I really resent the implication that “all that matters is a healthy baby.” What about a healthy mother? My 2 hospital births were incredibly traumatic. It took years to get over my second. Oh sure, my babies were all fine. But I wasn’t a fine mother because I had so much to work through with my birth processes.

Thank god for my next baby, who was born lovingly at home, in the water, into my arms. She had the cord wrapped around her neck, and my water had been broken for 48h. Had I been at the hospital, I certainly would have been hooked up to pit and probably wanted an epi. I definitely would have had a c-s with water broken for 48h! But no, it was a beautiful homebirth.

And btw, my daughter needed suctioning and a little blow-by air. Guess what?– my skilled midwife was able to do that just as well as any hospital team. This was nearly a year ago now. I don’t plan to have any more children, but I will always treasure my homebirth as the happiest, proudest moment of my life.

Go Laila! I wish you the happiest most empowering birth ever! I really respect her for choosing to bring her baby into the world in a loving natural environment.

I am a nurse midwife, and I was a labor and delivery nurse for 15 years before that. I do not promote epidurals or IV meds, but I certainly would not deny them to women who need them. Lets face it, everyone is different, every baby, every labor is different, even for the same woman. To say what is right for one should be right for all; is dangerous. Everybodys’ rights should be respected. The reason I do not promote medication in labor is simply for the baby. Babies do so much better without it. Especially breastfeeding!!! Most people want to hear about the horror stories, and then they keep passing on the bad news until everybody is afraid of the process. Women need to have faith in their bodies. It does work. It will work. Hospitals need to stop putting women on a timeline, but……… they are businesses. The American College of Nurse-Midwives is the professional body of Nurse midwives. They can recommend someone near you if you would like a midwife. That doesnt mean you have to have a home birth. They work in hospitals and birthing centers. For me, it is all about the woman and what she wants and needs, and educating her about is available, safe and empowering.

Maggie, what an eloquent and thoughtful statement! I couldn’t agree more!

I will agree in part bdm with your comment, it is important to “walk away with a healthy precious child”, but have to disagree that how they are born does not matter.

How the birthing process “is done” very much effects our children in so many ways. Actually most of those are not physically seen for many years. Neurobiologists have just in the last 6 years have just begun to release the scientific data they have on the babies brain and how birth effects them. So their is very much a difference between a calm natural birth versus a panicked intervention laden birth. Care directly after birth for the first 4 hours is critical to neural pathways, any seperation from mother causes changes in the babies brain and hormonal responses set up stress coping patterns.

There is so much that we are learning about all of this and most of it shows that by listening to nature and trying to follow that plan is usually best for mom and baby.

Ladies,
Let’s not forget, that it’s not how your child is born, but the fact that in the end, you walk away with a healthy precious child. I was privilaged to have had one child, and sadly I had a miscarriage.It is petty to get hung up on how the birthing process is done. There are many options and it is a personal decision. To each her own.

I’m a big fan of Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein’s new doc, The Business of Being Born. I had my own boy at home, and have attended 4 hospital births. Midwives make all the difference. We’re having a great discussion about birth choices on our blog: http://carrieanddanielle.com/propaganda-mother-nature-and-your-right-to-know-whats-right-for-you/

here’s to making best choices for new life – and everyone has the power to make a choice that works for them.
Danielle LaPorte
http://www.carrieanddanielle.com

All this holier-than-thou talk from both sides really hurts the importance of what natural birth advocates are trying to get through to people- Birth is natural. Birth is normal. Birth is not an emergency. Yes, it can turn into one but more often than not this is because it is treated like one in the first place and mama isn’t allowed to do what she is meant to do. On occasion something can go wrong on its very own and this is why midwives are trained for emergencies and why there are hospitals available.

For all the horror stories of homebirths gone wrong their are plenty of hospital births gone wrong that leave parents mourning or baby motherless. Why not talk about those? When we abuse nature the natural process is hindered and emergency situations are created. Now does this mean a mother who chooses every birth intervention known to man has failed or is less-than? Nope. Birth is not a contest. But it does mean that natural is safer and homebirth is even safer still.

I had a 45 hour labor- a homebirth turned hospital that probably would have gone better with a better midwife but that’s a whole long frustrating story. However I am thankful for my home laboring because it could very well have saved mine and my child’s life. No hospital would have let me go in active labor for 45 hours. The pitocin bag would have been hung, the epidural suggested, the OR prepped and I could have lost my life and my little girl could have lost hers. I am thankful nature was allowed to take it’s course. There were a lot of factors that helped my birth to go as haywire as it did but my little one was born less than an hour after getting to the hospital. The hospital in no way saved my life and if I would have had a competent midwife I could have stayed home.

Midwives aren’t infallible and homebirths aren’t some blissful fairytale every single time for every single person but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it and aren’t safer. Just know who is attending you (my big mistake) and know your surroundings. And if you chose to birth in a hospital with all sorts of bells and whistles more power to you! If you have weighed the dangers and still feel comfortable than that is all that matters- that goes for both sides.

We can (and NEED) to get the information out there about the safest way to birth for mom and baby without turning it into a contest. A mom is a mom is a mom. Labor is labor is labor. Love is love is love.

It’s great to hear of someone doing a home birth, even better when it’s someone who can bring positivity to it, like Laila.

I would recommend two books: Baby Catcher and Pushed. Very inspiring and very eye opening!

Amaizing stuff!! There is no place like home. I’m gonna have my next baby at home too.

I have been a perinatal nurse for 20 years and am so happy to see the truth about homebirth finally making it to headline news. Bad things can happen during the birth process but a skilled, experienced midwife not only recogznies the subtle signs of danger but also knows how to handle them. Hospitals are great for those who have medical conditions requiring medical attention. Birth is not a medical event.

My 9 lb. grandaughter was born at home, in water to a 4′11″ mother with the assistance of a highly experienced lay midwife.