Feminism Today

This is apparently a new trend - unassisted home births. No doctor. No midwife. Just you and your husband. Scares the crap out of me. Both of our births went fine, but what if they hadn't? I just can't imagine. If you're, say, a realtor, and your husband is, say, an accountant, how are you supposed to be able to tell if things are going well? I can just picture my husband holding up a book, saying, this doesn't look like the picture in the book, I'm calling 911.

1998 Conference-Forty people gathered from ten states to share in an historical "birth event" on April 25, 1998 in Charleston, SC: The First National Husband/Wife Homebirth Conference. No other event of this type has been held in the USA. "I have waited fifteen years for something like this," said noted childbirth author Marilyn Moran.The time has come to present husband and wife birthing as the preferred way of childbirth. Mainstream America hardly gives a second thought to birthing outside the hospital, without a doctor present. Childbirth practices and propaganda favor the medical method of birthing, yet thousands of people across the country know that couples-birthing is safe, simple and satisfying, almost every time. We need to seize the opportunity to spread our message of fulfilling, commonsense birthing to whoever is willing to listen, however "radical" or unpopular these ideas may seem.

I haven't read through ALL the posts on this thread, so maybe someone mentioned this already.

But from what I understand, there are two "kinds" of midwives.  Those who are certified and trained, but who are not actual formally educated medical professionals, and those who are CNM---Certified Nurse Midwives.  I go to a Birth Center.  The two midwives/directors both have Masters Degrees, spent years working as RNs in the hospital L & D, and then later went for their midwifery certifications.  They can write prescriptions, give meds, etc. 

As far as I know, as I am writing this, we still do not know the details of this delivery in question.

From what I have read the expectant couple lived only 2 blocks away from the hospital.  And unless the midwife was holding them hostage with a gun to their head, I cannot for the life of me understand why these people did not choose to go to the hospital!

Certainly, whether a woman is choosing a home, birth center or hospital birth, all women in labor do what their provider (doctor or midwife) recommends.  Many, many more deliveries go wrong and result in death in hospitals than in home or birth center deliveries---but you don't hear about the doctors being sued for all of those.  Even in hospitals, with all of the doctors, meds and technology, babies (and even mothers) sometimes die.

But again, what is the basis of them suing the midwife?  That she barred them from exiting their own home or calling an ambulance?

They CHOSE a homebirth, knowing all the risks.  It's sad, but IMO, it is no one's "fault".  Unfortunately, babies sometimes die during delivery.

>Many, many more deliveries go wrong and result in death in hospitals than in home or birth center deliveries---but you don't hear about the doctors being sued for all of those.  Even in hospitals, with all of the doctors, meds and technology, babies (and even mothers) sometimes die.<

That may be true, but that is largely because few births occur anywhere but a hospital today.

The problem that many cite here is that the move to hospital births DID improve the survival statistics for both mothers and babies. The fear is that a move back to home birthing might cause a rise in infant and maternal mortality.

<<But again, what is the basis of them suing the midwife?  That she barred them from exiting their own home or calling an ambulance?>>

That she, the medical proffessional didn't call the ambulance herself?  That she didn't strongly reccomend that they move to the hospital?  That she didn't call a doctor?