Unassisted (Free) Birth

[KandyKinz]

I agree that it's not a true "freebirth" if medical assistance is present in any way. It's more like a pseudo free birth.

 

[Jetters]

I was in the documentary you watched- Outlaw Births. My ex partner Clair is the british one who gave birth at home with just me there and I caught our son.

 

[winegums]

I agree that it's not a true "freebirth" if medical assistance is present in any way. It's more like a pseudo free birth.

a freebirth is an unnassisted birth. therefore if a midwife is present but not assisting it is still a freebirth. if at some point there is complications and a midwife has to intervene it then is not considered freebirth anymore

 

[lozzy21]

If a midwife is presant it is not classed as a freebirth wether she intervines or not.

 

[KandyKinz]

I guess individual definitions vary... I still don't consider it a free birth if assistance is readily available.

 

[KandyKinz]

Guess we have to seperate this thread into two seperate sections... Free Birth with Midwives and Free Births Without

 

[lozzy21]

In its most basic sense, unassisted childbirth means giving birth at home without the aid of doctors or midwives

Taken from https://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/uc/whatisuc.html

 

[stella123]

I was in the documentary you watched- Outlaw Births. My ex partner Clair is the british one who gave birth at home with just me there and I caught our son.

I saw your bit! I remember her shouting "I'm scared, I'm scared" and then the pure happiness on her face afterwards when she realised she'd done it.
Must have taken guts on your half, lots of responsibilty incase anything did happen to go wrong!

Your status says you're pregnant now - would you consider it for this birth or any future ones?x

 

[billy2mm]

I was in the documentary you watched- Outlaw Births. My ex partner Clair is the british one who gave birth at home with just me there and I caught our son.

I saw your bit! I remember her shouting "I'm scared, I'm scared" and then the pure happiness on her face afterwards when she realised she'd done it.
Must have taken guts on your half, lots of responsibilty incase anything did happen to go wrong!

Your status says you're pregnant now - would you consider it for this birth or any future ones?x

i remember watching this when it first aired!! wow you are brave!!!

 

[Jetters]

Thanks! I've got a heart condition so even a homebirth isn't a possibility for me- however i've got to say I wouldn't do it! That seems hypocritical, I know, since Rory's birth was the best day of my life, but I only did it for Clair- it was HER choice. My heart was in my throat for every step of it and I don't think she realised till afterwards how much pressure she'd put me under. I was fricking terrified.

That said... there were a few things that the documentary didn't touch on- such as the fact that she was a neonatal nurse, we'd both done a long st johns birth/first aid course, and our local hospital was a 4 min drive away- I think those things do make a difference. And the fact that it was her third baby helped too, as she trusted her body more than a first time mum would iykwim? In our case it was definitely an informed decision and the right one for us.


As for the definition of freebirth- it really doesn't matter so much- but for the record our midwife had wanted to be there with us as a friend, NOT to assist, but she was threatened with her job if she was there for the birth- assisting or not. So obviously she couldn't be there. The legalties and red tape is crazy.

 

[billy2mm]

Thanks! I've got a heart condition so even a homebirth isn't a possibility for me- however i've got to say I wouldn't do it! That seems hypocritical, I know, since Rory's birth was the best day of my life, but I only did it for Clair- it was HER choice. My heart was in my throat for every step of it and I don't think she realised till afterwards how much pressure she'd put me under. I was fricking terrified.

That said... there were a few things that the documentary didn't touch on- such as the fact that she was a neonatal nurse, we'd both done a long st johns birth/first aid course, and our local hospital was a 4 min drive away- I think those things do make a difference. And the fact that it was her third baby helped too, as she trusted her body more than a first time mum would iykwim? In our case it was definitely an informed decision and the right one for us.


As for the definition of freebirth- it really doesn't matter so much- but for the record our midwife had wanted to be there with us as a friend, NOT to assist, but she was threatened with her job if she was there for the birth- assisting or not. So obviously she couldn't be there. The legalties and red tape is crazy.

thats insane!!!! surely if they were that worried about clair and the baby's health they would have encouraged the mw to be there just in case in the friendly capacity!!

also having the hospital so close by and the experience in the neonatal wards makes a huge difference to the decision making process. the documentary kind of made out that clair was a nurse in general (not paeds specific iygwim) and that the only couse you guys did was the baby resus one shown on the show!

 

[winegums]

well i guess there is no set definition but most midwives class it a freebirth when they attend until they intervene which is when they stop classing it as a freebirth

 

[marley2580]

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

Not true, there have been midwives around, in one form or another, for a very long time. People used to go and fetch the midwife or an experienced female relative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwives

Freebirth is not something I ever considered as I feel it would be taking silly risks with both my and my child's life. Something that really stuck with me after my first birth (em-CS) was someone that my mum knew from Africa said that if I had been in Africa I would have been left until I died at which point they would have tried to get the baby out.

 

[Blah11]

Oh not a good idea IMO. I don't think there's any reason to do this really. We're bloody lucky to have health care professionals over here. If you want to have a natural home birth then thats fine, a MW sitting in the corner wont really ruin your birthing experience

 

[Blah11]

I agree that it's not a true "freebirth" if medical assistance is present in any way. It's more like a pseudo free birth.

a freebirth is an unnassisted birth. therefore if a midwife is present but not assisting it is still a freebirth. if at some point there is complications and a midwife has to intervene it then is not considered freebirth anymore

Yeah.. a lot of women deliver without having any assistance I laboured on my own and I pushed on my own. The MWs didnt touch me or anything except for checking the cord wasnt round her neck (it wasn't) and I lifted her up once she had been born.

 

[winegums]

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

Not true, there have been midwives around, in one form or another, for a very long time. People used to go and fetch the midwife or an experienced female relative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwives

Freebirth is not something I ever considered as I feel it would be taking silly risks with both my and my child's life. Something that really stuck with me after my first birth (em-CS) was someone that my mum knew from Africa said that if I had been in Africa I would have been left until I died at which point they would have tried to get the baby out.

you shouldnt base wiki on truth lol but anyway without even reading it it may be true HOWEVER there has been a time before midwives in any form were around and MANY women still choose to birth on their own

 

[lozzy21]

I think having an unnassisted birth is a slap in the face to all the women and babys who have died but could have been saved with simple medical help. Retained placenta leading to hemorage or infection. Babys being stillborn when they could have been saved with an emergancy section.

Some women would kill for the medical help we have.

 

[winegums]

lozzy i think that's an unfair statement! do you think people choosing c sections and hospital births are a slap in the face for those who have had to have interventions which ended up killing their baby? because its more common than everyone thinks

 

[lozzy21]

How is it unfair? Its my views on the subject.

 

[Jetters]

I think having an unnassisted birth is a slap in the face to all the women and babys who have died but could have been saved with simple medical help. Retained placenta leading to hemorage or infection. Babys being stillborn when they could have been saved with an emergancy section.

Some women would kill for the medical help we have.

...And I think that's a sweeping judgement, offensive to those who have made that CHOICE. Key word there being of course choice... how is choosing how YOU want to have YOUR child a slap in the face to those women?! Bearing in mind too Retained placenta, stillborn babies etc happen EVERYWHERE- in hospitals, at home, in every country.