A few weeks ago I came across a documentary called “Unassisted Childbirth (Freebirth)” on television about home birthing. The twist was that the women they were following were choosing to do their at home births without any prior prenatal care and without any medical assistance there or on stand-by. Fortunately all the women in the documentary were lucky enough to have had their babies without complication, but luck is the key word here.

As a mother of two and both babies having some sort of issue at birth, I couldn't imagine not having even at least a doula present. My first born was found to have gastroschisis at our first ultrasound. This is when the intestines develop on the outside of the abdomen. I never would have know about my daughters condition if I had not had proper prenatal care nor would I have know that bed rest was essential for my daughter's health and chance at life outside the womb. My son being less dramatic than his sister had the cord wrapped around his neck at birth. Because of this his heart rate kept dropping while I was in labor. I had to be more careful of what position I was laying and even delivering in. I never would have known without the aid of my midwife there. These are just two of the many things that can go wrong and end in disaster.

According to the documentary, more and more women are opting to take this risk lead by a woman named Laura Shanley. She is the author of “Unassisted Childbirth” and website, Bornfree. Shanley believes that problems at birth are a direct result of three things and explains them on her website: “poverty, medical intervention, and fear.”

“Since we did not live in poverty, did not choose to invite medical professionals to our births, and had worked with ourselves to eliminate fear and other potentially destructive emotions, we knew that unassisted childbirth was the safest way for us to give birth” –Laura Shanley

I was not living in poverty while pregnant with my first born nor did I have fear and without medical intervention, I never would have known about my daughter’s condition. Not knowing what was going on could have resulted in miscarriage or death at birth since we wouldn’t have been prepared for it. Poverty didn’t cause her birth defect and neither did fear.

After looking through the Bornfree site it seems that her support comes largely from women and families that may have had a negative experience while at the hospital during delivery. I would much rather have the problem be that I was upset with the way a nurse talked to me or looked at a monitor rather than have something go wrong at birth or with the baby.

Yes, women have been having babies since the beginning of time but keep in mind that women and babies have also died in that process and if it can be prevented, why not be absolutely sure that you won’t end up with that devastating outcome? What are your opinions on unassisted birth? Anyone have their own personal stories?