Another homebirth story, this one less tragic, but still disturbing...

[bebe luna]

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pionee...al/7258496.htm

[magnoliablue]

I can't speak for Minn.'s child protection services, but it frustrates me in the sense that if this had happened where I live, they probably would have made a huge deal about the homebirth decision... yet the DYFS in our state is getting a (justifiably in my opinion) bad reputation for not following through on their cases.. leading to the severe neglect and/or death of children here. They will follow through on the cases in which parents are actually trying to parent; these parents were not neglecting this baby, and as the mother stated, if she were intent on starving the infant, she would not have called a lactation consultant for advice. Yet in the serious cases of abuse and neglect, these workers are too often times lax. I do understand about there sadly being so many cases that there just are not enough workers to check out every single call they recieve, but I wonder how many real cases of abuse and neglect get ignored while something along these lines gets media attention just because the choice to homebirth goes outside the "box" and against the social norm.

[rwikene]

this is so disgusting!!!


I'm so angry I cannot form the words that I want to say. But, I do want to say that if this woman was calling to seek help, then she was definatly not intending to starve her child!!!! I mean really!!!!

Why is it that our "society" wants to make birth into such a stinking disease? Why do they want to take away a woman's right to birth her child in the saftety and comfort of her home???? She must know what birth is going to entail, she has 8 kids! grrrr, I'm so mad...

[normajean]

Doesn't sound to me that the homebirth was the problem, the problem is a patriarchal beauracracy that wants to control things it can't and never will be able to.

[GoodWillHunter]

Ummm, all I want to say to MINN CPS is WHAT THE HELL?!!! ARe you people crazy? Obviously, this mother was trying to do what was best for her babe and instead, she gets a forced trip to the hospital with police in tow!!! ARRRRGHGHGHGHGHGhhh!!
I know of a young woman who had an unwitnessed, unassisted homebirth and brought the babe to the hospital... The hospital nurse told her she was one courageous woman!!! Now that's what we need to hear! Not be threatened with removal of our children....

[shine]

wow.

Ignorance knows no bounds.

[tnrsmom]

Moving this to the Homebirth forum.

[applejuice]

Stop being so surprised.

This has been going on for a very long time.

My four children are almost grown. I have had my 'adventures' with CPS on numerous occasions, and they are complete unabashed morons who think they make no mistakes and will go after innocent people on the flimsiest of complaints with no evidence.

They have the support of the Police and the Medical Establishment.

The have the support of the PRESS and MEDIA.

AND THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

This is a very dangerous situation.

I almost lost all four of my children at once because of a flagrantly false accusation. I had to go to court to prove I was innocent.

The police and CPS demanded that I let them in my home in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Federal Constitution.

I had to testify in court in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the Federal Constitution.

I was denied my children without due process.

I never met my accuser.

I was judged guilty before I ever got to court. I had to prove my innocence.

Where is the constitutionality in all of this?

This has been happening for a very long time.

It simply did not happen overnight. I suggest that everyone stand up for their rights when confronted with these gasbags. You do not have to cower. If you are right, stand up for yourself.

[dallaschildren]

IT AMAZES ME that CPS agencies across this country will act on a situation like this, which needs NO action and will IGNORE the cases we keep hearing about in the news. Kids being chained to their beds, left in closets, burned, starved, and on and on. The CPS sector of our society needs some SERIOUS REHABILITATION. Case workers who lie about having made visits to homes, the high turn over rate of personnel, and the overall inadequacy of the entire system makes me SICK! And that's just a few of the problems......uggghhhhh

[applejuice]

In my case. alittle T, my DD was a rebellious adolescent who I admit was out of control.

She made false accusations of physical abuse against me.

The CPS believed her and added sexual abuse to the allegations just to make it stick, and to add to MY misery and burden of proof in court.

My other children denied the allegations. Keep in mind this happened when my DH was first diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing the initial treatments. DH was forced to juggle court appearances with his treatment appointments. The charge of sexual abuse was absurd, although, I do know that sexual abuse does not always include penetration; many sexual predators are impotent or sexually impaired on some level. It was patently false in my case.

Throughout the ordeal, I was assigned three different CPS workers who were cold and nasty and demanding. My DD was fifteen years old; when I informed the last one that I had found a MAN , a male over eighteen in her bedroom after midnight, the CPS worker hugged my DD and cired to me, "But she is a teenager! That is normal behavior!"

Normal for whom?

The LAPD was no help either. They told me to shut up and that I did not know what I was talking about; I had the male suspect there in my custody and turned him over to them! Nothing ever happened to him. The DA apparently feels this is legal. My young sons, aged at the time 13, 11 and 4, witnessed all of this. The LAPD should be ashamed.

[lauraess]

Normajean, I wonder why you think that the homebirth had nothing to do with the situation that arose??? isn't it the first implicating factor , the flashing neon sign saying "square-peg not fitting in hole" " Alert!"----- isnt that what got the attention? if it was just a woman calling the hospital for help w/ newborn there'd be no reason for "concern" I mean, it's all about control isnt it???? The need to control all of us "Crazy" women who want to do things different!?
Laura

[tinyshoes]

Good for the Mathias family's brave and rightous legal pusuit!



I don't blame CPS for this problem. I blame our Enfamil-loving society's lack of breastfeeding support!!!

Why did this mother have to leave two messages for the lactation consultant?!?!?

Why wasn't her concern addressed in a more timely fashion?

A hospital staff member who called back that evening "became agitated" on learning the baby had been born at home and insisted that he be brought in immediately and examined.

I'm guessing that it wasn't the lactation consultant who called the mom back. And I'm guessing this same individual is responsible for telling CPS & the cops the 'starvation story' rather than the 'newborn nursing questions':

Police said they had been told that the Mathiases were "not feeding their children."

I don't think CPS or the cops were out of line *if* that is the information they were given.

I'm arguing that any LC could've handled the phone calls appropriately and the outcome of this story would be very boring, happy, and normal.

But someone ( ) at the hospital with an attitude problem got involved (gee, mamas, could THAT be a reason why this family chose to birth @ home in the first place!?: ) and now the family has to sue with their little baby toddling around. Great.

but GOOD FOR THEM...they are so right in their complaint, and I think that even The Man (or whoever the heck is in charge of this crazy world!) will see the logic of their plight.

The court (like that burocracy is an easy one to deal with! : ) at least might require a little more evidence than "omygod, this crazy lady, like, had her kid at home, like WITHOUT AN EPIDURAL, so she's like, for sure crazy, and she's trying to breastfeed, eww gross, and obviously the kid is starving, because like, you can't see how much formula they're getting, so like, DO SOMETHING!"

Nice allotment of funds, too--------there's money for all of THIS NONSENSE to take place (call CPS, create a file, send off the cops, drive the ambulance, etc.) but not enough dough to pay an LC to answer the phone a couple days after Christmas? I know folks gotta have vacation, but babies gotta eat!

[annakiss]

applejuice, I hope you've reconciled with your daughter and that she's a very happy, healthy adult. So sorry for your awful experience.

[applejuice]

My DD is 23, lives at home, is out of work, does not pay rent, and has still not finished two years of college even though she finished high school by examination seven years ago.

This is the situation after years of therapy, which I went to, not her. She would not go.

I am extremely suspicious of the police, CPS, DCS, the courts, and therapists. They are totally worthless.

Because that is MY experience!

The only revenge I have is to withhold my community support of these organizations.

They suck.