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

[Anonymous]

I feel so bad for these parents, but I just cannot understand what they were thinking.

The woman gave birth unassisted -- I don't mean a home birth with a midwife and a doula. Just her and her husband. She labored for SIX days before getting medical intervention. She was part of an FB group that encouraged "free birthing" and any discussion about seeking medical care would be deleted.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/she-wanted-a-freebirth-at-home-when-the-baby-died-the-attacks-began?ref=scroll

[Anonymous]

These women need to read up on how common it was to die in childbirth before modern medicine existed.

[Anonymous]

Loons on both sides of that tragic affair.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, they were idiots who would almost certainly have a live baby right now if they had gone to the hospital. I feel for them because they have to live with that. Hopefully they are smarter the next time around.

[Anonymous]

omg I worry about brain damage in their poor kids!

My baby had a bad shoulder dystocia and they tried everything to get him out. They broke his clavicle to finally get him out. Every time I read these stories I'm reminded that my son wouldn't be here or would be severely brain damaged if I didn't have an OB there.

[Anonymous]

My oldest would be dead. I cannot imagine being that careless with a baby's life. Or with my own.

[Anonymous]

My oldest would be alive but I would be dead, so my others wouldn’t be here. Such terrible decisions by those women.

[Anonymous]

The person running the website who deleted all comments suggesting she seek medical help is a monster.

[Anonymous]

I would be dead and so would my kids. Childbirth is no walk in the park.

[Anonymous]

I used to cry thinking of how my grandmother spent 3 days in stalled labor once because the segregated colored ward was full and the hospital would not allow her in the whites only ward. How anyone chooses six days in labor is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why these women can't birth in a birthing center. Most will be as hands off as you would like UNLESS you need intervention. Its truly the perfect combination.

[Anonymous]

I did not want much medical monitoring or intervention. I didn't want a band around my stomach, I didn't want drugs, I didn't want ... much of anything.

And so I found a midwife who agreed to do what I wanted as long as I and the baby were not in distress. And she agreed to work with me as long as I agreed to medical intervention if either of us were in distress.

Me, DH, Midwife, Doula and Baby were the only ones in the room. I went home 26 hours after giving birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not want much medical monitoring or intervention. I didn't want a band around my stomach, I didn't want drugs, I didn't want ... much of anything.

And so I found a midwife who agreed to do what I wanted as long as I and the baby were not in distress. And she agreed to work with me as long as I agreed to medical intervention if either of us were in distress.

Me, DH, Midwife, Doula and Baby were the only ones in the room. I went home 26 hours after giving birth.

Which is completely sensible. The people in this article were reckless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not want much medical monitoring or intervention. I didn't want a band around my stomach, I didn't want drugs, I didn't want ... much of anything.

And so I found a midwife who agreed to do what I wanted as long as I and the baby were not in distress. And she agreed to work with me as long as I agreed to medical intervention if either of us were in distress.

Me, DH, Midwife, Doula and Baby were the only ones in the room. I went home 26 hours after giving birth.

I had a hospital birth and went home in the same amount of time.

[Anonymous]

There was one of these women on the expectant moms board I was on when my first child was born.

Her child died. I withheld my rage and expressed sympathy. Of course, we had the usual really out there home birth/no evil interventions types totally fawning over her and telling her it wasn't her fault (not like, hey, I'm trying a home birth with a midwife with a backup plan - these people were out there).

Childbirth has historically been incredibly dangerous for women. The refusal to acknowledge that boggles my mind. When I had my second, it was a really high-risk, scary pregnancy - no warning signs or family history. Modern medicine saved my child and me. Even 50 years ago would have been touch and go - especially for the baby as she was born early. 100 years ago we would have both died, no question.