Apologies if this has come twice,

Hi Pam,

If I can respond to your points within the limits of the work I have uncovered so far.

1.  The general philosophy of the studies that I have looked, remark that the women aren't aiming to birth alone, rather, without a pracitioner present (although some have birthed entirely alone).  This is for a number of reasons.  Primarily, fear of medicalisation, they recognise the tensions between the philosophy of midwifery to the actual practice of midwifery.  Professional/fear of litigation limitations, lack of trust in birth physiology.  Also, interestingly, a main theme was that by having a birth attendant present, they felt that they would be hand over their control to them and a priority for the women was retain a sense of control over their birth.  And for some, having researched birth physiology, simply felt a midwife's presence was redundant.  Some feel that birth is a private event, likening it to sex, and do not wish to have an outsider present.

2.  The law is not there to prosecute members of family/friends who are present at a freebirth, it is there to protect fraudulant health care practitioners.  Beverley Beech writes about this as she has dealt with worried parents.  I can send the link or article if you would like to read it.

3.  As for working in partnership, well I feel while its a wonderful rhetoric.  Does it happen all of the time?  I feel that freebirthers are responding to the limitations of midwives.

4. Your point is an interesting one.  I'm not sure.  I don't think as a collective we are 'with woman' enough due to the constraints in the care that we can give.  If those restrictions weren't there, how many women would feel the need to freebirth.  There will always be some as for some there is this higher ideal that they want to achieve.  But for many, difficult previous birth experiences lead them to freebirth.

5. This question is something that I would like to explore further, if I can get the opportunity to do primary research itself.  But one view  from the work I have read is that the decision-making process to freebirth lends itself to a new found sense of self-reliance and autonomy of parenting.  As for the relationship they have with their babies, I suppose we can draw upon the experience of other women who have had negative birth experiences and the detrimental effect that can have on their bonding to their babies.  If we look at the physiology, the women that freebirth are having unmedicated births so hormonally they are 'primed' to bond well to their babies.

6.  I personally don't feel worried about the impact it could have on legislation, simply because we can use it as an argument to support the service provision of attended homebirth.  Certainly, Newman- President of S.Australia Maternity Coalition cites freebirthing as a reason to support homebirth in Australia  (Why planned attended homebirth should be more widely supported in Australia, ANZJOG, 2008, 48)

Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not advocating freebirthing.  Although I support the right of women's choice.  But I feel that there is much we can learn from these women and hopefully the fact that they are doing it can help support the cause in fighting to keep midwifery led services available.

Best Wishes
Claire Feeley
3rd student midwife