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Original poster

Anyone watching CH4 tonight, about freebirthing?

238 replies

flubdub · 09/07/2008 20:44

Its on at nine.
Its about women that give birth at home, alone with no midwife, and no medical interventio.

OP posts:
LaDiDaDi · 09/07/2008 22:06

Interesting programme, couldn't do it myself, not in a million years.

I kept thinking all the way through that Claire looked really familiar yet I don't know why at all. I wondered if she had been with Yasmin longer than the programme let on as she did say "our son" once the lo was born.

The British ob, Maggie Blott, looked after me when I was pregnant and did my C.section. She was great.

RTKangaMummy · 09/07/2008 22:06

extremely stupid idea IMHO and IME

Welsh woman so stupid

Pruners · 09/07/2008 22:06

Message withdrawn

RTKangaMummy · 09/07/2008 22:07

sorry didn't mean she was stupid I mean the idea is stupid IMHO

Snaf · 09/07/2008 22:07

Would have been nice if they'd actually interviewed some mws instead of just OBs [biased]

Joolyjoolyjoo · 09/07/2008 22:08

Not sure about this. I've had 3 really lovely relaxed births, in hospital (well, the first one was a bit stressful, due to midwife who refused to believe I was ready to push, but apart from that!) I had only 1 internal (when I arrived). I got in the pool when I wanted. Noone touched me without my express permission, and I dictated when I wanted out of the pool/ when I was ready to push, everything. I felt very in control and the midwives really did just sit and watch until it was time to catch the baby. Maybe I was lucky. But I felt really comnfident, especially knowing that if things DID go pear shaped help was right there at hand. As a vet I've attended lots of births, and also obviously seen lots of scenarios when offspring (and possibly mother) would have died without my intervention, so I take nothing about birth for granted, really. I was told I was an ideal candidate for hb with no 2 and 3, but couldn't reconcile myself with the idea that a half hour journey to hospital in the worst case scenario could be the difference between life and death (or permenant brain damage) to my child. I feel I had the best of both worlds- a calm, virtually unassisted birth, home in 6 hours, with the assurance that there was all the help I could possibly need waiting in the wings- that, to me, was empowering, and made me less scared and more confident. I can't help feeling women nowadays take it for granted that nothing is likely to go wrong. Personally I wouldn't be willing to take that risk. And it IS, in my mind, a risk.

expatinscotland · 09/07/2008 22:08

but RT, that's what they usually do when cord is round neck like that.

my niece had hers round her neck and was delivered by OB and she just unwrapped cord and baby wailed.

of course, paed checked her, but she was fine.

it's more common than you'd think.

Snaf · 09/07/2008 22:09

Verrry long cord! at shoelace around cord of US baby - no infection risk there then...

I am on the fence with this one. I can understand why some women do it, I really can. But, but, but...

mawbroon · 09/07/2008 22:10

Only saw the end of this, but what was with the Claire one shoving her finger in the baby's mouth? Get that baby on yer boob woman!

RTKangaMummy · 09/07/2008 22:10

yes I know what I meant was that it could have gone wrong and she or he didn't check as baby was being born

ie didn't seem to realise until that point

GoatisLOLing · 09/07/2008 22:10

i only saw the end of it. i have to say hats off to the american bandeau woman. clair did well too but was so unlikealbe she just appeared smug. i think it is abit bonkers in britain when there is access to fantastic home birth facilities. but then i didn't see why clair chose to 'freebirth'.

anyone else think freebirthing makes it sound like they are performing urban gymnastics while giving birth?

Snaf · 09/07/2008 22:10

Cord round neck (or arms, or body, or all of the above!) in about 25% of births. Almost never a big deal.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 09/07/2008 22:11

LOL, mawbroon! I too was muttering "get that baby on the boob!" at the telly!

RTKangaMummy · 09/07/2008 22:11

My point was that she didn't realise until she cuddled it

expatinscotland · 09/07/2008 22:14

oh, i put my finger in DD2's mouth plenty.

NCT counsellor taught me to do this when DD2 got so worked up that she didn't open her mouth wide enough to latch properly, which she always did when she came off boob because she needed to wind, to calm her down till she was able to open her mouth wide again.

otherwise she'd clamp on nipple and bite it and not suckle well and give me blood blisters.

Original poster
flubdub · 09/07/2008 22:14

my ds1 had cord round his neck. he was purple like a grape. it wasnt a big deal. he was fine.

OP posts:
Verso · 09/07/2008 22:14

I was going to watch this anyway - started watching - and discovered I actually used to know Claire!!!! I last saw her last year when she was pg with baby #3. Was almost too scared to watch the birth as I haven't heard from her since I moved house - but all was fine, thank goodness.

I notice they didn't mention that Claire is a doula herself, btw - which may have influenced her decision... I expect she wasn't as unprepared as might have come across.

GoatisLOLing · 09/07/2008 22:17

that is interesting verso. why the hell not mention it?

sophiebbb · 09/07/2008 22:17

I wonder how many women in the world who HAVE to freebirth (like have no other choice), would give their right arm for the medical assistance we get in the
UK....

Didn't see the programme but saw the interview on This Morning. The doctor there said that 500,000 women still die during childbirth in the world today (don't know how many babies die or suffer after effects but likely to be equally as high).

I personally could NEVER take the risk with my own or my babies life. So what, I may be a bit pissed off with how I am treated (I was with the birth of DS1) but how can you compare that to living with your baby either dying or suffering the consequences for the rest of their lives.

Pruners · 09/07/2008 22:18

Message withdrawn

Verso · 09/07/2008 22:20

!!! pruners

I expect she told them but they chose not to put it in the final edit...

I have to say I respect people's right to choose over most things - but I do wish they'd all three at least had a midwife on call. I was in tears watching those babies being born (excuse me - am pg and hormonal!)

Jaysfinished · 09/07/2008 22:22

verso, i too was emotional, and i am not even preggers

Snaf · 09/07/2008 22:24

An awfully big proportion of those 500 000 women will already be ill, malnourished, have no access to antibiotics, have an Hb in their boots that couldn't survive even a tiny bleed, etc etc. That's not being dismissive - women certainly do die unexpectedly in childbirth - but it is important to get the figures in perspective.

I think it is a really shocking indictment of our maternity services that women feel they need to do this, tbh.

Thinkstoomuch · 09/07/2008 22:29

That's the key isn't it, Snaf? It's on the rise because women feel failed and threatened by the increasingly medicalised nature of birth.

PinkTulips · 09/07/2008 22:29

stoopid sky don't give me C5... does anyone know if any of the other channels are likely to show it? or if i can download it online?