DIY Deliveries: More Women Go It Alone (US)

[slimjadey]

"What women need to appreciate is that the few hours of labor are the most dangerous time during the entire lifetime of the soon-to-be-born child," said Dr. Frank Chervenak, Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "Because of this, I would argue ... all soon-to-be born children have a right to access immediate Caesarean delivery, and women who are denying this right are irresponsible."

Statements like this make me so angry..... I'm sick of arrogant doctors...

[Cricket]

I personally think that freebirthing, as in birthing without any assistance, is a potentially dangerous thing to do. (and that is what the article is about - not homebirth)

Postpartum haemorrhage DOES happen, and if it's just you and DH, and your baby, what are you going to do?
A friend of mine has a five month old baby who was born by c-section after she pushed for an hour and he became distressed, because the cord was four times around his neck. (discovered after he was born) What if that happened with no one to help?
Shoulder dystocia happens. Would your DH who loves you and your baby dearly be able to remember what he needs to do as you scream and pant and push and the baby doesn't budge?
These circumstances are rare, to be sure, and there have certainly been many women who birthed alone and were fine, but it is these exceptions that would make me choose to birth with someone who knows what to do when things go wrong, and is not deeply emotionally involved.

Now, realize, before you jump on me, , that I am NOT talking about homebirth as dangerous. I've done, and loved, homebirth, with a qualified, knowledgable, experienced midwife. I am all in favour of minimal intervention, and keeping things as normal and natural as possible. But there are circumstances where intervention is needed, and without someone to help, will you be able to get that intervention, when you are in the "heat of labour", so to speak, and your DH is trying to care for you, and possibly your distressed newborn?

"I would argue ... all soon-to-be born children have a right to access immediate Caesarean delivery, and women who are denying this right are irresponsible."

Do you hear what the doctor is saying? Not that all women should have c-sections, or even that all women should birth in hospital, but that they should be able to have a c-section in a hurry if needed. Now, his definition of when it is needed, and yours and mine might be different, but it is true that in some instances, c-sections have saved lives.

Again, let me say that I don't think a healthy woman with a healthy baby needs to birth in hospital. In fact, I think more women end up in trouble because they went to the hospital than the other way around. But, I don't think that giving birth should be done without someone who knows what to do if something goes wrong. (You can decide who that someone is - OB, GP, midwife, experienced doula, whatever.)

Birthing your baby with just you and your DH might be wonderfully empowering and bring you closer as a couple, and other great things, but how "empowering" would it be to have a birth go terribly wrong because no one was there to help?