The way I see it is hospital birth and vaccination are both interventions pushed by mainstream medicine as being for the 'greater good', in that none of us know what the future holds (illness, complications at birth etc) so let's take a preventative step by birthing with a medical team, in a hospital setting, and then vaccinate the child 'just in case' (hep b is a true indication of this, since few newborns use needles or have sex, but they can be exposed to heb b in a hospital setting and vaxxing at birth ticks the box of having 'fixed that')


Those that are anti vax and home birth generally subscribe to a philosophy of trust in the bodies ability to both birth and the child's protect itself from illness. They see interventions as actually prohibitive to optimal health and care, and question the expectation we, as consumers, should just accept the info given to us by mainstream medicine. Most research the issues thoroughly and come up with their own health care model (birth with midwives, delayed or partial vax, optimal food for health and nutrition, long term breastfeeding etc).

Even discussions about best outcomes for the baby often negate the mothers wishes and bodily autonomy. Trust that no mother wants to put her child in harm, but we should not assume that the baby's needs are of greater importance than the mothers bodily rights.
That is interesting. I've never really had a home birther explain that to me before. I now understand where you are coming from.

But, can you explain why you have faith in your body? It's not a trick question, I'm really curious. We all die, historically death rates in labour were higher for mother and baby. Diseases spread. Miscarriages occur at alarming rate. Why do we have faith in a body that eventually fails permanently with many small temporary failures in between? Having been a person who has been sick, had miscarriages, infertility, had a complicated birth, fairly extreme BF issues etc, these are all realistic reasons for me to NOT have faith in my body.

I'm not saying you are wrong, just that some of us seem to come at this issue from a vastly different angle to others.

I also think we come at this from a very different angle on the issue of bodily autonomy v's baby needs. My personal opinion, that I'm not going to lay on anyone else, is that my baby's needs get 100% at any cost at all to my bodily autonomy. That is, if my baby needs it at a cost that is somehow physical for me, I will pay it. I do put the baby's needs at greater importance than my bodily rights. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it is impossible to have both (fulfil all of the baby's needs AND retain your bodily autonomy) but if the choice needs to be made, I know which way I am going.

I'm obviously a hospital birthing vaxxer. The above is why I make the choices I do. I guess in the end, we all have our own reasons for doing what we do, each of us is genuinely acting in what we consider to be the best interest of us and our child, and that is what matters. So long as home birthers and delayed or anti-vaxxers are making informed decisions with a genuine heart for both mother and child, I support their right to birth and vaccinate as they choose. So I don't oppose you, I just think very differently about these issues.