REPORT #1711
"Childbirth is something that is sacred. It’s private. It’s something that should be done in the family unit."
Lynn Griesemer
Author & Birth Philosopher
DELIVERING WITHOUT A DOC?
DEFINITION: An unassisted childbirth is a birth that takes place without the assistance or supervision of a medical professional like a doctor, nurse or midwife.
RISKS: Most medical professionals believe giving birth with no trained medical supervision is risky at best. Many women who decide to have an unassisted birth use calling 9-1-1 as an emergency plan, but in cases where every second counts, waiting for an ambulance might be the difference between life and death. If the baby is not breathing or the mother is experiencing abnormal amounts of bleeding proper medical attention is critical.
BENEFITS: Many women believe childbirth is an intimate and personal experience for which the atmosphere of a hospital or birthing center is not appropriate. Home birth advocates believe giving birth with only her partner present allows a woman to deliver her child in any way that makes her feel comfortable. Some believe there are benefits to having sexual interaction during labor and that certain hormones released in the female body during arousal can make labor feel more comfortable and even, in some cases, pleasurable. Lynn Griesemer, author of Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love, believes birth was designed to be a natural experience and has listed her top 10 reasons to give birth unassisted:
1. You don’t have to leave the nest to add to it.
2. You have control over your labor and birth.
3. The father is intimately involved rather than a passive observer on the sidelines.
4. Your birth will be surrounded by love, not strangers and equipment.
5. No one ridicules you, hurries you or coaxes you to take drugs.
6. You are more apt to have a safer birth.
7. You are more likely to experience a pleasurable birth.
8. No one will treat the baby as an object.
9. Less postpartum depression.
10. You will experience tremendous awe and reverence for life. There is a greater likelihood of achieving the highest level of human fulfillment on Earth.
SMART WOMAN CONTACT:
Lynn Griesemer
greeze@juno.com
