To everyone who is pregnant: you have to see "the Business of Being Born" (documentary)

[Anonymous]

Here's a NYT fair and balanced piece about the popularity of home births - and the dangers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/garden/13birth.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=home%20birth&st=cse

[Anonymous]

Why do people think that women who believe in and promote natural childbirth don't care about the safety of mom or baby? Everyone involved in the birth process, and ESPECIALLY the mother, wants everything to be as safe as humanly possible. But what constitutes safety?

Natural childbirth, low-intervention childbirth, out-of-hospital childbirth -- these things are not about winning awards or being a control freak or being some hippy-earthy mom or hating doctors. It is more about the realization that the maternity system in the United States is BROKEN and we, the birthing mothers, don't want to get caught up in the mess. We just want the safest and HEALTHIEST birth for our family. Most of the natural birth moms I know, myself included, don't really care what choices other people make for themselves. No judgement here. But, there are those of us that want to be as educated as possible and do something different with birth...and that should be okay, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people think that women who believe in and promote natural childbirth don't care about the safety of mom or baby? Everyone involved in the birth process, and ESPECIALLY the mother, wants everything to be as safe as humanly possible. But what constitutes safety?

Natural childbirth, low-intervention childbirth, out-of-hospital childbirth -- these things are not about winning awards or being a control freak or being some hippy-earthy mom or hating doctors. It is more about the realization that the maternity system in the United States is BROKEN and we, the birthing mothers, don't want to get caught up in the mess. We just want the safest and HEALTHIEST birth for our family. Most of the natural birth moms I know, myself included, don't really care what choices other people make for themselves. No judgement here. But, there are those of us that want to be as educated as possible and do something different with birth...and that should be okay, too.

I loved my C-sections. Saved my first baby's life. To me, the maternity system is not broken. In fact, that is such a ridiculous statement, and it certainly is judgmental.

I love our medical system. I love my doctors, the nurses who took care of me and my babies, and even the hospital where I gave birth. My children wouldn't be here today without any of this.

[Anonymous]

I had a vaginal birth for my first, and my next will be a scheduled C-section. I can't wait! My first delivery was excruciating, terrifying, and the most degrading experience of my life. Why is everyone so big on "natural," vaginal birth? Kudos to the lucky ones who get their baby out without a tear, but I was not among that crowd. I was in agonizing pain for weeks, exhausted from my attempt to have a painkiller-free birth, and traumatized by the horrible injury to the part of my body that everyone tells you is the most secret and private place in the world (something I actually believed until I gave birth in front of a roomful of emergency nurses). C-section, here I come!

Flame away, natural birthsters...

[Anonymous]

I loved my C-sections. Saved my first baby's life. To me, the maternity system is not broken. In fact, that is such a ridiculous statement, and it certainly is judgmental.

Oh Jesus. When you have the WORST maternal and infant mortality rate in the industrialzed world, and where one-third to one-half of our mothers and babies are in such danger that they must be born by surgery, something is indeed broken. And there is nothing judgmental in recognizing that.

Flame away, natural birthsters...

The only flamers here are those opposed to natural birth. Why can't you just let us do our thing? Apparently I'm not saying this right, but I will try again: No one cares how you want to give birth. Additionally, we are all thrilled if your healthy outcome was a result of some life-saving intervention. Hallelujah! We *ALL* want the safest birth possible.