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Response to another article about “the dangers of freebirth”

This morning the BBC shared an article online with the somewhat familiar headline “Medics warn of dangers of freebirth”. Of course we know what is coming because this kind of article comes out periodically in order to whip up some more fear around pregnancy and birth, as if women aren’t dealing with enough coercion as it is. Here are my thoughts on the themes of the article.
Woman in a birth pool with her newborn baby on her chest

Freebirth is not just a reaction to the medicalisation of birth. Freebirth came first.

If you google freebirth or unassisted birth (which I don’t recommend doing!) you will be met with article after article describing this choice as a result of being “between a rock and a hard place”, “a new trend caused by poor maternity care” or women being “left with no other option”. And whilst the maternity system absolutely has had a part to play in leading women to this path, birthing unassisted is not “the lesser of two evils”, it is a return to the biological norm. For many women it is their first, instinctual choice. Why? Because it makes perfect sense.

Are a team of doulas better than one?

When you book a holding space session with us you will get one hour with two doulas. When you enter into a longer support plan with us, whether that is a with woman plan or a birth support plan, you will get a circle of three doulas at your disposal. You might be wondering what […]

Mothers Day

This isn’t the post I sat down to write about mothers day. I was looking for that post that will inevitably do the rounds, about how it’s about everyone, including women who have chosen not to be mothers. It irks me every year, as does every single like and share of it. Mothers day is […]

We love supporting vegan mothers

If you are a vegan then you’re probably already very aware of how people perceive the vegan diet as somehow lacking. Add pregnancy into the mix and everyone is suddenly very concerned about your nutrition and will no doubt give you lots of unsolicited bullshit.

Induction: Are women really free to choose?

When is induction an informed choice? If girls were brought up surrounded by women who gave birth undisturbed and breastfed openly, would they ever doubt their body’s ability to give birth? If a woman was taught to trust her intuition, to listen to her body and trust in the birth process, would she ever feel […]