Home Birth: DIY Labor and Delivery - Part 1

Part 1 of 2
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BTW: This video is safe for work and all ages, totally PG. Have no fear, there is nothing graphic in this video. Also weve received requests for DVD copies of this video. Please email us for details, hello@ryanishungry.com.
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We first met Katherine and Todd through LocalHarvest.org as our closest Community Supported Agriculture provider. We quickly became interested in their story as small farmers trying to make a living growing food and selling it locally. Needless to say we started documenting work on their farm the week after we signed up for their CSA share. A month into taping, Katherine said I hope this doesnt affect the story, but Im three months pregnant. As you can see, it didnt just affect the story, it helped us go deeper into it, focusing on the fact that they were planning a home birth.

Simply put, their labor and birth would be an assisted, at home process attended by Certified Professional Midwife Peggy Franklin and two assistants Aimee and Desiree, with no unnecessary interventions including pitocin, epidural, C-section, etc. CPMs and their assistants are highly trained to watch for danger signs before, during and after birth so they can swiftly assess if the mother and baby need to go to the hospital for any reason. Luckily, a large majority of healthy, low risk women giving birth naturally at home, with the assistance of midwives, have no reason to be transported to a hospital.

If you live in the United States, your choices for how, where and who can attend your birth, depending on your state of residence, may be very limited. Some states are still struggling to get certain Midwifery certifications to be legally recognized. See this state by state guide of legal status and resources on Citizens for Midwifery. Here is another chart on Midwives Alliance of North America. However, the American Medical Association claims that the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital, or a birthing center within a hospital complex. As you might imagine, not everyone agrees with that statement. Especially since the World Health Organization says a healthy Caesarean rate should be between 5-10% and no more than 15%. The average rate in The United States has, since the 1960s, creeped from below 5% to currently 30%.

While birthing centers within hospital complexes are often champions for uninterrupted labor and vaginal birth, in many places, including our rural part of Virginia, there are no birthing centers available. So the choices are limited to hospital or home. The Direct Entry Midwife credentials (midwives allowed to attend births outside a hospital like CPMs) are legally recognized in Virginia so home is openly an option, but for several states in the US, they are not.

With the recent premiere of Ricki Lake and Abby Epsteins documentary The Business of Being Born, home birth and the practice of midwifery have been gaining more attention and popularity. We highly recommend this film as well as Ina May Gaskins books Spiritual Midwifery and Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth as good starting resources for learning about home birth. Also check out Child Birth Connection, International Cesarean Awareness Network and Pushed Birth Blog.

Big thanks to Katherine and Todd for letting us document and share their most intimate life moments. Also to Bekah Havens, Aimee Fairman and Kate Dimbleby and Rupert Howe for sharing their stories.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Cesarean section
• child birth
• home birth
• midwife
• midwifery
• natural birth
• thebusinessofbeingborn
• ryanishungry
• Virginia

[Kailinsullivan]

I LOVEE the midwife student who said "when you induce labor that means your baby is not ready to be born".. You go girl.. Love it!

[halalgirl17]

this is very helpful thank you by the way i love your cat :)

[deliverynurse5873]

women still die in childbirth. have a trained person at delivery. you can refuse any intervention in a hospital. I am sick of people blaming nurses and doctors when they agree to induction and don't know what it is.

[PromisedJubilee]

Obscene. That is most definitely the word for how high the c-section rate is. Don't be fooled though, home birth is on the rise!

[janepeacemoon]

I've had a birthing center birth with midwife. I've had an unassisted birth at home with only my mother and the baby daddy there. and I have had a hospital birth that ended in a c-section.....

In the hospital they are so afraid that they do things that they see as helping to prevent problem but that which really CAUSE more issues then they help......

The best most calm easy birth that I had was unassisted she was born in 3hrs start to finish, including birth of placenta.

[DanyGirltx]

I'm thinking about doing a water birth and actually saw a few here on you tube and they had one where the lady did give birth to a baby w the cord wrap around his neck n the baby was blue but due to the mid wife vs a whole lot of dr nobody freaked out n it took them about 3mins to get the cord from around his neck and bring his color back to red!!! Also watch the business of birth that made me change my decision on going to the hospital!

[NawtyAngel911]

that cat looks like a cat we use to have we have a kitten that looks just like it. here in IOWA we have a separate womens birthing building. you have yourbaby then they wheel the bed out & pull down a bed that folds into the wall. there is a jacuzzi hot tub in the bathroom also. it can be used for birthing as well. its a very nice place. wayy better than ive ever seen id never be able to birth at home. oh &the birthing center is very cozy warm& homey.& great food!! lol congrats!

[averyproudmomma]

To those who criticize homebirth or just don't understand it. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. I have seen this in many ways. I have an 8 yr. old whom was born in the hospital that has ADHD, SPD, and autism. I also have a 4 yr. old whom was born at home whom is completely healthy. Two completely different experiences. Everything they talk about in this video is very true! I lost trust in this country for their medical, food, & drug practices. To the people: Educate yourself on these issues.

[BirthInspired]

w00t chargers!

[MizShinobi1]

duno bout any1 else but i luv the cat

[asommerlover]

cute cat!!!!