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Original poster

Extraordinary People - Outlaw Births (Is this legal??)

113 replies

yummymummy4 · 04/07/2008 11:49

I have just seen the following advert on C5:

Extraordinary People - Outlaw births:
Documentary following three womean as the prepare to give birth without medical care, midwife intervention or pain relief

I can understand trying to give birth without pain relief / Medical intervention but without a midwife?

I could not imagine going through it all without a midwife, it also appeared from the advert (though it could just be leaving parts out) that one pregnant womean at least had not had any midwife support as she was getting her blood pressure checked at a supermarket machine.

Is this legal?, what if something happens to the baby?.

I am not sure if the womean shown had even had a scan.

Have any other mums here come across this?

OP posts:
Pruners · 04/07/2008 14:58

Message withdrawn

Greyriverside · 04/07/2008 17:38

It may well be illegal to IMPERSONATE a midwife, but are you seriously suggesting that it is illegal right now for a husband to assist his wife giving birth if she chooses not to go to hospital?

Pruners · 04/07/2008 17:43

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 04/07/2008 17:47

illegal?! why would it be illegal?

a woman has a right to do what she wants with her body - well, sell it for sex excepted, but i take issue with that.

women are not just wombs.

YOU may not be able to imagine going it alone, but not everyone feels that way.

scans aren't necessary during pregnancy.

PeachyHidingInTheShed · 04/07/2008 17:47

it is, i beliewve

though not in an emergency situation

Greyriverside · 04/07/2008 17:48

Apparently you are right and the husband must walk away and leave the woman alone or face prosecution.

The world is barking mad

lulumama · 04/07/2008 17:51

sophable, i am not saying that the way we give birth in most maternity units is right or intuitive or instinctive

indeed i said that i can understand why women would choose to freebirth based on experiences they have in hospital

what i cannot understand is the urge to give birth with no attendants

that is my opinion

it is not illegal to freebirth, as i said. the only illegality is someone acting as a midwife.

itati · 04/07/2008 17:53

How does that square with Dad's helping with instruction being given over the phone? Is that different from a dad just supporting as the woman does it on her own at home without a professional?

Pruners · 04/07/2008 17:58

Message withdrawn

Pruners · 04/07/2008 17:59

Message withdrawn

itati · 04/07/2008 18:14

Oh, okay. Thanks for the clarification.

But wouldn't the person just pretend they were having a midwife and then just phone 999 when/if they panic?

Pruners · 04/07/2008 19:25

Message withdrawn

Heathcliffscathy · 04/07/2008 19:51

lulu darling I wasn't having a go!!!

i just mean that I don't agree that alone is counter intuitive necessarily most mammals go somewhere safe and dark and give birth alone. I'm sure there are still societies where women do just that.

Pruners · 04/07/2008 19:55

Message withdrawn

LittleMyDancing · 04/07/2008 19:55

I get really put off things like this by quotes like "I didn't have any experience of pain," she says, "there was just this really strong sensation that muscles were working. Then the baby's head appeared."

Lucky her, is my reaction to that! Most people have more than a 'strong sensation'....

LittleMyDancing · 04/07/2008 19:56

Sorry, that's from the Guardian article, in case anyone is wondering!

FrannyandZooey · 04/07/2008 19:59

I think the key to avoid being prosecuted is to phone for medical help before cutting the cord, apparently

along the lines of 'oh gosh I think it is coming oo er help us - oh golly wouldn't you know it, here it is'

lulumama · 04/07/2008 20:32

sophable sorry for being so defensive.

workstostaysane · 04/07/2008 20:35

v. misleading to call the doc 'outlaw birth'
pregnant with dc2 and longing to do it alone but husband would not be too happy if i did. very very tempted to not call midwife till very late in the day though

(hello to everyone who was kind enough to post on the freebirthing thread I started on this ages ago by the way)

Heathcliffscathy · 04/07/2008 20:42

god don't worry, i am all the time. love ya.

lulumama · 04/07/2008 21:21

thanks sophable

worktostaysane, have you been having Antenatal care? how far along are you now?

PinkTulips · 04/07/2008 21:25

pmsl at the thought of dp acting as midwife

i wouldn't trust him to get his ass in gear in time to catch the baby, he panics when dd has a tiny cut on her hand and flaps around the kitchen for 20 minutes!

i would ideally love a midwife to be present but in this country it has been made impossible for anyone other than the extremely rich to have that option available to them. my choices are to either go to hospital and have to fight for every chice and still have them do things that upset me and aren't right for my baby or to freebirth with dp there to ring the docs once it's gotten to late for them to actually get there on time.

Original poster
yummymummy4 · 04/07/2008 21:35

I guess it was men who wrote the laws around childbirth, though I am happy to say I gave birth to my two girls in a small local midwife unit and it was great. I had a hot bath,painkillers gas and air. Afterwards I had a private room with my own bathroom and the midwife ran me a bath, made tea and toast and cleaned the baby up. I was then left well alone to bond with help there if needed. It was almost like being at home especially when my husband started bringing food in!.

I feel lucky to live in a country where this is possible , even the less plesent births I had in a large hospital at least the choice was there.

OP posts:
workstostaysane · 04/07/2008 21:42

hi lulumama,
yes, I went for antenatal checkups, mainly for dh as he said it was one of the only ways he could feel involved at this stage.
however, during both scans i found that i was really enjoying it - ie seeing the baby and talking to someone about pregnancy and the general feeling of being taken care of.

if there is a dc 3 i will think again about all the bloods etc as i still don't feel they are a great deal of use - in fact, my midwives were so blase that they lost most of my records and didn't mention it until i asked what the results were and they found they couldn't find them -
also, like i said on the last thread, i feel strongly that what will be will be. (eg I'm not going to terminate a pregnancy if I don't like what I see/hear)

sitting in the dark in dd's room tonight waiting for her to fall asleep i got to wondering what it would be like to give birth in that quiet stillness and all i could think was 'lovely'!

PinkTulips · 04/07/2008 22:05

WTSS, that's my feeling on it too.

the thought of giving birth alone, undisturbed and at peace in my own environment.

the thought of a hospital birth makes me literally cry (and i've had 2 so have plenty to base that on)

i did it last time as dp wasn't happy at the thought of me not going in and i thought maybe the second time would be differant, but it was awful.

i had to fight for every choice, they wouldn't discharge me for 14 hours even though i'd i asked for immediate discharge from the labour ward and was up and walking 20 mins after the birth (there was nothing wrong with ds, just no staff available to check him over). they made me give birth in the one position i'd begged not to by physically turning me over as i was pushing 'to check you're dilated'... erm, 'well that's his effing head so i'd imagine i am!'

it physically makes me ill to think of doing that again, not to mention the closest hospital is 45 mins away so not exactly practical for moving around during labour

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