I believe that birth is natural and doesn’t need to be medically managed (or mismanaged as the case may be). The interference rate is uacceptably high (forceps/ventouse/c-section) and puts women and babies at risk. I ended up with an infection as did my baby after my 2nd birth (hospital). My 1st was born at a midwfie unit.

Due to the awful treatment and awful birth that I am positive wwas due to being in hosptial I decided to free-birth my 3rd baby. He was born perfectly and safely at home with no medical personnel present. I am sick of the scaremongering around unassisted births. Those of us who do birth unassisted are well-researched, take good care of ourselves during pregnancy and are prepared. Babies die in hospitals as well, and for me I believe the risks are worse there for a healthy woman with ahealthy pregnancy.

I experienced, personally, a birth assault my last delivery. I was in the hospital under a midwife’s care. I hadn’t been there an 45 minutes. After my water broke I was suddenly 10cm and they decided it was time for me to push. After pushing for 20 minutes the MD entered asking what was taking so long. My midwife suggested we wait for the head to mold more, maybe an hour. The MD insisted she was tired and didn’t want to be sleep during an emergency. My son and my vitals were fine, yet I was wheeled to the OR against my will. My midwife looked bewildered. I reminded them I had not signed the C section papers. They asked my husband to sign for me. He refused and security was called. I pushed as hard as I could during transfer and my son’s head engaged nicely. At that point, the MD asked for me to be “supported”(restrained). A nurse anesthetist shot an antiemetic into my IV, without warning. (I found out later what it was.) The MD grabbed forcepts, shoved them inside me without warning and began to yank. (All in the name of CPD)The entire staff appeared mortifed. I gathered myself enough to yell out, “I AM A NURSE AND I KNOW THIS IS WRONG!”

Suddenly, the MD relinquishes control to my midwife and stands aside. My healty baby boy is delivered into they arms of my midwife. Security enters as my son enters the world and the MD tells a nurse to tell them they were no longer needed. The MD seemed shocked I had no tears.

During the remainder of our stay, we were hospital “royalty.” We received written apologies and sympathies. I will never trust that hospital again.

My son is our fourth child. We are expecting number five. Our fifth unmedicated birth. We may be at a new hospital; but I definitely understand where these women are coming from.

We forget what women acutally were dying from before medical advances. Their living conditions played a large part and overall health. Most things about hospital birth work against healthy delivery. More cervical checks = increased risk of infection. They still check constantly. Artificial rupture of membranes increase ROI. Use of pitocin increase chances of fetal distress. Pitocin is often used. Medical interventions increase chance of C section. Delivery by C section increases the chance a newborn requiring assistance breathing; along with other things. We must truly educate and refrain from placing ourselves completely in the hands of others.

Why consider this woman a criminal? The very same outcome occurs in hospitals daily. No one is arrested. We just understand they did all they could.

Who rallies against elective C section? That is Major surgery. Why are others thinking for us? The doctors are not to make decisions for us. They are to assist in educating us enough to make our own decisions.

It is interesting how snap judgements come from “adults”. I shudder to think who may be serving jury duty with me. I am afraid because their votes count just as mine. SOS please.

To say homebirths are careless and stupid is idiotic.

To say that freebirth is stupid is very true.

Neither can Ms. Fraser’s baby.”

Absolutely disgusting comment. You should be ashamed to have written it.