This is a birthing option that not many women are aware of. Like the other options of childbirth, unassisted childbirth is a choice that comes with its pros and cons and its own set of birthing philosophy.

Pros

You have a good chance at a natural, physiological birth – the kind that often goes off without a hitch, and any blips in birthing that may happen, have the chance to resolve themselves naturally first.

Freedom to drink, eat, yell, scream, laugh, cry, express emotions and feelings, wander around, bake a cake, cuddle your kids, play a game, sleep, relax, have outrageous wild sex (or quietly make love). Basically whatever the hell you feel like doing – all without disturbance or inhibitions due to visitors or strangers.

Responsibility for birth, baby and mother lies with you and your partner.

You are in a familiar environment that feels safe and secure.

You and your baby are in an environment where you have already built up resistance against germs found in your home.

Your baby can have a safe, peaceful, serene birth, and will only be exposed to familiar hands, faces and voices.

All decisions and choices are made and carried out without having to explain, justify or argue for them during a time where it is very important that you commit yourself fully to birthing and to your baby.

You can control your environment – it is your house after all and you can easily kick out any visitors that are disturbing you. You don’t need to worry about someone adversely doing something to influence the birth by their actions, no matter how well intentioned.

Cons

If there is a true emergency, there may be a delay in receiving care while you transport to hospital.

You may have difficulty getting support from family/friends if they know you’re freebirthing.

Obtaining a birth certificate can be a hassle in some states – for more information visit Purebirth Australia and read on Birth Certificates

Philosophy

The idea behind unassisted childbirth (UC) is that if the mother is left to birth without any birth authority other than herself to rely on, she will birth as she is physiologically meant to.

With no outside authority to look to and validate her actions, the mother will turn deep within herself and be open to the primal birthing knowledge that is innate in all of us women.

We may not consciously know what to do in the event of so and so complication, but our bodies and our instincts do. Put simply, UC is a leap of faith, and you don’t even have to be religious to do it.

The safest and most responsible birth is one where the mother knows that she needs no one present to birth her baby other than herself. She knows that she has all the necessary primal knowledge that will make itself available to her at the right times.

She knows this knowledge will manifest in actions, feelings and instinct, not conscious, logical thought, and it will prevent and avoid most problems. She educates herself and prepares herself for birth by confronting her fears and researching the “what if’s”, keeping in mind that all she needs is trust in birth, in her abilities and in her baby.

She is positive and confident. Birth is a joyous experience, and she will claim it for her and her baby!

Safety

http://www.purebirth-australia.com/childbirth/childbirth-safety.html
“Safety in childbirth is measured by how many mothers and babies die and how many survive childbirth in less than perfect health.  Studies done comparing hospital and out-of-hospital births indicate fewer deaths, injuries and infections for homebirths supervised by a trained attendant than for hospital births. No such studies indicate that hospitals have better outcomes than homebirths .”

Childbirth is as safe as life gets.

Beliefs Affecting Birth

http://www.purebirth-australia.com/pregnancy/belief-structures.html
“One of the most influencing factors in how your birth experience goes for you is your belief structure. Too many women do not realise this, - the thoughts they have, their accepted beliefs, and their social conditioning/conformity does affect their childbirth experience.”

Legality of Unassisted Childbirth

http://www.purebirth-australia.com/legal/is-unassisted-birth-legal.html
It is not illegal to have an unassisted homebirth. It is not illegal to have a homebirth. It is only illegal for an unlicensed midwife or someone taking on the role of a midwife to call themselves a midwife, or to practice as a midwife according to the State Nursing Act. In unassisted childbirth, there is neither midwife nor anyone taking the role of a midwife. UC is simply the mother giving birth.

http://www.purebirth-australia.com/legal/freebirth-womens-rights.html
“Under no circumstances did the law have the right to interfere with the rights and choices of a woman in relation to her body and unborn baby even where they felt those choices posed a danger to either.”

Written forJoyous Birth
Copyright 2005-2006 Lisa Schuring
Purebirth-Australia - for Unassisted Pregnancy & Childbirth in Australia