Story about the "free birthers." Anyone read it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To offer a perspective on what might drive a woman to consider something like this, I present my story. I had the classic cascade of interventions with DC1 that ended in an emergency c-section for decels. I wanted a VBAC. I cannot tell you the extreme resistance from the OB community I encountered. It was awful, and I felt that the OBs did not have an informed consent mindset where they truly believed I was capable of making my own medical decisions. I ultimately ended up having a med free VBAC with a midwife, but I can understand why women might opt for a freebirth.

I'm glad your outcome was fine. My friend was similar to you and insisted on same. Her daughter is horribly brain damaged as a result due to lack of O2. She had a C-section with her third and delivered a healthy baby boy.

You are capable of making your own medical decisions, but that doesn't mean they are always sound ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To offer a perspective on what might drive a woman to consider something like this, I present my story. I had the classic cascade of interventions with DC1 that ended in an emergency c-section for decels. I wanted a VBAC. I cannot tell you the extreme resistance from the OB community I encountered. It was awful, and I felt that the OBs did not have an informed consent mindset where they truly believed I was capable of making my own medical decisions. I ultimately ended up having a med free VBAC with a midwife, but I can understand why women might opt for a freebirth.

Again, this is nothing like a free birth, which is some Little House on the Prairie nonsense.

Actually, no. They had doctors around. This is some Clan of the Cave Bear nonsense.

[Anonymous]

I think we need to have options. My best friend has given birth 3x a home with a midwife. She doesn't have insurance that covers this and pays for it out of pocket. She has a PhD in engineering. I think she should be able to make this choice. I do not believe that people should be able to give birth without a midwife or a doctor present though.

My insurance wouldn't allow me a home birth either. I REALLY wanted a midwife birth in a birthing center attached to a hospital. I was denied this. I would have loved to have gone home after 8 hours and would have even hired a nurse to care for us if they would have allowed that. Instead I had to fight to leave at hour 24 both times. I loathe hospitals and postpartum care is atrocious. I always felt more cared for at home than in the hospital. I was allowed to sleep at home.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I know that a med free VBAC with midwives is very different from a free birth. My point was that I was so driven to despair with OB care that I was strongly considering a free birth with all its attendant risks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know that a med free VBAC with midwives is very different from a free birth. My point was that I was so driven to despair with OB care that I was strongly considering a free birth with all its attendant risks.

Same. My insurance wouldn't cover a Midwife or a birthing center (I wanted Innova Loudoun Birthing Inn). We really debated going off on our own because our only option was Reston Hospital with an OB and a high c section rate. I HATE that insurance is the one making these decisions for you

[Anonymous]

Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

I agree 100% with this. Healthy women should be allowed to choose their own care. I had two forced inductions at 40 weeks. I still hate that I didn't have control over my own body and was forced into something that I could have waited 42 weeks until. I had no choice. I could have gone against insurance, but I didn't.

[Anonymous]

They can't really claim religious exemption, so one could potentially argue that these women (and husbands) could be arrested for negligent homicide, child abuse, or something similar.
Lawyers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

I have to say I completely disagree. These people are loons and zealots.

I admit with my first child I was pretty intent on having a vaginal birth despite being in a country where elective c-sections were the norm. I had one, and it was rough. I mean, I guess I'm still glad I did it, but it wasn't a transformative experience.

For my second child, I had a high-risk pregnancy, with risks to both of us. I had a c-section - vaginal delivery wasn't safe. That experience really changed my mind on birthing "preferences." I decided my only preference was a live baby and hopefully my own survival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

there are other options besides a hospital birth and giving birth without anyone with any experience to guide you. If it's not narcissism, what is it?

It is irresponsible to not have another experienced person around. Period. She and her husband were not equipped for this, clearly, because they didn't have the sense to seek assistance until six days had passed. Talk about being more committed to the process than the outcome.

[Anonymous]

I think this is part of a larger lifestyle choice she and her husband had made well before her pregnancy. They had been living "off the grid" for years according to the article - she probably didn't even receive prenatal care. Who even knows when the baby actually died? The choice to give birth unassisted is an extension of their radical worldview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know that a med free VBAC with midwives is very different from a free birth. My point was that I was so driven to despair with OB care that I was strongly considering a free birth with all its attendant risks.

Do you recognize how extremely irrational that was to consider free birth? I mean, it's useful for you to point out what factors lead someone to be so irrational. But do you understand how irrational you were? And also, what media and messages were you consuming that made you so "despairing" about potentially not doing a VBAC? Your despair was far from the only possible reaction. Other women might have just been grateful that their first baby was delivered healthy. In addition, how did you conclude that the "cascade of interventions" was at fault for your first c-section, as opposed to being needed?

What I'm saying here is that you're not telling a normal story about a normal reaction. You were already extremely embedded in the natural birth ideology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

Absolutely not. Free birthers are the product of extreme natural birth ideology, plus some serious mental health issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

I agree 100% with this. Healthy women should be allowed to choose their own care. I had two forced inductions at 40 weeks. I still hate that I didn't have control over my own body and was forced into something that I could have waited 42 weeks until. I had no choice. I could have gone against insurance, but I didn't.

?? How were you forced to have inductions? What do you mean "gone against insurance"? For all the blathering people do about "educate yourself" and "do your research," you don't seem to have done much yourself. Nobody was going to court to force you to induce, were they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PPs, I'm the med free VBAC poster.

Free birthers are likely more a product of the OB system who are desperate to have a say in their own birth rather than narcissists trying to live out some fantasy birth.

there are other options besides a hospital birth and giving birth without anyone with any experience to guide you. If it's not narcissism, what is it?

It is irresponsible to not have another experienced person around. Period. She and her husband were not equipped for this, clearly, because they didn't have the sense to seek assistance until six days had passed. Talk about being more committed to the process than the outcome.

No. Most of us don't have an option between a very medicalized hospital birth and a free birth. You go with what your insurance allows.