Freebirthing (Cross-posted in Aug. DDC)

[famille_huggins]

(This is cross-posted in my DDC)

I watched a show last night on Discovery Health called "Freebirthing." It's about UC and I think it was primarily filmed in England. Because of some health issues and because I'm a big ol' chicken, I could never Freebirth/UC, but watching these women was unbelievable! Some managed their own prenatal care by taking measurements, vitals, etc. Others did nothing like that. Some prepared for birth by getting training from midwives, while others trusted their bodies to completely take over. One woman labored and gave birth over a two hour period was totally silent nearly the entire time!

I know there are some UCers out there, and others who are curious. Since Discovery channel affiliates usually loop their shows, it may come on again soon in your area.

[firewoman]

I want to see that so badly! I'm going to check if is listed in the on-demand options!

[Talula Fairie]

I've been wanting to see that. Anyone know if you can watch it online at all? I've seen snippets of it online but not the whole thing.

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by firewoman

I want to see that so badly! I'm going to check if is listed in the on-demand options!

it's not here as far as I can tell. I have Comcast, if that makes a difference.

[famille_huggins]

I just looked at my guide and it looks like it's coming on the Discovery Health Channel again on April 18th at 9:00 AM Central Time. I have Verizon Fios and I don't see it On Demand.

[GEEKLOVE]

some more info and video....
http://freebirthing.org/

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by GEEKLOVE

some more info and video....
http://freebirthing.org/

ETA: not the site I originally thought it was. Freebirth.com takes you to Laura Shanley's site. Anyway. I want to see the whole thing!!!!

[JamieCatheryn]

Whoa! I had no idea anyone did a special on this that wasn't totally slanted to make it look stupid and extreme and wacko to UC. Awesome. I don't have cable or whatever so haven't seen it.

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

Whoa! I had no idea anyone did a special on this that wasn't totally slanted to make it look stupid and extreme and wacko to UC. Awesome. I don't have cable or whatever so haven't seen it.

Well, they did sensationalize several things and did things to make some of the moms look bad...it was written about recently by a midwife and she had a fairly negative description of the show. BUT I have heard other UCers say they thought it was fine :

[MyZoeJane]

I watched the program last night and I'm so glad that I didn't have to see anything really dangerous happen to any of those women. I am all for making the birthing experience personal and as enjoyable and as wholesome as possible, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around why a woman would want to deprive themselves of the advancements of medical technology to that point.

I think sometimes people are SO against progress, or are so afraid of the negatives of progress, that overlook the upside of it and they go too far in trying to shun it. I mean... who on Earth can knowingly have a very low lying placenta that could cause very serious problems with their baby or themself, and STILL shun the medical advancement that could save them from potentially dying? That was one lucky girl that her baby lived and that she only had to go to the hospital AFTER her baby was born.

I don't mean to be disrespectful to those who feel otherwise, I just can't understand why some people are that against the advancements that can make childbirth safer. Of course I'm aware that there are medical "advancements" that make hospitalized childbirth more dangerous, too... but why go so far from the happy medium that can give a woman the best of both worlds?


The fact of the matter is, the "natural childbirth" that women did for thousands of years was A LOT more dangerous. Just because it was "natural" or "the way nature intended" doesn't make it better, IMO! MANY MORE women and babies died due to lack of medical advancements. I struggle to imagine what might have happened had I not been under the care of a birth professional who was able to deliver my daughter and save our lives. If I had been home alone or with an untrained attendant, my daughter and I surely would have died. There was NO indication that I would have anything other than an uncomplicated birth. The downturn was sudden and dramatic. I almost bled out and even though I know infant CPR, there was no way I would have had the ability to recuscitate my daughter at that time.

Birthing at home might be a beautiful thing, but what I'd like to understand is what makes it SO WONDERFUL for a woman that they would be willing to do it 30+ minutes away from medical help and without a trained professional? (Be that a doctor or midwife) what about it is SO wonderful that it is worth the risk of serious complications or death?

Again, no disrespect, I am only trying to understand... I hope that discussing the topic of the show isn't too off topic for this thread...

[famille_huggins]

Originally Posted by Talula Fairie

Well, they did sensationalize several things and did things to make some of the moms look bad...it was written about recently by a midwife and she had a fairly negative description of the show. BUT I have heard other UCers say they thought it was fine :

I'm not at all a UCer, and even if my health and situation were different, I'd still be a hospital birther. That said, I thought the producers did an excellent job of portraying the option of UC in an unbiased way. They presented the women as they were, they reflected the challenges they faced whether with their own health and pregnancy, with family, or with the health industry. While I would never choose UC for myself, the show helped me to see how important it is to allow each to choose their own path -- despite the risks -- to ensure our continued birthing freedom. I really learned so much.

[zjande]

You probably already know there's a whole UC forum on MDC? I would love to see that show, I'm so glad it didn't show UCing in a terrible light! But I don't have any cable or anything either.

MyZoeJane, I chose to UC for many reasons, but a major one was because my hospital based midwives were pushing interventions & complications on me that would have made my birth & PP very sad & stressful. I wouldn't personally birth at home if I knew I had a low lying placenta, but I get ultrasounds at 20 weeks so I know what's going on in there. I knew my birth at home would be safer & more peaceful than what I was being offered at the hospital. My UC was truly & honestly the most amazing, mind blowing, empowering & love infested experience I have ever been through.

[TzippityDoulah]

a lot of peope choose UC b/c they feel it's the right thing to do, not just b/c it's "safest". really when it comes down to it you can't make every decision on what is safest or you'd never leave the house. there is more to weigh than "health". one also has ot weight the spiritual reprocussions of assisted birth.

I'm not saying throw health concerns out the window. not at all. Just that there are more concerns that ONLY phyiscal "health" as determined by physicans. there are many types of health to consider with birthing.

(from a UCer)

[anabellee]

(hi Henny!)
I watched part of it last night and I'm not sure what to think. I read the online review by the midwife first so I think I may have had a "tainted" view going in to it...

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by famille_huggins

I'm not at all a UCer, and even if my health and situation were different, I'd still be a hospital birther. That said, I thought the producers did an excellent job of portraying the option of UC in an unbiased way. They presented the women as they were, they reflected the challenges they faced whether with their own health and pregnancy, with family, or with the health industry. While I would never choose UC for myself, the show helped me to see how important it is to allow each to choose their own path -- despite the risks -- to ensure our continued birthing freedom. I really learned so much.

Even one of the women on the show commented on the midwife's blog to say that they really sensationalized it...I doubt it was totally unbiased. HOWEVER, the show does seem to be in the eye of the beholder, because I have heard, from you and others, that they thought it seemed fine and still felt positive about UC women after watching it.

I personally totally support a woman's decision to have a UP/UC, I've even considered it myself at one time. I will admit though, that I'm on the fence about it at times.

[Talula Fairie]

MyZoeJane, I recommend you read the http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ website. She address a lot of your concerns (about women who died in childbirth in the past, for example --many died due to reasons no longer a concern in our society, such as overworked poor women and rich women who wore corsets that deformed their pelvises) and talks about whether or not UC is safe.

It may also be wise to note that the women of the show are not the end all be all of UC. Many women use dopplers, urine sticks, all the same stuff a midwife does. Some even get an ultrasound at 20 weeks to check the placenta. Some rely totally on their own intuition. It really just depends on the woman. Many of them feel that UC is a lot about faith. They really don't feel that it's this big huge risk. Now, for me, someone who is a little bit more cautious about everything, I probably wouldn't do a pregnancy like that (relying totally on instinct and 0 tests or monitoring whatsoever) and don't totally 'get' that perspective...but I respect someone else's decision to choose that. If that makes sense.

Also, many complications (such as hemorrhage) are more likely to happen after medical intervention (it's one of the risks of pitocin, for example). Yes, bad things can happen, but they can happen in the hospital too. I mean, the US births 99% of women in a hospital, and yet our death rate is sky high. Obviously medical intervention is not always a good thing. Tina Cassidy said, "We should constantly be asking ourselves: is this an improvment? Or are we making things worse?"

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by anabellee

(hi Henny!)
I watched part of it last night and I'm not sure what to think. I read the online review by the midwife first so I think I may have had a "tainted" view going in to it...

hey! I've never seen you on here before!

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by Talula Fairie

MyZoeJane, I recommend you read the http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ website. She address a lot of your concerns (about women who died in childbirth in the past, for example --many died due to reasons no longer a concern in our society, such as overworked poor women and rich women who wore corsets that deformed their pelvises) and talks about whether or not UC is safe.

It may also be wise to note that the women of the show are not the end all be all of UC. Many women use dopplers, urine sticks, all the same stuff a midwife does. Some even get an ultrasound at 20 weeks to check the placenta. Some rely totally on their own intuition. It really just depends on the woman. Many of them feel that UC is a lot about faith. They really don't feel that it's this big huge risk. Now, for me, someone who is a little bit more cautious about everything, I probably wouldn't do a pregnancy like that (relying totally on instinct and 0 tests or monitoring whatsoever) and don't totally 'get' that perspective...but I respect someone else's decision to choose that. If that makes sense.

Also, many complications (such as hemorrhage) are more likely to happen after medical intervention (it's one of the risks of pitocin, for example). Yes, bad things can happen, but they can happen in the hospital too. I mean, the US births 99% of women in a hospital, and yet our death rate is sky high. Obviously medical intervention is not always a good thing. Tina Cassidy said, "We should constantly be asking ourselves: is this an improvment? Or are we making things worse?"

very well put Talula Fairie!

[soxthecatrules]

I think others mentioning the spiritual aspect of UCing is very important. I have a friend that UCed and the outcome was not good. She admitted that a c-section would most likely have saved the life of her baby. At the same time she said that she wouldn't change a thing about her birthing experience. If they find themselves pregnant again they will most likely do another UC and it wouldn't surprise me if they did a UP. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around this. However, it is not my decision to make and they seem to be completely at peace with what happened. For them it seemed to be all about the spiritual. It has been very interesting to sit back and watch them. In the meantime, I am trying to learning more about HB, UC, and UP so in the event they are expecting again I can approach them in conversation with information rather than fear.

[MyZoeJane]

I suppose if spiritual fulfillment is what is most important to a woman, then I certainly wouldn't want to deprive her of her right to choose that. I suppose I am far more easily pacified than some. I am able to feel perfectly fulfilled by a hospital birth where I am still calling the shots and am only willing to consent to intervention when I truly believe it's the best, most educated option.

I couldn't imagine losing a baby after a UC and then going for it again as the PP outlined. I try, but no matter how I look at it that woman still lands in the "cuckoo" category in my mind. How does a woman choose her spiritual desires over the life of her baby? I'm sounding all judge-y, I know. I just can't get it. And I suppose it doesn't matter if I do or not, does it? I'm not out to deny anyone their right to birth how they want. If I support a woman's right to choose to kill her baby while thay baby is inside her, then I can't very well deny her the right to let it die while it's on its' way out!

I admire the PP for educating herself so she can do what she can to support her UCer friend despite the fact that she disagrees with her. I try to do that with my friends who circ and vax without educating themselves, but in a UC situation I don't think I could do it.

My biggest wish regarding birth rights is that the state of IL would allow birthing centers. I do feel "deprived" by the fact that if I want the "best of both worlds" I need to go to a hospital here.

I hope all of you who choose to UC have enjoyable and safe deliveries.