Anyone ever labored/birthed in the forest? - Page 3

[cathicog]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

anyways, i've made it public, so you all can see it. though i'll change it back in a few days.
people who are my friend on flickr can view all my pics.
http://flickr.com/photos/majikfaerie...57601043548390

Thank you for sharing your birth photos. I think it was a really cool birth! I love the length of your dreads. Do you still have them? How old is Sequoia now? She looks (in the pics) like such a little doll...thanks, again.

[majikfaerie]

Originally Posted by cathicog

Thank you for sharing your birth photos. I think it was a really cool birth! I love the length of your dreads. Do you still have them? How old is Sequoia now? She looks (in the pics) like such a little doll...thanks, again.

thanks. DD is now 5, and my dreads are past my knees. you can check my blog if you're still interested.

[ComaWhite]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

honestly i don't get why the big fuss about clean-up.
either the mess is on the ground, where it soaks in and is washed away in the first rain, or it's on your towels and sheets that you brought with you. ever heard of a big bin liner? just pile everything into a plastic sack to be transported to either a dumpster or laundry machine.
exactly the same as you'd do at home.

I guess its because after my births my home always looked like a cow had been slaughtered with a screwdriver. If anyone ever black-lighted our old rentals they'd be horrified....guess Im just a bleeder. There was a lot of clean up, and blood left over anywhere (especially on the ground or in bags of bloody towels left around camp) would be a HUGE concern as for attracting wildlife in a lot of locations.

[mamato3cherubs]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Of course a persons location and time of year would be the things to consider, but I wish I would have done it. I thought it funny to find this thread as I was just camping last weekend and actually thought it would have been a wonderful place to birth. Clean clear waterfall and everything.

I am in the northwest, it has been only 150 years since we became a state. Only Native americans lived on this land then. I bet they did a fine job of birthing in the woods, bears, deer, birds, fish and all. No questions asked.

[Mommyintraining2]

I love all your thoughts, both for and against or questions about it. I'm still dreaming about it and still undecided. Maybe I'll reach a decision the closer I get. But I feel like I'm becoming better prepared from all your ideas and suggestions.

[majikfaerie]

Originally Posted by andrea

I guess its because after my births my home always looked like a cow had been slaughtered with a screwdriver. If anyone ever black-lighted our old rentals they'd be horrified....guess Im just a bleeder. There was a lot of clean up, and blood left over anywhere (especially on the ground or in bags of bloody towels left around camp) would be a HUGE concern as for attracting wildlife in a lot of locations.

if attracting wildlife is an issue for someone, or a particular area, that would be specific location stuff.
i've been to a lot of births, and having the place look like "a cow was slaughtered with a screwdriver" isn't that common.
For my birth, we dug a little hole under where I was squatting, so most of mess went there, and we filled it in right away.
I've gotta say though, if you were hiking and sustained some injury that left a lot of blood all over the forest, no on would worry about cleaning up the mess. they'd just get you outta there and into an ambulance asap.
I don't see why blood from a birth would need cleaning up more than blood from a gashed leg or something.
Unless the couple were planning on camping there for a whiles afterward. still, 10 minutes with a shovel for DP or an assistant isn't a big deal, and in reality, that's all it would be.

I do understand that for folk who aren't used to living in the woods, this kinda stuff would be hard to get your head around.

[ComaWhite]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

I do understand that for folk who aren't used to living in the woods, this kinda stuff would be hard to get your head around.

Thats not it at all though, dh and I have spent time backpacking in the backwoods (not marked trails) in the rockies and my family lived in a tiny truck trailer for 2 years on a chunk of land when I was younger. I cant even tell you how many days I spent wandering the bush berry picking and fishing with my gpa. I am no stranger to the woods and feel very comfortable and safe there. My best friend grew up and lived her entire childgood in the backwoods and thinks the idea is crazy.
BUT... that is because I have been taught to have a heavy respect and understanding for wildlife, and squatting over a hole and covering it with dirt is NOT going to deter it. This is me saying "Hello? Reality?????" to the romantic, hippie dippie, ignorant dreamy ideal of popping out a baby in the backwoods. Sure, our ancestors did it, but did they have another choice?
Perhaps youve never been up close and seen what a bear can do?
Do you know anything abotu hunting? You kill and bleed the animal and then get the heck outta there. Why? BEARS.
Have you seen a range map? They are far from rare in north america (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ack_bear_1.png or even in the world http://animals.nationalgeographic.co...bear.gif)Would you advocate birthing floating in the ocean in an area sharks are known to be? Same thing.

I am just totally astounded that my legitimate points are being eye-rolled and brushed off as me just not being "nature girl" enough to possibly understand how it really is.

ETA:
Another thought..... maybe youve never had your life thrown upside down my a CPS investigation. Birthing in the woods is certainly grounds for one. I can tell you first hand, there are a lot of 'dreamy ideals' I am willing to forgo in order to NOT have CPS come into my home and life and interrogate me and treat me like a criminal again.

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by andrea

I am just totally astounded that my legitimate points are being eye-rolled and brushed off as me just not being "nature girl" enough to possibly understand how it really is.
.

I think it is becuase you are coming off as rude and condensending. That is why I skipped over your posts, but since you asked....

Ive been up close to bears when I have intentionally sought them out, Ive camped in bear country, but never saw a single one by chance.

I am pretty sure I could birth in bear country comfortably without worrying about being attacked by a bear. I am not near bear country though, so it is not an issue for me.

The scariest thing in our woods would be a human or a coyote. Maybe a rabid fox or racoon.
I don't see birth as extremely messy, the mess there is would be absorbed into the forest as any other 'mess' would be. I would not bother to clean up except to maybe burry the placenta if I was not having a lotus birth.
Iwould burry it ony because I dont like the thought of it being eaten by scavengers?

[ComaWhite]

Originally Posted by BunnySlippers

I would not bother to clean up except to maybe burry the placenta if I was not having a lotus birth.
Iwould burry it ony because I dont like the thought of it being eaten by scavengers?

Ok, see, there is the lack of knowledge of wildlife.
Often a bear will bury a carcass or chunk of meat, mark it and let it rot for a few days before returning to dig it up and eat it.
So you are pretty much advising people to prepare dinner for the wildlife?

Im not trying to be rude or condensending. I am just shocked.

There is a REASON why mammals such as deer are born being able to walk, and a reason why the mama eats ALL of the afterbirth and a reason why the mama and new baby immediately move on.

Im not trying to discredit your births, Im just trying to make a few very valid points to people reading this thread thinking about how trippy it would be to birth in the trees.

[Marlet]

Originally Posted by andrea

I am just totally astounded that my legitimate points are being eye-rolled and brushed off as me just not being "nature girl" enough to possibly understand how it really is.

And you continue to roll your eyes at legitimate answers. What more do you want? You continue to ask the same thing (espeically regarding the attracting of wildlife) and more than one person has answered you. Either accept our hippie dippie/romantic ideal/flower child answers or stop asking. You are obviously not getting what you want out the answers presented.

And I still agree with the pp. You are coming off as rude and condescending. You'll always catch more flies with honey.

[Jaysfamily]

It's not the forest...

but it was an outdoor birth! My hubby sent me this UC birth story earlier today.

http://www.knbc.com/news/17186699/detail.html

[honeybunch2k8]

Originally Posted by majikfaerie

oh! thanks for letting me know. I remember now I set it to private - I set all my pics with nudity to private a whiles back coz soooo many sicko pervs were checking them out. yes, there are weirdos out there who get off on birthing women
anyways, i've made it public, so you all can see it. though i'll change it back in a few days.
people who are my friend on flickr can view all my pics.
http://flickr.com/photos/majikfaerie...57601043548390

Just beautiful!!!

[forthebest]

I read that medic attended births were more for affluent women and most other women birthed at home till not so long ago. The attitude that labouring moms should be confined is held quite deep in our culture now I think, confinement being a word thats still used, it smacks of containment, more. Shifting a lady who does or doesn't need to go to hozzy is very stressful. Outdoor birthing is seen as 'extreme' even 'fanatical' or just odd and of course hippy trippy. Because other women want to be in hospital, at home or someplace inbetween outdoors is rarely even imagined as a place to birth by most people. I am sure poorer countries haven't changed much in their maternal care and most women give birth in their homes which are likely shacks with thin 'walls'. It is just too 'out there' for a lot of people I have found and it is therefore rejected. There was nothing very idealised or romantized about my uc's, I had very little and some comfort would have been nice, I also had to work quite hard as I would in any birth setting. If I had my way I would have had a big birthing pool right in the woods with candles and food and friends even, as it was I uc'ed, outdoors and in truck, on the west coasts of scotland and ireland where there is a good wind blowing most time and lots of hard jaggy rocks.

As you get older you are not as dippy with authorities, if that was the case, and can hold your ground, pun intended,when you give birth outwith the system as they say. Diversity is important in life, we are not all the same, why should all women birth indoors?, humans have interacted with creatures for ages, we didn't all have padlocked doors and all those extra inches between us and the natural world, we are fast becoming detached and seperated from nature like it's a theme park. Nature has to be respected, big bears very much need to be respected! There are ways to be safer when you birth outdoors and most people will be aware of this. I feel some women feel like they are being attacked if they are not into uc,hb or outdoor births, or non-interventive births or whatever but that imo would be counter-productive to any woman who has to make and carry thru the descisions necessary to achieve the sort of birth, setting, attitude, input, if any, she requires and is more than likely capable of attaining that in the right environment for her.

[thefragile7393]

Originally Posted by andrea

ETA:
Another thought..... maybe youve never had your life thrown upside down my a CPS investigation. Birthing in the woods is certainly grounds for one. I can tell you first hand, there are a lot of 'dreamy ideals' I am willing to forgo in order to NOT have CPS come into my home and life and interrogate me and treat me like a criminal again.

Just about anything outside the normal mainstream can be "reasons" for CPS investigation. UC, homebirth, extended bf-ing, co-sleeping, no vax---- if someone wants to make a stink about something, anything, CPS can come. This is no more of a risk of CPS being called than uc'ing inside of a home. It's not something that people take lightly and many realize the risk of someone being uptight about another's decisions when they plan something outside of the norm. If this is something you don't wish to deal with the possibility of, then birthing in this environment isn't for you. That does not mean, however, it is out of the question for someone else.

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by andrea

Ok, see, there is the lack of knowledge of wildlife.
Often a bear will bury a carcass or chunk of meat, mark it and let it rot for a few days before returning to dig it up and eat it.
So you are pretty much advising people to prepare dinner for the wildlife?

.

ok, lets pretend wildlife dig up and eat the placenta..so whats the big deal(other than my personal attatchment to said placenta)?

[Unoppressed MAMA Q]

I/We almost did this with #1.

One of my fondest memories of my DC#1's father is him preparing a campsite for us to birth the baby. He was absolutely beautiful. He had to clear a path through like twenty feet of thorns, and was a bit worse for the wear for a while. He dug a fire pit, pitched a tent, and blew up and air mattress. My job was to bring lots of tea.

We had some nights out there weeks before the birth, and it never quite panned out. First, we were encircled by coyotes and sang to for a bit. At the time, that make me feel a little unwelcome/uncomfortable. Now, I'd see it as an auspicious blessing, but I wasn't quite in that place six years ago. Then, one night the air mat got a hole, and I ended up with my big pregnant self all sunk onto the ground, with him being puffed up extra high...funny in hindsight, but I was a bit uncomfortable then.

Finally, once when leaving the site, a local sheriff was waiting for us at our cars, thinking we were there illegally. Right around this time, my parents offered to pay for a birth tub rental, and I chose to jump on the idea. I'm not sorry. I was tired afterward and glad to have access to water without traveling.

If I were to birth again, I'd rent a private cabin in the woods(assuming I don't already live in one!). Lots of land around, no people. Then I could just play it by ear and birth in or out as I saw fit. Maybe I'd have a tub in and out, to alternate. I think I'm done birthing, so it's fun to imagine it in extravagant terms!

[ComaWhite]

Originally Posted by BunnySlippers

ok, lets pretend wildlife dig up and eat the placenta..so whats the big deal(other than my personal attatchment to said placenta)?

It took me a few days to think of a response that wouldn't be a uav.
But, here I am.

Honestly. If you need to ask WHY it ISN'T a good idea to attract predatory wildlife to your tent/tipi campsite with the decaying bodily fluids of both yourself and your newborn, then you should not, I repeat NOT be birthing in the woods or recommending others to do likewise.

Maybe I can't 'wrap my head' around birthing in the woods, but since you guys can't 'wrap your head' around basic wood/wildlife safety, I'm absolutely done with this thread.

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by andrea

It took me a few days to think of a response that wouldn't be a uav.
But, here I am.

Honestly. If you need to ask WHY it ISN'T a good idea to attract predatory wildlife to your tent/tipi campsite with the decaying bodily fluids of both yourself and your newborn, then you should not, I repeat NOT be birthing in the woods or recommending others to do likewise.

.

whose saying Im camping in the spot my placenta is burried? that would be silly. Dont you know there are bears in them woods

[hanno]

does this mean I shouldn't camp during menstruation ? ? ?

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by hanno

does this mean I shouldn't camp during menstruation ? ? ?

or handle a stallion (male intact horse)