Re: Reasons for choosing homebirth

[Joanna Davis]

Dear Tina and all,   Ha haaa.  I've put my foot in it again!   I did not say that homebirthers are the hippy lunatic fringe who don't care about their babies and are just determined to have them by candlelight in their own lovenests (or in a barn in Wales, if you catch my reference) (may be obscure).    I never used the words romantic or lifestyle choice.  Man, now I can see how popstars and politicians get their words twisted in the media!  I did not even say that women choose homebirth only for the experience.    I think you're right that homebirth consumers tend to be the most informed of all women having babies.    and of course they know that homebirth is as safe as hospital birth, and once educated about the whole deal, safer once removed from that risk of iatrogenic complications (or, as I like to call it: the-bed-is-in-the-middle-of-the-room-I-may-as-well-get-on-it syndrome).   hey, and just so I show my biases here, i am a direct-entry trained midwife who recently gave to my first baby at home. Not a tree-hugging greenie vegan for to be seen for miles.  It sure is hard to get pc credentials around here.   Kind regards, Jo    For some reason your message is coming direct to me instead of to the group.  Perhaps if you send your email to [EMAIL PROTECTED], that should work. ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 1:43 PM Subject: Re: Reasons for choosing homebirth Hi Jo and all, I have taken a break to get my head out of the texts book for a minute ( tired already of reading the 'use of drugs by the midwife' ) and thought I'd catch up on the heaps of emails from ozmid.... Jo, do I understand you correctly when you say that women only choose homebirth "for the experience and not because they think its safer" as meaning that women would only choose homebirth as a 'romantic' notion and 'lifestyle' choice rather than being a safe and responsible birthing option ?????? Having made the decision myself to have my babies at home...and having been involved in the homebirth movement and speaking with many many women who too have taken the same decision....I can assure you that for the overwhelming majority of us....its because WE DO KNOW that as healthy women, having healthy babies....that home is the SAFEST place to give birth with the guidance and support of an experienced midwife. The often stereotypical associations with homebirth as a 'lifestyle' choice for 'tree living hippies who have nothing better to do than eat vege burgers and protest against nuclear waste'....gets pretty tiresome....rather than being the well-informed, responsible and safe birth option for women that it is !! I can assure you that this 'knowledge is out there in the community' for those women who do ultimately choose to give birth at home...however...the decision is never taken lightly and without much sole searching, information, support and RESOLVE. Yours in birth, Tina Pettigrew Birthworks Bachelor of Midwifery Student and Independent CBE Convenor, Aust B. Mid Student Collective. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BMidStudentCollective [EMAIL PROTECTED] " As we trust the flowers to open to new life                - So we can trust birth" Harriette Hartigan. -------------------------------------------------------------------