I haven't ever gone into detail about it with you, K, but I'm one of those moms who would have been a statistic if I had given birth at home. Despite a complete lack of complications during pregnancy and for L during delivery, I would have bled to death just after his birth if I hadn't been in a hospital.
So my personal perspective on the issue is that I felt very fortunate to be able to have a labor and delivery that went entirely according to my wishes, research, and plans -- and that when things turned sour as no one expected they would, I was in a place and with people who knew exactly what to do and had all of the tools required to do it.
I admire you for your doula work, for being the voice of a mother who has plenty to worry about and do during labor. I believe educating women about their options is important. I just fear for women who do not get all of the information on all sides and from all perspectives. It is no better for a woman not to know what the risks of homebirth or VBAC are than it is for her not to know she might be able to do those things successfully. And I think it's imperative not to frame advocacy in a way that implies a woman is somehow not doing right by her child when she is not doing something that endangers that child, and when it is clear she is motivated by love.
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Date: 2007-12-16 05:37 am (UTC)So my personal perspective on the issue is that I felt very fortunate to be able to have a labor and delivery that went entirely according to my wishes, research, and plans -- and that when things turned sour as no one expected they would, I was in a place and with people who knew exactly what to do and had all of the tools required to do it.
I admire you for your doula work, for being the voice of a mother who has plenty to worry about and do during labor. I believe educating women about their options is important. I just fear for women who do not get all of the information on all sides and from all perspectives. It is no better for a woman not to know what the risks of homebirth or VBAC are than it is for her not to know she might be able to do those things successfully. And I think it's imperative not to frame advocacy in a way that implies a woman is somehow not doing right by her child when she is not doing something that endangers that child, and when it is clear she is motivated by love.