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As my wife went unassisted when she gave birth to our daughter, I thought I should chime in. Sidenote, our daughter was born without complications and is now a healthy, happy, 6 month old infant.
My wife gave birth in a large hot tub in our basement, with candles, incense and the music of her choice. The lights were dimmed or turned off and she was free to eat or drink whatever she wanted. She used hypnosis and breathing to help with the labor pain. Still, even with the best environment we could set up, she was (to say the least) in a fair amount of discomfort.
Was this the right choice? For her, it was. Not wanting submit to hospitals and the invasive (often ineffective) procedures they like to administer to laboring mothers was a no brainer. Fetal heart monitors, intervenous drips, episiotomies have all been shown to have a limited impact on healthy mothers with normal pregancies. Not to mention the scary rate of c-sections.
But why not a midwife? The problem is that many midwives have been drifting closer to becoming mini-doctors rather then true birth assistents. Like doctors, many midwives now substitute medical knowlege for personal warmth and caring. As a consequence, a woman who wants the freedom to make her own medical decissions has to look further a field then even a midwife. As for pre-natal care, a lot of providers won't even see a woman who isn't giving birth in a hospital.
Is there a perfect birthing solution? I doubt it. Ultimately it is up to the mother to be to decide what is best for her.
