DIY Birth
There is a new breed of hippy granola womyn out there – and they are promoting DIY birth. They call themselves UCers, short for “Unassisted Birth” –ers.
When I first heard the term “Unassisted Birth” I immediately thought of the popular TLC series “I didn’t know I was Pregnant”. If you aren’t already aware of this show, it portrays the dramatic events of women giving birth in random places like a camp ground, a neighbour’s living room, or a Wal-Mart bathroom because they... drum roll please... had no idea they were pregnant. There has only been one woman on the show which I legitimately believe had absolutely no idea she was pregnant, and that was only because she went to several different doctors and specialists who all told her quite firmly “You are NOT pregnant”. She had twins.
Anyway, I heard the term “Unassisted Birth” on one of the email lists I subscribe to. A woman was describing how a friend of hers decided she was sick of her medical practitioners and so when she went into to labour she didn’t bother to tell anybody and had her baby in the bath tub. I know the feeling: I too have dreamt of freeing myself from pesky OBs and hospital policies – but I don’t think I would ever go so far as to labour in a bathtub alone. Not only was this a onetime “blame it on the hormones” occurrence, the woman went on to have two more children in that same bathtub, without any help. She even opted out of prenatal care.
The friend of the bathtub birther was concerned about this trend, and brought it up for discussion. She liked the idea of being the one to first touch the baby as he came out, and that it would be a more “personal” and intimate birth – but was obviously concerned about health precautions. I, of course, brought up Midwives and that if a lady wishes to literally be unassisted during labour and birth there are no doubt midwives out there quite willing to step back, have a cup of tea, and let the Mom do all the work – only stepping in if needed. Thusly, covering the health concern. For fun, I threw in that story I vaguely remember about the midwives (was it Freda?) who attended a couple who killed a rooster immediately following the delivery of the baby. If that isn’t liberal, I don’t know what is.
Unbeknownst to the group, we actually had a “UCer” amongst us. She immediately went into defensive attack mode about her rights to do what is best for her children, and how brainwashed we were by the medical profession et cetera et cetera. Most people, at this point, shut up.
I, however, did not.
(Surprise surprise.)
I presented logical arguments about risks, various complications, medical advancements, the availability of midwives, and their attitudes towards a mother’s right to choose. I added that the DIY seemed like a noble response in rebellion to the OB/GYN would be butchers, but that it isn’t necessary, that women don’t have to risk their own or their baby’s health or life, that a trained professional would gladly stand by the sidelines and ONLY step in if necessary. It seemed I had this argument in the bag – after all, what mother wouldn’t take extra precautions if they were readily available and suited their morals and values?
Not this woman.
Although she has yet to present a benefit vs. risk argument in favour of DIY birth (other than repeatedly stating that women can avoid pesky OBs. Yes, they can be a nuisance but seriously, are they really that annoying that you would sacrifice a baby to avoid them?) she did alert me to something very disturbing in the USA. Apparently it is illegal in 23 states for a midwife to attend your birth. Now, some websites claim different numbers, some as low as 12, but it is shocking to me that midwives are illegal anywhere.
Even more shocking – it is NOT illegal to have a DIY birth at home.
This means that women who want to avoid going to a hospital in 12 to 23 states in the USA can quite happily have their baby at home... just so long as a registered midwife isn’t in attendance.
Wow.
So, considering the argument for the safety of children during the birthing process wasn’t working, I decided she wasn’t worth it. It is unfortunate that she, or some other woman unfortunately influenced by Ms. Super Granola, will have to endure the injury or loss of a child before realizing that even though OBs can be annoying, and good midwives “seem” unnecessary, these medical practitioners really do make life or death differences in our baby’s lives.
And shame on the US states that make midwifery care into back alley operations! Look what they’ve done: instead of “protecting” mothers and their unborn children, they have driven them to the extremes of bathtub births. Yes, these women and their bathtubs are irresponsible and a bit nutty, but we are supposed to protect the nut jobs from themselves and from others!
Also... Somewhere in the discussion, a fairly recent news item about a mother and her 13 year old son with leukemia was added to the mix. The mother had decided that some Native American tribe was far better suited to cure cancer than the oncologists who, obviously, wanted to pump her child full of chemotherapy drugs. The father of the child fought against the mother’s decision, and the courts decided in favour of the father. The mother than stole the child, and ran off into the desert with the Native Americans and some herbs to cure her son. Apparently, a 13 year old boy with advanced leukemia being treated with native plants isn’t the best person to drag through a desert with you when trying to flee the authorities: They were found fairly quickly, arrested, and the child has since began chemotherapy and is now in remission.
Anyway, any right minded person would be thinking “Oh thank god that flake of a mother was caught and the boy is safe and being treated for his leukemia appropriately.”
But, not this woman.
Instead, she went on about the government trampling all over the child’s right to choose his medical treatment, and that he should have been left in his mother’s “capable” care. She also claimed her sister had been cured of cancer by the same herbal treatments. Right.
The women who previously “shut up” about DIY birth in an attempt not to call this fellow email list-er a neglectful mother decided to jump in with their own two cents. The consensus was that 13 year olds are incapable of making major life decisions. Shocking revelations. One poster even went so far as to use the example of a loaded gun: “You wouldn’t give a loaded gun to a 13 year old and expect them to be responsible with it, would you?”
If you thought DIY birth was outrageous, Ms. Granola Birkenstock’s response tops it:
“My 6 year old has his own gun (a 22) and knows how to shoot it and how to load it and clean it. So yes I would certainly let my 13 year old have a loaded gun and KNOW that they would be responsible with it since our children have been in gun safety classes since before they could walk. =)”
The smiley face did it for me. This lady is absolutely bat-shit.
And I have never been happier to live in Canada.
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