How's this for a woman-friendly Ob... (exaggeration)

[Colleen]

So many choices for birthing out there. Which I believe is a good thing. Choice is good.

Some women want exactly what he offers. Not ALL women NEED to be about the birth to be happy. This doesnt make them any less of a mother or any less abt taking back their bodies OR are they less human because they still give birth in a hospital with pain relief.

I think this comment

I think that by Kelly posting this, it has served to validate the members of this site who have taken back their own bodies, rejected the heavy medicalisation of birth (because it's mostly not required...that's evidence-based) and had instinct based experiences.

Its just a fact of life that some women dont mind HOW the baby comes out - as long as its here and healthy. This guy to a degree is straight to the point and all about the baby getting here with little fuss.

I think its good to see the availability of choice with OBS and MW's. Like Ive said a million times - if you dont like him or his beliefs dont go to him. EASY. and as for him being an influence.... Your instinct will help you there, and surely if your looking around for OBS you will make up your own mind and research your choices before jumping into it.

And if you dont, you would need to at least agree with all his beliefs.

He is some womens choice and I dont think we should be bagging him out - and none of this means i completely agree with him either. I just dont see the point in getting worked up about it.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I see plenty of point! There are many women who don't realise that there is a choice. Some of these will find this guy and he is not about to educate them as to their choices, is he? There are plenty of women who assume that birth is done the way this guy does it, with his attitude, and his attitude to the 'hippy' ways to birth. This is why he is disempowering! There are people, like me, who GET worked up on the behalf of other people. I'm allowed. Regardless of what you think of me getting 'worked up'.
Like I said, this guy is an example of the reason many women come to BB to see if there is another way, and to see if 'another way' is really that 'out there' and as ridiculous as people like the 'good doctor' make it out to be.
You may take it for granted that you have a choice, but I remember many women looking at me wide eyed when I told them (upon being asked) that I did not have an OB...they assumed it was the done thing. They are now far better educated because I talk about the choices available to them, and I normalise them. This doctor does not talk about waterbirth as if it's a normal thing - he says it's putting the child at unnecessary risk. Putting my child in my car is a greater risk than the way I chose to bring him into the world. Drug-free births need to be normalised, rather than depicted as some kind of 'martyrdom'.
You bet I get worked up by people like this! He won't disempower someone like you or me, but he will disempower someone who has been indoctrinated into 'traditional' practices.