Freebirthing

[Mellie2162]

Did anyone watch this documentary on Discovery Health last night? What are your thoughts?

I personally don't know how I feel. I guess your body, your baby do what you want? I don't know. I would not take that chance if it were me.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think women today get so caught up with their birth experience, that they tend to forget about the baby. I really wanted to deliver my twins the regulation way, like my 3 other kids, but baby B was breech. My OB told me she attended a very horrific breech birth many years ago, and swore she'd never do another. However, my peri said he would try. I ended up having a conversation with a woman who's dd ended up with cerebal palsy, and she asked me if I could live with myself if something went wrong.

I ended up with a c/s, had the yucky recovery, and missed out on my last children being born like their siblings (I LOVED giving birth). But, it's not all about me.

 

[mamacatnv]

I missed the documentary I bet it was really interesting.

It's not for me - get the baby out the fastest, safest, and least painful way possible.

I never understood the wanting to have some kind of "birth experience" it was an experience all right
The best part, the last 30 seconds......Its a ________ the rest, knock me out for all I care.

 

[teacups]

I only saw the commercials but hubby and I talked about it (NOT about doing it, but about the commercials! )
I see both sides. The women of yesterday did it fine.
Of course, a lot of babies grew up without Mama in those days.

I never had complicatin, Thank God, with any of my three... but I really liked that clean hospital and those doctorly hands, just in case.

I wouldnt do it and if anyone I knew was thinking about it I might seriously tell them how wonderful pain management is!

 

[Mellie2162]

The thing that got me was the one girl who was mad with the hospital because they refused to give her a free home birth kit once they found out she was doing it without a midwife. Why be mad at them for your choice? I don't blame them at all for not wanting to be liable for her.

 

[DVCLiz]

I missed it but I'm sure I'll catch it in reruns. I think any woman who gives birth without qualified medical personnel in the room is nuts, period.

 

[monkeyboy]

If it;s FREE its for me!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

If it;s FREE its for me!!!

Mmmm, monkeyboy, you could probably score yourself some free placenta pate while you are at it....

 

[robinb]

I missed it but I'm sure I'll catch it in reruns. I think any woman who gives birth without qualified medical personnel in the room is nuts, period.

Does a midwife qualify?

 

[Scurvy]

I missed it but I'm sure I'll catch it in reruns. I think any woman who gives birth without qualified medical personnel in the room is nuts, period.

I agree completely. It would be one thing if a woman chose to risk her own life, but I find it incredibly selfish to endanger the life of her child. Things can go wrong so quickly in childbirth that there would likely not be time to get medical help if it turned out to be needed unless you were already at a medical facility.

 

[Rebelmom67]

The fact that these women wanted NO medical personnel at the births (even midwives) told me that their number one concern was not the health and well-being of their baby, but rather their own selfish needs.

I think it should remain a legal option, but I still think those women are idiots.

 

[maxsmomamy]

sure it does. In most states midwifery is certified- it's a grueling course to go through!

 

[teacups]

The fact that these women wanted NO medical personnel at the births (even midwives) told me that their number one concern was not the health and well-being of their baby, but rather their own selfish needs.

I think it should remain a legal option, but I still think those women are idiots.

Their own selfish needs?
They seem to be totally not dealing with any needs!
What needs are you talking about?
What am I missing?

 

[mrsltg]

I didn't see the show but did see the commercials. There is no way I would deliver without a midwife, and I really think it's a bad choice to forgo any medical assistance at all. HOWEVER, I think the current climate of "cut 'em out" has led to this. I watched "Deliver Me" last night and the medicalization of birth is astounding. 30-40% of women are not unable to deliver babies naturally. I saw a statistic that in Suffolk County, NY (east end of LI), the section rate is 1 in 2. I don't blame women for running in the other direction.

 

[MinnieMe87]

Their own selfish needs?
They seem to be totally not dealing with any needs!
What needs are you talking about?
What am I missing?

I was wondering the same thing..I'm totally confused and missing something!!

 

[mjkacmom]

Their own selfish needs?
They seem to be totally not dealing with any needs!
What needs are you talking about?
What am I missing?

The need to have what they think is the perfect birth experience, without doctors or midwives, in their comfy beds, regarless of the fact that something might go terribly wrong, putting the baby and the mother at risk.

With my 1st, the placenta wouldn't deliver, so my OB had to go on back in. With my 2nd, there was meconium in the fluid, so they had a pediatrician there to grab my ds immediately and asperated him. My 3rd was born with a fever. My twins were a c/s - I don't suggest trying that at home! You just never know what is going to happen...

 

[LaraK]

There are so very many things that can go wrong during labor...I can't imagine delivering anywhere outside of a hospital. If I had used a birthing center, or gone through labor at home, my oldest would be dead.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Their own selfish needs?
They seem to be totally not dealing with any needs!
What needs are you talking about?
What am I missing?

They want he "birth experience" that they think they should have. It doesn't matter that there could be complications etc. They want it their way. Of course many of these people cry foul against medical personnel who try to help them when things go wrong and the time lapse to get to help is so great that the results are not good. It makes me sick.

 

[TomLovesBecky]

Does a midwife qualify?

I hope so. They have better outcomes statistically. Obviously if you are high-risk or have an emergency then you'd want qualified medical backup, but the midwives at our hospital (there are only 2) have lower c-section rates, fewer complications for mom, better Apgars for the babies (because very few of their patients accept pain relief, which can make some babies sluggish), and greater patient satisfaction. I have also read a few studies that say the same thing. I say, thank God for the OBs who save lives everyday (I myself chose OBs) but midwives do an awesome job with their patients! One thing I will tell women who don't want to leave their OBs is to get a doula, they are worth their weight in gold! They can provide the personal touch while the OBs do their thing.

As for people having unattended homebirths, I have no idea how they get the confidence to do that. I have medical training and NO WAY would I want to give birth without someone qualified there to assist me. I wouldn't even let my sister be my birth attendant and she is also an RN with a lot of L&D experience. What if something went wrong? It would have to be a certified nurse midwife at the least for me to feel safe.

 

[Mellie2162]

The need to have what they think is the perfect birth experience, without doctors or midwives, in their comfy beds, regarless of the fact that something might go terribly wrong, putting the baby and the mother at risk.

With my 1st, the placenta wouldn't deliver, so my OB had to go on back in. With my 2nd, there was meconium in the fluid, so they had a pediatrician there to grab my ds immediately and asperated him. My 3rd was born with a fever. My twins were a c/s - I don't suggest trying that at home! You just never know what is going to happen...

This is true and one of the girls on the show actually had to end up going to the hospital later because her placenta wouldn't deliver, and she gave them a hard time about giving her an IV and everything else. This was the one that really got to me though because before she even delivered she knew the placenta was low lying and could possibly be a dangerous delivery. She even took infant CPR classes "just in case". That's insane, if there's even a thought that my child might need CPR at birth you better believe I'm gonna have a doctor there.