5 Myths about Free Birthing
5 Common Myths about Free Birthing
Unassisted birthing and the common misconceptions about mothers who choose it
I have had the honor to witness several “free births” in my time as a birth photographer. Some were intentional and others “unintentional” but each one more empowering and inspirational than the next. Since I’m a passionate sharer of these empowered stories and mothers I thought it was probably time for me to talk a little more about it. I actually get asked questions about this topic a lot especially after I’ve shared an image from a free birth, mostly because it’s a term or concept many are just no familiar with. Questions like;
“Does free birth mean you don’t have to pay money?” or “Why in the world would someone choose to birth alone?”
So let’s start simple and just talk about what Free birth means!
Free Birth or Unassisted (UC) ChildBirth are two terms for a completely autonomous birthing experience. Not every (or most) women choose this birthing path (in the Western world) but for those that do, it is usually a choice made out of knowledge, education, and power. To free birth means to have no medical professional present or assisting in your birthing process. Some women prefer to be completely alone free birthing while others birth with their partner’s assistance, doula, mother, etc
Now you may be thinking now, but why? what if something happens?
And that is why I wanted to talk a little more openly about a lot of the myths that get spread around about this birthing path. Depending on where you are coming from, being seen by a Midwife instead of an OB while at the Hospital could be a “why” so take a moment to try and open your heart and understand this as an empowered and educated choice that you may learn from.
Birth is a personal experience, I am a huge advocate for mothers getting to make their own choices concerning their bodies, babies and birth experience whether that looks like an Epidural, planned c-section, home birth, OR free birth.
Myth #1
Free Birthing means Uneducated
Many people assume to birth anywhere outside of the hospital is “dumb” The myth that hospitals are the safest place to give birth or “only” safe place to give birth is still apart of our culture’s birth education. We hear all the time about how before modern hospitals, women were dying of childbirth all the time without taking into account that it was because of living conditions and lack of hygiene that led to most infections and losses before hospitals and NOT because birth itself is inherently dangerous.
I think this is probably the most common misconception about birthing alone, at home or unassisted. When in reality most mothers who choose Free birth or even homebirth are because they have done the research and education to come to a thoughtful decision. Education is actually a big part of the Free birthing choice whether they are using natural or medical ways of keeping up with their body, baby or pregnancy it is most often rooted in education for the best holistic outcome for mothers and babies.
Myth #2
Unassisted Birth is usually done by Poor Women
While most of the third world does birth unassisted those that choose this path here in the States rarely are making this choice solely based on finances. Out of pocket midwives can be expensive since some insurance companies don’t cover it so I have worked with some mothers wanting to homebirth but struggling to afford a midwife but most free birthers are not focused on this point as much as they are focused on their birthing freedom, sovereignty and being in control of their birthing experience.
Myth #3
It’s illegal to free birth.
In all 50 states other than Nebraska (which has a statute concerning father’s assisting in childbirth) it is completely legal to birth unassisted. In most of the world the majority of babies are birthed at home with zero medical assistance so why should the US be any different? Now in some states (including NC) there are laws barring midwives from attending free births but nothing that makes it illegal for the mother herself.
Myth #3
Only “low risk” moms should birth at home
So this one goes for free birth and homebirth but it’s one I wanted to talk about with a little more clarity. The concept of labeling someone according to risk is not a science. That may sound nutty coming from a person without a medical degree but I really do believe that risk has a lot more to do with your personal and relative level of risk than statistics that give mothers labels just from walking in the door or history. Just because your BMI is higher, you’ve had a previous C-section or your carrying twins, it does not guarantee you to be “high risk” just how eating healthy and passing every test/scan in your pregnancy can’t guarantee you as “low risk” when the birthing time comes.
Birth is a chaotic force that we have tried to medicalize and lost a lot of the intuitional nature of.
Now again let me repeat, I am not expecting moms to change their minds about medical advice or the choice they would make or have made. I am simply saying, that risk is not so easily determined by numbers and for us to put mothers in a box of “how you must birth due to xyz risk…” is for us to also open up the desire of many moms to take back their “risk level” labels and trust their body, baby and birth.
Myth #4
You have to know everything about Emergencies in order to have an Unassisted birth
While I absolutely recommend being educated on birth and after birth before choosing to free birth, there is no way for you to get a medical degree in 9 months. Free birthing is less about medicalizing your experience by having ALL the knowledge and more about trusting your physiological birth and your body. It’s also rooted in trusting that your intuition will let you know if there is something emergent occurring. If you are interested in birthing unassisted there are many resources and books that would give you lots of education about what to expect, signs, and what to do in certain emergent situations.
Myth #5
Free birthing Women birth at home NO matter what and never seek medical help or assistance in an emergency
The truth is that most UC families go into their birth with far more education than the average birther. They seek to be in tune with their bodies, health, and baby all throughout pregnancy and know what signs to look for that could result in a complication or reason to seek medical help. Some mothers choose to use scans, ultrasounds or prenatal checkups with an OB or midwife to make sure things are running smoothly throughout their pregnancy while others do their own prenatals and check-ins with their body and baby. But the openness to calling an ambulance in an emergency or changing your minds due to a sense of something being not quite right are in no way off the table for a free birthing mother. Though the intention is to avoid hospitals and treating birth as an emergency, I know most UC families also want to do what’s best for their baby, body and birth.
Now one of the hugest problems in this country is our hospital to birthing family culture. There is still judgment and sometimes persecution that mothers go through when they DO decide or think they need medical help. A better sense of birth being a natural and physiological process would truly change the way the world saw birth in and out of the medical community. That way when emergencies did arise mothers, midwives and families would feel the freedom and trust to seek medical help rather than stay home out of fear.
I know there are many more myths about Free birth or simply families who have never heard of it and are shocked that this would be someone’s choice. I 100 % see you in your searching, curiosity, and perception.
And like I said above, my sharing is all centered around birth CHOICE more than about advocating for or against. Many families choose a hospital because they didn’t know another choice was an option, they may choose an OB because they don’t even know the definition of a midwife. And most of all, a lot of FEAR surrounds birth in our culture, and taking back that power, choice, and trust is something I will advocate for till my last day!