Unassisted (Free) Birth

[stella123]

Hi girls. I've just watched a really interesting documentary on unassisted childbirth, where women will voluntarily choose to give birth without a medical professional.
I have quite a few opinions on it, arguments for both sides, anyone fancy a bit of a deliberation/debate about it? Would be interesting to hear fors and againsts, and if anyone knows of anyone who has had an unassisted birth?

In case you all want to watch the doc, it's on youtube under Outlaw Births - apparently was on FIVE (UK) 2 years ago xx

 

[lozzy21]

For me it would be way to risky. You can have midwifes present with them just be there in case of emergancys.

 

[KandyKinz]

I am all for home births but unassisted births make me very nervous!

For my last birth, I had actually considered a free birth as there were no midwives catering to my area and I desperately wanted to avoid hospitals at all costs... I however decided I did not want to risk the life of myself or my baby so I chose to succumb to the medical birthing system with my own rules in place. I did not have a happy OB but I did have a lovely birth experience despite the icky environment in which I was in.

While I do have great respect for the normalcy of pregnancy and birth and know that the majority of births do result with no complications if you just "let them be." I also know first hand that when things go bad they go bad really fast. Post partum hemorrhages happen fast and women can bleed a hell of a lot in a very short period of time if it is not managed properly. Even if you have studied obstetrical emergency skills throroughly and somehow managed to get your hands on some oxytocin, hemabate or ergot how are you going to treat yourself when your lying there unconscious bleeding to death. And I could just imagine how difficult it would be to manage a shoulder dystocia on your own.

I guess it would be ok, if you had a very supportive partner or friend willing to be with your during your birth who is willing and eager to learn obstetrical emergency skills.... in detail..... but I'd still be weary.....

 

[Sophist]

I know several people who have done this successfully, some planned, others not. I'm not sure what I think about it--I don't think its for me.

 

[Eskimobabys]

i wouldnt do it like kandykinz says that when things go bad they go bad quick!

 

[kiwimama]

As much as I believe that labour and birth are normal and natural, this is going too far for my liking. Every woman can labour and birth in her own way but for me I would need to have a fully trained and experienced midwife with me during my birth. I know the vast majority of births can be done naturally and end with a happy and healthy mum and bub but there are the odd few that aren't without some medical help and there is no way I would risk my baby by doing it without any midwife. Like most woman I go "into myself" and zone out while in labour and I know I wouldn't be able to judge whether I or my baby were starting to get into trouble. Ideally with my next birth I would like to be at home, with a midwife who is generally hands off (unless I ask otherwise!) and my OH delivering our baby with the midwife telling him what to do to guide our baby out. I love the thought of me and my OH being the first people in the whole world to touch our baby rather the midwife.

 

[KandyKinz]

I knew one woman who had a semi-unassited birth with the midwife in the house, which seemed to me like a very happy medium. Essentially, at her request, the woman and her husband stayed in their room and laboured and birthed on their own while the midwife stayed in the living room just an earshot away in case she was needed. She was never needed.

The main problem I would see from that is that it may be hard for the midwife to agree liability wise.... If anything goes wrong she would be the one attending and would be "at fault." She'd have to agree to accept responsibility for a birth she herself wouldn't be "managing"

 

[stella123]

I think there's possibly a lot of legality matters, and maybe a debate on the human rights of the child getting the best healthy start. I agree that it is a bit too risky.

As you can see here, a woman has an ocean birth. At first I watched it and was like "Wow, so natural, look how the baby intuitively swims. And then my critical side creeped in "Good god, it could bang it's head on those rocks/I know the high salt in the water would kill most infection, but that's quite a risk to take"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBoc7dFvXkk&feature=player_embedded


I myself have not had children yet, but have worked as a doula and done work experience as a midwife and starting my midwifery course in 2 years once I've managed to save a bit more money - so I am unaware of how you feel mentally during labour, but I think going this far is perhaps too risky for mother and child?

 

[winegums]

exactly when you opt for a freebirth you can still phone the midwives and they will come to the house and will either stay out of your way with a cup of tea until/if you need them or they can observe you and let you know if they think there are any problems and offer to help

before midwives where around millions and millions of people gave birth themselves all over the world, people still do it in tribes etc.

sure there will be neonatal and maternal deaths but there are with midwives present too, some people would rather let nature take its course (whether good or bad) than have some stranger intervene!

what about jehovas witnesses refusing blood even if they're dying!

 

[winegums]

I think there's possibly a lot of legality matters, and maybe a debate on the human rights of the child getting the best healthy start. I agree that it is a bit too risky.

As you can see here, a woman has an ocean birth. At first I watched it and was like "Wow, so natural, look how the baby intuitively swims. And then my critical side creeped in "Good god, it could bang it's head on those rocks/I know the high salt in the water would kill most infection, but that's quite a risk to take"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBoc7dFvXkk&feature=player_embedded


I myself have not had children yet, but have worked as a doula and done work experience as a midwife and starting my midwifery course in 2 years once I've managed to save a bit more money - so I am unaware of how you feel mentally during labour, but I think going this far is perhaps too risky for mother and child?

saltwater is great for wounds and doesn't cause infection? many people in other countries go into the sea to give birth alone

 

[summer rain]

Hi

for me it would be too scary; last time although the midwives arrived in the nick of time; the cord was around his neck and he had both hands on his face; it took a very delicate manouvre to sort that out. There are some developing countries where most women were giving birth without a midwife or with untrained birth assistants/relatives only and the maternal and infant mortality rates were reduced dramatically when they started training midwives to attend births; even if it was out in the open or in very primitive conditions.

Soph x

 

[JenStar1976]

I'm not sure why you'd take the risk personally? You can opt to have a home birth and have minimal intervention (which I had), which would give you the feeling of an unassisted birth but with the reassurance that medical help is on hand if needed. I had an examination when the midwives first turned up and I was never touched after that until I needed to be stitched (they also did the clamping of the cord, but OH cut it - I consider it to be quite minimal contact myself compared to what some other mums experience in hospital). That's the other thing - if you tore really badly, you'd have to get someone out to do the stitching - there's only so much you can do on your own! x

 

[KandyKinz]

I think there's possibly a lot of legality matters, and maybe a debate on the human rights of the child getting the best healthy start. I agree that it is a bit too risky.

As you can see here, a woman has an ocean birth. At first I watched it and was like "Wow, so natural, look how the baby intuitively swims. And then my critical side creeped in "Good god, it could bang it's head on those rocks/I know the high salt in the water would kill most infection, but that's quite a risk to take"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBoc7dFvXkk&feature=player_embedded


I myself have not had children yet, but have worked as a doula and done work experience as a midwife and starting my midwifery course in 2 years once I've managed to save a bit more money - so I am unaware of how you feel mentally during labour, but I think going this far is perhaps too risky for mother and child?

While the idea of a ocean birth does sound absolutely beautiful and majestic (in the presence of a trained care provider....) I would be TERRIFIED that the blood would attract SHARKS!!!!!

 

[Celesse]

With a level head I think noway. But there have been times where I think that if the midwife was unavailable or unwilling I would stay at home and self monitor.

 

[lozzy21]

The infant and maternal death rated went down dramaticly when people started having trained midwifes there for me that is reason alone to have a midwife there.

 

[Eskimobabys]

I think there's possibly a lot of legality matters, and maybe a debate on the human rights of the child getting the best healthy start. I agree that it is a bit too risky.

As you can see here, a woman has an ocean birth. At first I watched it and was like "Wow, so natural, look how the baby intuitively swims. And then my critical side creeped in "Good god, it could bang it's head on those rocks/I know the high salt in the water would kill most infection, but that's quite a risk to take"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBoc7dFvXkk&feature=player_embedded


I myself have not had children yet, but have worked as a doula and done work experience as a midwife and starting my midwifery course in 2 years once I've managed to save a bit more money - so I am unaware of how you feel mentally during labour, but I think going this far is perhaps too risky for mother and child?

While the idea of a ocean birth does sound absolutely beautiful and majestic (in the presence of a trained care provider....) I would be TERRIFIED that the blood would attract SHARKS!!!!!

no sharks she's in place where sharks wont come i forget what its called but i saw it on tv

 

[winegums]

The infant and maternal death rated went down dramaticly when people started having trained midwifes there for me that is reason alone to have a midwife there.

yeh but that's the point even when having a freebirth you can have a trained midwife in the room, just not doing anything. Midwives are skilled enough to be able to tell if there are problems without touching and feeling constantly, and can give help and advice rather than actually doing anything

 

[Rachiebaby24]

i would consider this if I knew CPR

 

[winegums]

The infant and maternal death rated went down dramaticly when people started having trained midwifes there for me that is reason alone to have a midwife there.

also the death rate may have gone down but there are other factors such as more education on prenatal health, complications etc

nowadays with all the information available to women it is easy to realise when there is a problem and do something about it.

 

[lozzy21]

The infant and maternal death rated went down dramaticly when people started having trained midwifes there for me that is reason alone to have a midwife there.

yeh but that's the point even when having a freebirth you can have a trained midwife in the room, just not doing anything. Midwives are skilled enough to be able to tell if there are problems without touching and feeling constantly, and can give help and advice rather than actually doing anything

But freebirthing is not having any medical help there.