Then today I read this. Here's my short synopsis.
So we have this: "the largest and most rigorous study of home birth internationally to date found that among 5,000 healthy, low-risk women, babies were born just as safely at home under a midwife's care as in the hospital. And not only that, the study, like many before it, found that the women actually fared better at home ..."
In response to this, "The British OB/GYNs ... have this say: 'There is no reason why home birth should not be offered to women at low risk of complications ... it may confer considerable benefits for them and their families. There is ample evidence showing that labouring at home increases a woman's likelihood of a birth that is both satisfying and safe ..."
In contrast, "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists adopted a policy against 'home deliveries' and in support of LEGISLATION 'that helps ensure safe deliveries and healthy babies by acknowledging that the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital' or accredited birth center ... The 'father knows best' legislation they are promoting could indeed be used to criminally prosecute women who choose home birth, say, by equating it with child abuse."
Need I say more?
ETA: Josh just brought up an important question. How is it that abortion is legal but homebirth would be child abuse??
10 comments:
I always end up in bed with Jonah...every single night. At some point he wakes up and can't settle back down again and the only way he falls asleep is if mommy lays close to him and holds his hand. Obviously, I do all the common sense safety checks before we both fall asleep. I agree with you %100 on all of this..completely ridiculous. It was interesting having a baby in america and then having a baby in england. It is VERY different
While I don't want to home birth for medical reasons I have had in the past I do co-sleep and have with all my kids. This is AMERICA people should be able to choose in both instances what is best for them. Not the government. While I think it is fine for all to express their opinions, concerns, studies I also think it is important to not judge if someone makes a different decision and I cannot believe how many of our freedoms the government wants to take control of on a daily basis. IT STINKS.
Yeah and the whole abortion legal homebirth not is silly.
Just as what we are dealing with here making homeschooling illegal to protect kids from abuse....and yet there seems to constantly be articles in the paper talking about sexual abuse in the public schools. CRAZY.
I guess I should add that I would oppose laws that made homebirth and co-sleeping the ONLY way people were allowed to do things. I just think the government is getting too involved in our lives.
What is their agenda???? Why are they doing this? What is the control all about?
It's about money. Doctors and hospitals lose revenue if women choose to give birth at home. Babies are big business. And the AMA is a big Washington lobby...
*sigh* It's so disheartening that money has taken the place of wellness.
And co-sleeping? Having your baby in the same room is considered co-sleeping! It doesn't necessarily mean you're sharing a bed. Are some sort of officials going to make sure the baby has it's own separate room before they release him from the hospital?
Oy.
Oh yeah, it's the crib manufacturers that are against co-sleeping, LOL. $$$$$$$!
Hey Sarah,
I can't find anything on the co-sleeping? Where did you find that. There is some interesting discussion on that on the soccermomvote blog. Beware on the blog she is against it siting a case of a baby dying in the hospital with the mom co-sleeping but then in the comments the statistics are broken down and it is very for it. Also Dr. Sears (well respected pediatrician who had a ton of kids himself) has lots of statistics for co-sleeping on his site.
Ok, here's one: http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/jun/02/co-sleeping-puts-babies-high-risk/
Someone had told me that public health officials were considering the anti-cosleeping legislation, and it looked like NY would be first. I didn't read it. Sorry, I should be more clear. I will be more careful about this.
This reminds me a bit of the Hepatitis B vaccine given to all American babies at birth (unless you refuse it ...). Are my kids going to get Hep B as newborns? No. It's blood/body fluids transmission. But there are other babies who may be exposed to it (for example, a parent is an IV drug user), so it's just recommended for everyone.
Co-sleeping is NOT safe if you're drinking or using drugs. But there are safe ways to sleep with your baby in your bed.
I guess I wish that public health officials would teach people how to co-sleep safely, rather than just pushing "co-sleeping = sids" (especially when sids is something totally different ...)
Healthcare reform. You should run to President. Seriously, if our governmet made such legislation then I would move. Cuba anyone?
I don't think it is just about money now that I think about it. Of course money is the central factor with the lobbyists but it is also about social control. I find it quite Orwellian especially because the statistics do not support the need for legislation.
There is a whole body of literature in anthropology on the control of women's reproduction in the U.S. as opposed to European models which encourage women to be "actors" in their reproduction (i.e. for women to play a role in giving birth) ironic concept, huh?
mary
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