Article: Extreme Birth

[BellyBelly]

Supermums "extreme" birth

By Kate Kelland
May 24, 2007 06:20am
Article from: Reuters

THEY insist they're not pain or adrenaline junkies or superwomen and they have no special powers - but their way of giving birth is certainly "extreme".
"Freebirthers" - an increasingly popular labor option coined by an Australian - choose to go through what some call the most painful and potentially frightening experience of a woman's life with no drugs, no midwife and no medical help.

Delivering their own babies at home, often alone, they dismiss what they say is "fearmongering" by doctors and midwives and confidently catch their own offspring as they leave the womb.

"Birthing uses the same hormones as lovemaking - so why would you want anyone poking and prodding you, observing you and putting you under a spotlight?," said Veronika Robinson, an Australian based in Britain who sees growing interest in freebirth among readers of international magazine, The Mother.

Her comment is echoed by many in online discussion groups about freebirth, where women insist having a baby is as intimate an experience as having sex.

"We were the only people there when she was conceived, and it felt absolutely 100 percent right that we were the only people there when she was born," writes Laura Fields from the United States.

Robinson says medical establishments in Britain and across other westernized nations have for years been "taking something that's natural and making it into a disease", and now, with freebirthing, "women are taking their power back".

Free - or unassisted birth means having a baby with no medical or professional help.

In Australia, Britain, as in North America, where its popularity is growing, it is legal as long as delivery is not "assisted" by an unqualified partner, friend or husband.

One of its most prominent supporters, Laura Shanley, an author on childbirth, is now mother to four children - all of whom were born at home without the help of doctors or midwives.

Shanley says that birth is only problematic because of three main factors - poverty, intervention and fear.

"As long as clean water and reasonable living standards are available - as they are to many women in the west - then the task is to eliminate the other two factors and a natural birth will be as safe as it can be."

Britain's Department of Health frowns on the practice of freebirthing and says every woman should have a midwife.

"The safety of mothers and their babies is our top priority," a spokesman said. "Midwives are the experts in normal pregnancy and birth and have the skills to refer to and coordinate between specialist services. Every woman needs the care of a midwife in labor and birth and those women with more complex pregnancies may need a doctor too."

And some doctors, as well as some friends and relatives of those who chose to go it alone when they go into labor, are fiercely critical of what they see as a selfish, reckless, even irresponsible approach to childbirth.

[Trillian]

Im all for women having homebirths etc, but this is a little too far out for me. What if something were to go wrong (and there is probably only a very small chance) or something that was beyond their capabilities, what do they do then?

[christy]

Sherie it certainly is scary. I personally would LOVE a homebirth but I think I am a bit too scared to delve into the world of unassisted births LOL. I think for me I would be stressed at the possibilities and wouldn't be able to achieve the level of relaxation needed to birth the baby.

[Cherie]

I would love to have an unassisted birth. This has been a dream of mine since before I even started TTC. Call me crazy

I've been on a yahoo mailing list for unassisted birth for some time now, and the general consensus is, if something goes wrong, you transfer to a hospital (although their definition of 'wrong' is probably a little different to mainstream health professional's definition). Some also put back-up plans into place, e.g. having a midwife to call on if something goes wrong, or taking a bite of their placenta for post-partum haemorrhage. Laura Shanley has a website which has some pretty amazing reading, including her birth stores. Very empowering stuff!

I think it's very healthy to have these women, who are at the opposite end of the spectrum to people who are pro-intervention ... it sort of balances the scale somewhat. It's obviously not a choice for everyone, but I think it's great that there are women out there trusting their bodies to do their thing, without help.

[Inanna]

Yes, this is an interesting concept and one that isn't new.

My personal view is that birth isn't something that should be done alone. In my opinion a birthing Mama needs connection, support, energy and love. When I birth I zone out - I am not in the room - I certainly have needed the guidance of my support when I reach transition and think I will just finish it all tomorrow... Or when I need to be reminded that I am having a baby so let's not get too zen!

I think there are also safety issues for millenia there have been child birth assistants/midwives/doulas. For good reason, I believe...

[Roryrory]

I think this is a bit OTT - women have ALWAYS been assisted by other women when giving birth (and I reckon those poor bugger cavewomen who were alone while everyone else was off eating wooly mammoth were pretty ticked off that no one was around). I am all for natural birth and so on, but this kind of birthing, IMO, seems as "competitive" as the whole "my post-baby body is perfect in 6 days" thing that goes on in Hollywood.....

ETA Cherie not saying you are competitive darl - I would love an unassisted birth too in a perfect world but I think it is more a backlash against the over-interventionist climate we live in than anything that is actually ideal....

[Trillian]

Cherie, you are so right - we need the extremes at both ends of the spectrum to get an overall clear picture of what is happening. And it is only taking it one step further than a homebirth really.

[Cherie]

Roryrory - No worries I ended up having a c/s anyway, so all my philosphies went to the wind LOL.

I wonder if Angel will see this thread .. she had an unintentional unassisted homebirth (amazing woman!!!).

[Roryrory]

Cherie, my dh's aunt (a midwife) had 2 out of 4 of her births at home, unassisted by no-one but her poor dh! I think that by the 3rd bub she was pretty ho-hum about birth though LOL!!

[Trillian]

I suppose that puts it into another context too - where women have unintentionally given birth at home. I wonder what those mums would think about it being called 'extreme birth'?

[Roryrory]

Kinda like "extreme makeover" but without the TV cameras? LOL!!!
Now that is too monty python - sorry gals

[christy]

At least there wouldn't be any machines that go "Ping!"

[*mitch*]

nope nope nope not for me... I am wayyyyy to chicken for that...plus we live 45 minutes from the hospital...

[Trish]

Well, if my midwife doesn't get down from Port Maquarie in time, this is exactly what I'll be doing. Just need to hide the phone from Mark

Honestly though, more power to these women. If this is what they choose to do, then it's simply that, their choice. No mother is going to risk her baby, maternal instict can and will kick in if something is going wrong.

Of course this is all my opinon and each to their own.

[*charmalea*]

heehhe no hospital food !!

[Trish]

Now there's a huge bonus in itself Lea

[bailey99]

Wow! That is pretty full on. Each to their own and good on them for wanting to do it, but I couldn't. I think that if they had a midwife or OB on standby it would be better. It would be great if it all goes to plan, but as so many of us know, it doesn't always. Lol on the "Extreme Birthing" tag they have given though.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I had the machine that went ping! And that secured my wish for an unassisted birth - I don't want anyone pushing drugs on me all the time next time. I don't want anyone there at all. I'll go for a normal homebirth, they don't bother sending midwives out for those here (Mid-Sussex, not the UK in general).