During the past few months I was involved in three debates around the topic of Freebirth.
I thought I would share the links for your perusal. Please note that in most chat rooms, even with moderation and rules, street fighting is typical and the chats tends to get heated and emotional as various people share links, quotes, and personal attacks. I try not to get personal, but rather share my venom for allopathic stuff collectively rather than just attack individual doctors or medical staff. Most of the doctors I am friends with in my personal life are amazing, caring individuals.
I’m grateful to those mods at various places who stepped up to try to moderate the attacks.
And I am especially grateful to Dr. Crippen that he did not pull my posting privledges. I was able to say everything I wanted in making the case for Freebirth on his blog. I have participated in a variety of forums in the past and usually have been banned and/or chased off various web sites for my political views and heartfelt opinions on a variety of subjects. It was after the worst of these bannings (From my beloved Mothering Mag) that I decided to go whole hog as a blogger.
Here are the debates:
Crippens Blog:
Dr. Crippens Freebirth Entry
Here is the whole Freebirth Debate
And my comments started here
Tilted Forum Project:
Tilted Forum Freebirthing, are you people nuts?
My first comment was this one on page two
I believe the best part of the conversation took place on page six, where after four pages of various people trying to bully me and chase me off the site, we finally were able to discuss freebirth without too much hate and rage spilling out. And then the thread was locked.
Washington Post:
Washington Post Do-it-Yourself Delivery
This chat was my favorite because I had some very able and articulate people providing back up arguments and it was nice not to be shouted down by thirty people and backed into a corner by myself.
I stayed up late the night I knew the article was going to be posted and was the first to comment. Here is a roundup of my comments.
Please note that you have to scroll down to the pages attached to this comment section and go to the last post and read the comments backwards if you would like to read them in chronological order.
Jenny Hatch

This Catagory on my blog, “The Do It Yourself Homebirth Debate” is a collection of news stories, with much commentary from me on the subject of Husband/Wife Homebirth. Some of our medical and midwife opponents have used some very derogatory language to diss the Freebirth Movement in a variety of chat rooms, online news sites, and blogs. Recently I watched the new Movie, The Great Debaters and a play on a quote from the movie comes to mind when thinking of the critics of the Unassisted Childbirth movement.
“My opponent is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak, and to me, he does not exist!”
The actual quote from the movie: “Who is the judge? The judge is God… Why is He God? Because He decides who wins or loses, not my opponent … Who is your opponent? He does not exist…. Why doesn’t he exist? Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak.”
What follows in this catagory are many blog entries documenting the current on line debate swirling around the Unassisted Childbirth movement on the internet. My prayer is that with Rikki Lakes New Documentary, The Business of Being Born, and increased televison coverage around UC Birth, the debate will jump from the internet to the public airwaves and our society will take the time to have a healthy discussion about what is best for mothers and the babes they are birthing.
Jenny Hatch

Jenny Hatch three weeks after giving birth to my fourth child Andrew in september of 1996. He was eleven pounds at birth and came into the world after I took on the challenge to do my own prenatal care and give birth alone at home.

Continue reading “More thoughts on Unassisted Childbirth by Jenny Hatch” →