at home births?

Now, I know that my opinion is purely formed on the fact that I am the daughter of a doctor, a health care administrator AND I currently work for a hospital. However, I am also a big hippy and revel in anything that is natural, pure and eco-friendly.

But, that being said... I cannot for the LIFE of me understand at-home birthing BY YOURSELF. Yup. Not WITH a midwife/nurse practitioner. BY YOURSELF. As in, all by your lonesome, maybe plus significant other, gettin' down, hoping you know what the hell you're doing, cutting the cord yourself, praying it's not a breech birth kind of thing.

This rant was started by a gal posting on Tribe.net about how she's scared about her plans to home birth her first baby by herself. She started by stating how, as she's read and researched (not sure the hell where) about the dangers of hospital birthing and how it breeds a state of fear in women, she cannot imagine doing anything BUT birthing her own baby at home, the natural way. However, she's scared of being in an emergency situation, having the baby die, bleeding to death, etc. at home. So, she asked for opinions/guidance.

I'm holding back answering her, because I think I would sound coarse or judgmental, because I really am boggled by this whole thing. OF COURSE you're scared of all those things, because you're greatly increasing the risk of all of them by doing this yourself. Doctors, for the most part, want you to be healthy. At the very least, it's because they make money, maintain their career and receive more clients the better they are. But also at best they're an individual with YEARS of training in both clinical and scholarly settings who are much more capable of dealing with traumas and emergencies than we laymen are. Also, at a hospital you possess not only your OB/GYN and his staff of nurses, but a world of other specialists who can aid your doctor if the worst happens. Instead, you are trusting this very trying process to yourself and whatever knowledge you may have about delivering babies (which I sure don't have a lot of). This is just CUH-RAZEE!

Now, I can understand at-home births WITH a midwife and/or doula. Then you have someone with experience to help you and guide you through your birthing process. But to go it alone?


I am planning on having my child at my hospital because I really trust the doctors, nurses and staff here. I may even have a doula, if I can save up for it. It would be NICE... but I dunno if I can swing the $750 total. I couldn't personally see myself going it alone.

Yes, every woman is master of her own body. And this girl has the right to do what she wishes... BUT to go it alone? Put herself in a really risky position? That just seems foolish to me.