“According to the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the organization “strongly opposes” any birth not performed inside a hospital. A spokesman for the ACOG has a one-word assessment of freebirth: “dangerous.”
I have just one message for these doctors, and it is this: Physician, heal thyself “The moral of the proverb is counsel to prove your trustworthiness with your own affairs before attempting to tell others what they should do.”
Freebirthing, are you people nuts?
I been engaged in a lively conversation with the folks over at the Titled Forum Project, who have the words: The evolution of Humanity, Sexuality, and Philosophy as the stated point of their site.
I have found those who post to be extremely intelligent and we have had a wonderful conversation. My posts start on page two, but the whole five pages are worth perusing. Jenny Hatch
Maternity care failings debated The Royal College of Midwives says the care of women is at risk
MPs are to debate growing concerns over failings in NHS maternity services.
It comes ahead of a BBC Panorama programme which shows the pressure hospitals are under and claims wards are buckling under a midwife shortage.
In the programme, a reporter, posing as a volunteer, discovers a woman in labour being left in a corridor because there are no beds.
The government says maternity services are safer than ever and that it is up to trusts to decide on staffing levels.
BBC correspondent Sophie Hutchinson said the programme, which uses hidden cameras, paints “an extremely dismal picture” of NHS maternity services. We spoke to women across the UK who reported problems similar to those that we saw undercover
And some families are shown giving harrowing accounts of how they believe poor care has led to their baby’s disability or even death.
Undercover reporter Hayley Cutts said: “We spoke to women across the UK who reported problems similar to those that we saw undercover so there’s no reason to believe that they just apply to the two hospitals that we went into.
….The programme will do little to dampen the concerns of opposition MPs who argue that a shortage of midwives has sparked a crisis. But the government insists the UK remains one of the safest countries in the world in which to have a baby and that increased investment will see the number of midwives rise.
….Wayne Coyne’s baby daughter Caitlin died after she was starved of oxygen during an emergency Caesarean in hospital three years ago. Understaffed and overstretched, that is the lot of midwives in some maternity units, a BBC Panorama investigation has discovered.
This Nationalized/Socialized system is the very thing Hillary Clinton wants to impose on American Women. Jenny Hatch
My pals over at Free Republic are talking about Freebirth too! Here is the link
My favorite comment was the second one: “Hey, if that’s what they want, good luck to them.
The government should stay out of it.”
Amen and Amen. Jenny Hatch
President of the college, obstetrician Christine Tippett, said women should be grateful for Australia’s high standards of maternity services.
“We have an incredibly safe system,” she said. “I think we should acknowledge that luxury, because there are women around the world who are very envious of us.
“Women getting information about ‘free births’ from the web need to make sure they don’t just access the sites that are very enthusiastic about this.
“If something goes wrong, it could end up in a very sad outcome.”
I loved the comments attached to this article, our Australian and New Zealand sisters definitely have the issues down pat. This was my favorite comment:
“I’m so sick of reading narrowminded views on birth. I read a GOOD article recently where the author stated that it seems as far as birth goes, choice is a one way street.
So we are allowed to choose a medically unnecessary caesarean (and the hospitals are allowed to inflict enough interventions on us to guarantee an unnecessary caesarean – been there done that!) but we are irresponsible to choose to take on the responsibility of birthing our babies by ourselves?
I know of NO women who have chosen to freebirth due to it being “free” – believe me it’s not, my first child was born completely free in the public system (well the cost of it cannot be measured in monetary terms anyway) and this birth is going to cost me considerably more, even without a midwife. I certainly don’t just consult websites either.
Perhaps the College of Midwives needs to point out how the Queensland Nursing Council has an agenda against QLD homebirth midwives, making it virtually impossible for QLD homebirthers to find a suitable midwife.
Personally, I would rather have no midwife than an unsuitable midwife as my first birth was destroyed by my (Birth Centre) midwife breaching the trust I placed in her – so although I did choose a midwife at the start of this pregnancy, when she pulled out on me due to HER issues I decided I had to trust myself instead.
I think most women are intelligent enough to transfer to hospital if trouble arises (and women who plan freebirth are usually well-researched, not following a stupid trend like this article implies).
Oh and Christine Tippett – safe by whose standards? Typical that an obstetrician would speak out against something that takes the power away from them and puts it back in the hands of birthing women.”
Posted by: Gollum of Gold Coast 5:14pm June 03, 2007
