A trend that seems to be growing by the minute is Unassisted Childbirth. I can just imagine all the thoughts that might be coming your way as soon as I said this. What are your thoughts on this- without passing judgement on those who consider this option.
Do we believe that the mind can control how we feel?
Do we believe that the mind can control how we feel?
Here is a quick interview by Laura Shanley based on her book about Unassisted Childbirth.
I find this fringe movement really interesting, and it seems to be only popular in first world countries. I think a central premise of Laura Shanley's philosophy is that child birth is inherently safe, which is deeply flawed because childbirth has been, and continues to be, the leading cause of death for young, healthy women. Do free birthers believe in prenatal care? Because that certainly makes a difference in outcomes...It is also important to note that Laura Shanley lost a baby, who would have benefited from medical care, in an unassisted birth so we cannot down play the risks, and she has no formal training or education on this topic.
ReplyDeleteHowever I think if a woman is well informed, and its a low risk pregnancy it is her choice. What I really don't understand is why not have someone there who is a trained person there just in case, given that the health and well being of mom and baby are at stake. It's definitely a fascinating phenomenon...
Sana Qureshi
This is basically the method of Hypnobirthing (Marie Mongan method) that we used. BUT we did this at a hospital with a separate birthing facility (so as not to be IN the hospital with doctors that we ok with us doing as we wanted and only stepping in when and if we needed.
ReplyDeleteSalam alikum,
ReplyDeleteI have had 4 unassisted births, my first one was a footling breech, and two of those were UP.
It's Allah will, I believe if you strong faith in Allah and his will, you will see that unassisted is the way to go. Allah made us perfect, not flawed. If we couldn't birth our own, we would be extinct. Some may argue that what if something happens, or the baby dies, but I say, then Allah has decreed that, and it would hahappened anywhere. You can read my first UC http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/unassisted-childbirth/birth-stories/samis-birth/
AsalaamuAlaikum,
ReplyDeleteI'm a midwife-in-training and have had homebirths myself but I am definitely opposed to unassisted birthing. Throughout history, most cultures tend to have at least one person present at the birth (aside from the mother) who is experienced in birthing, whether that is a village midwife, a grandmother who has simply assisted many births, or a physician (or hospital-educated midwife). When you consider the issues that can go wrong during labor that CAN be effectively managed with proper care given at home, it seems foolish to risk the life of yourself and your child for something that could be treated simply because you don't want an experienced person present. The cultures that generally promote unassisted births are the ones who ostracize a woman in labor as being dirty, impure, and unfit to be around other people (example of this would be women in Nepal being forced to give birth alone with no attendants because they are considered unclean).
Allah did give us the capacity for modern medicine. We trust in Allah AND tie our camel.
As a midwife in training, you would be out of a job if people did unassisted births. I don't believe for a moment that every living creature on earth can birth on its own, except humans. And I do have someone there, my husband. My camel is tied, http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/birth-as-a-bowel-movement
ReplyDelete