I don't get why all of you uc birthers keep posting anonymously, but for the person who just posted and claimed that the majority will never give birth alone, I have to disagree with her assesment.

We are fast approaching a time when the medical powers that be are going to implode. It is already happening in coutries like England where medicine has been socialized for the past few decades.

Because medical science has been so pig headed and monopolistic about shutting midwifery care out of birth in America, families like mine have had to really take a hard look at what they are selling and decide if we wanted to spend our precious time, financial resources, and put our childrens bodies on the alter of modern medicine all because of fear based tactics and "scientific studies and statistics".

I really appreciate the first hand account of someone like Dr. Garner who has shared the fact that he tried to educate the big medical journals about linkage with drugged births leading to drug dependence in later life and was shut out of the conversation by his studies not being taken seriously.

It would seem to me, given the drug problems in America especially, that a group of people who have as their mandate and mantra, "First do no harm" would at least take a look at his claims and then do some serious research. I lived with a drug addicted brother all during my teens and it was an eye opening experience to say the least. Just considering all of the people he victimized in his quest to purchase drugs, the many crimes, lockups, and money stolen from our family and friends, it just further clarifys to me that if there is a link between birth drugs and later drug addiction, we as a society should be doing some major research and take on the task to change birth practices. The epidural rates are really high right now.

As for the claim that Home birthing mothers are arrogant and feel smug and self righteous towards moms who give birth in the hospital, I just have to respond. I would not have taken on the task of weaning our family from medical care if I did not believe it was a better choice for us. I can't control how other moms respond to that choice. The friends in my day to day life don't seem to be fazed by it and one of my best friends has told me privately she thinks I do a good job of not shoving my beliefs about natural family living on our group of mostly medical minded friends or shaming them for choices made during birth.

I go out of my way to not talk about my birth activism with the people in my day to day life and would suppose that over 60% of our friends, neighbors, and those in our church congregaton are not even aware that I am a birth activist or even gave birth unassisted at home to our last two babies after doing my own prenatal care.

I see our society evolving over the next few generations to a community of people that live in health and wholeness together. Using evidence based care when making parenting decisions. And I predict that the day will come when those same members of our posterity down the road, look back on our day and shudder in horror at how off the mark we were in terms of what we called health care.

Jenny Hatch

Anonymous,

I loved your birth story! You said:

"The reason my labor took so long was because her foot was up by her face in utero. She was born face first, posterior; a rare presentation (10% or less if I remember correctly). I am positive that had I had a midwife or doctor attending me, I would've ended up with a c-section.

Despite being a wimp when it comes to pain, and having such a complicated birth, I was able to deliver my daughter without any meds or other interference other than an angry OB/Gyn between my legs, whom I almost kicked several times in the face.

Of course the doctor on call was extremely upset with me; I think it was mostly because my daughter was healthy and therefore she had no reason to upbraid me for doing something "unsafe." To this day, I totally regret every showing up at the hospital. If I ever get pregnant again, and want an ultrasound, I'll be sure to go to a clinic or some other place I can pay out-of-pocket."

I personally think the main reason a woman should not get an epidural is, and this is my expert opinion, because she cannot kick her doctor in the head when he/she starts to give them an episiotomy.

Those epidurals paralyze you and make it hard to kick anyone who wants to screw an internal fetal monitor into your childs scalp, break your water, and/or cut your bottom to pieces.

Say, no to epidurals ladies, it will keep you free to kick anyone you want during labor!

Jenny Hatch