A Guide to Unassisted Childbirth

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How to Prepare and What to Do

So for whatever reason, or perhaps a myriad of them, you have decided that unassisted childbirth is the right choice for you. What now? Unassisted childbirth is also called "do-it-yourself birth," and that's really what
 it is.

The first and most important thing you must do is read. There are a variety of books out there that can be very useful to a person who is planning an unassisted childbirth. Don't just read one or two, and don't just read each book once. Keep reading, at least a page everyday, throughout your entire pregnancy. Read books, essays, research papers, studies, blogs, birth stories. Educate yourself on common complications that occur. Learn how others have handled the unexpected. Find out what is most likely to happen in your situation, and reflect on how you would react.

Some of the most highly recommended books are "Unassisted Childbirth" by Laura Shanley, "Emergency Childbirth" by Gregory White, "Spiritual Midwifery" by Ina May Gaskin, "Heart and Hands" by Elizabeth Davis, "Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love" by Lynn Griesemer, "Special Delivery" by Rahima Baldwin. I have also included numerous online resources with great information, attached to this article, that may be of great benefit. I found that "Rediscovering Birth" by Sheila Kitzinger opened my eyes to the way various other cultures view and manage childbirth and was helpful in creating a birth plan. Others recommend "Childbirth Wisdom: From the World's Oldest Societies" by Judith Goldsmith which has a similar subject.

Planning an unassisted childbirth means a lot of preparation. Besides reading, you must also be thinking. You need to plan not just where you will birth, what you will use to cope with the labor pain, and who will be there, but also how you will handle various situations. You need to think very hard about what you really want and what you really feel. Birthing without a medical professional means relying on your instincts, and to do this you must be in touch with your intuition. You need to feel your body and listen to your heart. You need to spend your time not just feeding your mind but reconnecting with yourself.



 
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RE: Alldoulas.com, the article states that many homebirthers hang out there. I would like to clarify that alldoulas is a doula support forum. It is not intended as a parent support forum. Many doulas there HAVE had UA births but they are there as doula or other childbirth professionals.
This is not to say that somebody necessarily has to look your baby over at birth, but it should be done in the first few weeks of life. Also, if you notice anything really unusual about your baby, such as poor feeding, getting tired easily, or projectile vomiting, you should bring the baby in right away. The first two signs can be indicative of congenital heart disease and the third, a possible stomach problem. These are relatively rare; having said that, it's never a bad idea to screen for them so they don't get missed.
Interesting thing I just found out today re: newborn assessment. All babies should be checked at birth for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). It's more common in twin births, big babies, first babies, girls, and breech births. If it's caught early enough it can usually be treated with a harness, but older children usually require surgery. Also, there are certain subtle things that can indicate bigger problems. A few examples: dimples, sinus tracts, or hair on the spine (possible hidden spina bifida); rockerbottom feet (50% of these babies have another underlying problem)' malformed ears (usually indicates kidney problems-they develop at the same time); cleft lip/palate; only one crease in the hand (Down syndrome-many Down's babies have heart defects); limpness of one arm (Erb's palsy; usually from shoulder dystocia).
Nearly every single question I had was either answered by your article or one of the links provided. Thanks so much for making this information available to us momma's!!
Neat article, Heather. I especially agreed with where you talked about witnessing other births. It was working in obstetric care that made me decide I might want to have children of my own. One caution about sex during labour-sex should probably be avoided if your water has broken (due to infection risk) or if you're showing signs of preterm labour. Otherwise, it is medically approved and you're right-it may help speed things up.
Well, I am glad that my words touched you and rang true with you. I've never had a UC, so I was worried what others would think of my articles on the topic!
This article contained a lot of very good information.
You'll get no scare tactics and fear mongering from me, just the cold hard facts :)
Great article! I love reading informative articles on UC rather than scare tactics and fear mongering.
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