Good Morning America has prepared an excellent print article for their web site. The comment section is roaring, and tomorow they plan to play this video during the second hour of the morning broadcast during the turning point section of the show.
I thought it was interesting that we are called a "New Movement", when if you really think about the six thousand year history of the world, it is the drugs and surgery during birth that is the innovation here, not the historical reality of couples birthing alone. Think about Adam and Eve, did Heavenly Father send down a medical birth team to help while they birthed Cain and Able?
Did they need nurses, doctors, drugs, electronic fetal monitors, knives, forceps, and the host of medical tools and tricks to get the babies born? Or did they put their trust in the Lord and give birth alone?
I would suggest they gave birth alone.
The doctor in the clip made the case that the few hours of labor are the most dangerous for the baby, and I would agree with him, IF someone like him was calling the shots. Inducing with Cytotec and/or Pitocin, making the woman labor on her back, refusing her fluids and food etc etc... The very fact that he believes labor is dangerous is part of the problem.
I also disagree that those of us who have chosen freebirth are "rebelling". I am not a rebel. I have never thought of myself as rebellious. I am a very obedient person, happily living the laws of morality that have been outlined in the ten commandments, and keep my life in strict accordance with mormon ideals and principles for living.
Rather than a rebel, I am simply a mother who has logically weighed all of the issues in a methodical and practical way, spent many years reading books, statistics, and carefully following the birth controversies, and then, when I felt comfortable with it, made the faith leap to unassisted homebirth.
Some women may be rebelling from the powers that be, but I give birth alone because I believe it is best for the baby. This choice is based on a factual understanding of all of the facets of birth.
My dearest friend Susana Baig is gearing up to give birth to her seventh child in a few weeks. She has had four homebirths, three of them without a midwife present. Interestingly enough, she told me that she probably would have hired a professional in her state to help with a homebirth for this child, but because midwives are outlawed in her state, she feels that freebirth is her only choice.
Susana was one of the speakers at the 2nd International Husband Wife Homebirth Conference, hosted on my web site here. Here is a free copy of her talk.
Here is a video montage of her beautiful family!
Mothering Magazines Discussion board talking about this story: Go Here
Free Republic Thread on this topic: Go Here
Amanda Counter Speaks at the 2nd International Husband/Wife Homebirth Conference.