can be left privately to get on with it.
It's not like having a poo