Okay, so we don’t usually call it “DIY birthing.” The common term is “unassisted homebirth” (sometimes “unassisted childbirth” or “freebirth”). Which is still a bit of a misnomer, as most of us unassisted birthers are not alone. But the term refers to birthing without the assistance of a trained birth assistant (obstetrician, midwife, etc.).
Is Unassisted Homebirth Absurd?
It sounds totally insane and irresponsible, at first blush, but what’s truly insane and irresponsible is the way our system is set up in this country.
I believe in the “ladder philosophy” of care, as described by Shonda Parker. Roughly paraphrased, the “ladder philosophy” encourages the least interventive methods possible in any given situation, while climbing up the ladder (of interventions) as far as is reasonably called for.
In other words, it’s not at all opposed to allopathic care. It’s opposed to allopathic care where allopathic care is unwarranted and would, therefore, do more harm than good. As I see it, that’s plain old common sense.
Traditionally in this country, that’s how birthing worked. People didn’t just jump straight to an obstetric ward with doctors trained in surgery. They birthed at home, naturally.
Although there was some variation, depending on circumstances, most women would labor surrounded by other women — but not necessarily trained midwives — and would call for the midwife only if and when that became necessary.
From that point, they would call for a doctor if and when it became necessary.
Starting at the Top of the Ladder
In this country, that isn’t an option. Mothers are pretty much forced into choosing the maximum intervention they’re willing to tolerate, from the very beginning, because there is no “moving up the ladder” once the process has begun.
You can’t start without a midwife and then call one later; you’d jeopardize her license. And although technically you can transfer to the hospital once labor begins (an important factor in the safety of homebirth in general), the hospital climate is such that that’s like jumping into the lion’s den — right when you’re at your most vulnerable.
More often than not if you find yourself in this position they’ll treat you like moronic scum. And if you’re not lucky they’ll even swoop in and steal your baby away. (I’m not even exaggerating.)
But think about it: unassisted birthing is not new. Isn’t that how Jesus was born?
And lest you think our not-very-evidence-based-we-just-pretend-it-is model of care in this country is so much better, take a look at the statistics. The perinatal mortality rate in the U.S. is not anywhere close to the best in the world. By my count, we’re at least 40th. (And I’m pretty sure we’re getting worse, not better. Western mothers, like everyone else in the West, are increasingly overfed and undernourished, which is not good for pregnancy and birthing. And our medical interventions often are more harmful than helpful.)
Wrap-Up & Recommended Reading
Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that unassisted homebirth is for everyone. I thought it would be fun to throw it into the mix here this month for the DIY series, because it is relevant to my life. (Three of my five births have been unassisted home waterbirths, including a surprise breech. The fourth and fifth were midwife-assisted home waterbirths, because my health was not as good going into things and I wanted the extra help.)
But I’ll leave you with that food for thought and the following suggestions for further reading:
- Ariel’s birth story (my firstborn)
- Sophia’s birth story (my second-born)
- Livia’s birth story (my third-born & surprise breech)
- Male Practice, by Dr. Mendelsohnn
- Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love, by Lynn Griesemer
Originally published 21 Oct 2014. Updated 17 Jan 2021.
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