Unassisted Childbirth: Dispelling Myths About Freebirth

It is Only Frightening to Those Who Don't Understand It

People mistakenly believe many things about freebirth. Some of the myths are understandable, and some are completely ridiculous. Freebirth is also called purebirth and unassisted birth. It usually occurs at home but shouldn't be confused with midwife-attended homebirth, which is what is usually meant by the term 'homebirth.' Many people don't understand the amount of preparation that goes into planning a freebirth, nor do people seem to realize that planning an unassisted birth doesn't mean you can't decide to go to the hospital at some point. Put aside what you think you know about freebirth for just a moment, and let me fill you in on the facts.

Freebirthers birth completely alone without including friends, family, partners, or other children. Only the mother is present. An unassisted birth is one that occurs without the presence of a medical professional, such as a doctor or midwife. Most unassisted births do include persons other than the mother, such as close friends, other family members, or their husbands. An unassisted birth that occurs when the mother is completely alone is a solo or autonomous birth.

Freebirthers never receive any medical intervention whatsoever; they do not seek medical attention at all. Most unassisted birthers prepare themselves to handle any and all situations that could arise and to recognize emergencies that would require professional treatment. Most will go to the emergency room or at the very least call a midwife if necessary. We simply chose to include professionals only when truly necessary. An unassisted birth where the mother refuses to see a professional or interfere for any reason whatsoever is called a Zion birth.

Freebirthers fear, hate, or have no respect for medical professionals. We have the utmost respect for people who provide care to those in need. We just don't believe in asking for their help unless it's really needed. We want as natural an experience as possible, but we do also want to be safe. We feel that the high rate of intervention in the hospital is unsafe for the average patient. Because of the risks, we want to avoid unnecessary intervention.