Free Birthing?

[flixx]

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I am fasinated by the idea of having a totally natural pregnancy and birth but is having no medical attention during pregnancy and labour going a step too far?

depends whether you can live with the consequences, basically a much higher chance of losing the baby. I'm sure there's a balance. I would say the minimum is to have the standard blood tests, scans, regular blood pressure checks in pregnancy. Then homebirth with a qualified midwife attending. Say the baby has the cord round its neck or is getting distressed, you don't realise and it dies, is that really a better outcome than having a qualified person there who knows how to deal with it and saves the baby? It would be so upsetting to lose the baby over something like that..

I also think that in nearly all cultures women give birth with helpers, not unassisted. Yes, you probably could do it but you might avoidably lose your baby, or worse avoidably lose your own life.

Gem, i'm not actually thinking of doing this, I have had too many problems with previous pregnancies so I'll be in hospital from 38 weeks.

I'm just really interested in free birthing and wondered wether anyone had ever been brave enough to do it?

Freebirth isn't a totally natural pregnancy and birth - imho it's risking a life for the sake of thinking you're in control.