The Discovery Health channel will be airing “Freebirthing” several more times next week if you are at all interested in alternative birthing practices. Freebirthing is basically unassisted childbirth, women who usually have low risk pregnancies learn about the birth process and carry it out on their own without doctors or midwives. They simply tune in to their own bodies and trust that their body already knows how to birth.
A quote on unassisted childbirth from www.unassistedchildbirth.com
“A woman in labor needs to be supported emotionally, or simply left alone. All the knowledge she needs to birth her baby is already within her. Her job is simply to relax, trust her body, and allow her baby to enter the world.”
After reading many birth stories I’ve become more of believer in the natural ability of our own bodies. I have read home birth stories, unassisted stories, water birth stories and hospital stories they all unfold differently but basically it just boils down to trust and fear. If you have a low risk pregnancy there is no reasion to not trust your body. After all women were giving birth well before hospitals and medical supervision (check out this info packed timeline Donna sent me).
Unfortunately we have been conditioned to fear the birth process. It is painful right? Things could go wrong and it is better to be safe than sorry… Well, I am not buying that.
I know for a fact that many hospital procedures and interventions are done for legal and financial reasons, they aren’t always what is best for mom and baby. I don’t want to be induced just because the doctor want to be home for dinner or receive a unneeded c section just so the hospital can legally cover their butt. Plus many of those procedures or decisions cause more harm or unnecessary risk than needed.
If the pregnancy is normal why not let the birth unfold as nature intended it to? That is the direction I am heading with my pregnancy. I will probably want my birth attended by someone who is trained and knows what complications to look out for. It really is too bad the state of Indiana prosecutes midwives and makes the virtually impossible to find. Hopefully I find one that is the perfect fit for me, if not I’ll consider all the other options before agreeing to a hospital birth.
Anywho, I am getting side tracked. I just wanted to put another alternative birth post out in the bloggosphere. I think it is something more people need to learn about and advocate for. So watch “Freebirthing” (or record it) if you have a chance, then come back here and tell us what you thought!
This might be very tricky in your state. I hope that you find the right fit for you and your family.
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I am all for a woman the ultimate decisions affecting her body and her birth so long as she is mature and emotionally/mentally stable to do so. I will try and catch the show if I can. If I had ever decided to get pregnant I would have looked into all these options too.
I’m not sure how I feel about unassisted childbirth, especially for a first baby. Things can go wrong and it is best to have someone there that can recognize what is happening and intervene. But I do believe it should be a woman’s choice.
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I really like the baby widget but I think that the due date needs to be entered… it shows that you are at term of 40 weeks 🙂
I agree with Memarie Lane – especially for a first baby. But I think that you should just find a dr that will abide by your wishes at the time of delivery. Or you could do what I did the last pregnancy… wait til the last minute, have a shower curtain ready to use while you call an ambulance.
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As nush as I agree with you on some of your opinions about child birth, I have to agree with maiden and memarie on the unassisted child birth. That can be a very dangerous thing if something goes wrong and you have nobody to intervene. You can plan your labor and delivery how you would like it , but unexpected things happen all the time, and you can’t control them.There’s cutting the umbilical cord and so much that goes along with a baby. Or what if something needs to be fixed with you, like you rip and need stitches or something worse. I don’t want to scare but there is alot that can happen.
I mean in my case, I ripped horribly with my first and had to have many stitches. And with Riley, he was born with Maconium on his throat. It is his poo-poo just in case you don’t know. They got it out but alot of cases of maconium are serious if it gets in the baby’s lungs . Also, you have to have your placenta pulled out after birth and you if don’t get it out in one piece, it can cause problems.
Hopefully you can find a midwife that can help you because you deserve the deilivery you want. Or find a water-birthing place.
I think I mighta liked an at-home-birth, for the fact you are comfortable in your own bed and house and you don’t have random people in and out.
maiden53 » I don’t know why it keeps doing that due date thing… Sheesh!
Ok, so I think that when your almost ready to deliver Im going to fly out and be with you… Ya thats all I have to say. I think you’re amazing for doing this on your own and I want to see it happen!
I know you’re doing tons of research and learning as much as possible about birthing options. I just wanted to toss out that while you’re at it, don’t forget to do the same learning and research for breast feeding. Women have been doing THAT since the dawn of time, but it’s still extremely hard (regardless of first or third baby) and is helpful if you have your research and books to help. In addition, speaking to a lactation consultant helps TREMENDOUSLY or taking a class.
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Kudos to you on researching and working towards having the birth YOU want! Don’t listen to nay sayers, who think that their horror stories are the norm 😉
I know many, many homebirthers, unassisted birthers, and hospital birthers, and each birth is new and unique, and can not be judged by the experience of others!
(and I am going to search for that show right now!)
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The horror stories are definitely not the norm. My best friend had her first unassisted and she swears by it. Do the research and decide for yourself.