I had a ‘wild pregnancy’ without doctors – my ‘free labor’ did not go as planned
One expectant mother was adamant that she did not want doctors involved in her pregnancy, and she even planned an open birth.
Her controversial plans certainly caused a stir on social media, but the twist in her birth story, the ‘wild pregnancy’, left people stunned.
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The expectant mother shared a lengthy story on Facebook explaining why she didn’t get checked before giving birth.
She swore off doctor visits and ultrasounds, saying pregnancy and childbirth are very easy and complications are “rare.”
She even indicated that she planned to have a free birth, that is, a birth without medical professionals or midwives.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, things didn’t go exactly according to plan.
BIG PLANS
Reddit user Pink turtle182who knows the new mother, shared screenshots on the platform.
The mother said she kept her pregnancy a secret until she felt it was time to convince other expectant mothers to follow in her footsteps.
“I went through what I call a wild pregnancy, no doctor visits, no ultrasounds, I just trusted my body and my baby,” she said.
“When the time comes, I will give birth at home. There will be no one there, except my boyfriend. So I am ready to experience the beautiful and spontaneous unfolding of labor.
“We don’t know the gender yet and have no idea what our baby will look like.
“It will be so special when we finally get to see the baby that has been kicking me for so long.”
CHILDBIRTH IS AN EASY PROCESS
She said many people are “afraid” of their bodies, even though the process of giving birth is “as natural as eating or going to the toilet.”
“Many people get irritated or aggressive when they hear that I do not expose myself to the violence of the medical-industrial complex,” she fumed.
Without citing reliable sources, she claimed that complications during childbirth are rare and that not having a natural birth causes “trauma” for the baby.
She then tried to convince the message’s readers that they had been brainwashed into trusting doctors.
“Did you know that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country?” she said.
“And that we also have the highest rate of caesarean sections in the world?
She accused doctors of being “incentivised to force interventions on women giving birth” because they say they want to make money from drugs and caesarean sections.
She stressed that birth complications are “extremely rare” and compared giving birth in hospital to driving a car and taking a doctor with you in case you have an accident.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, hospitals or accredited birthing centers are the safest places to give birth.
PLOT WILDNESS
Just weeks after her rant, the mother announced on Instagram that her plan to have a home birth resulted in an emergency C-section.
She had a ‘more than traumatic’ experience when complications left her with no choice but to seek professional medical help.
“What happened to me was a good example of why I wanted to avoid the hospital and prenatal care in the first place, but I knew my situation had turned into an emergency and my choices were limited,” she said.
The mother said her daughter Luna was “safe and healthy” but her own body was in “terrible condition.”
How safe is childbirth in the US?
According to the World Health Organisationthe majority of maternal deaths in 2020 occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
However, research published by The Commonwealth Fund it turns out that the US has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
This is thought to be due to a shortage of maternity care providers, such as midwives who can provide postnatal support.
In 2018, the US had 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, while New Zealand had only 1.7 deaths that same year.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologiststhe risk of babies dying during or after a home birth is twice as high as with a hospital birth.
The risk of neonatal seizures or serious neurological dysfunction is three times greater.
“I got an internal infection, but I’m not sure if that was due to the negligence of the surgeons or the stress of everything that happened to me,” she said.
She complimented her boyfriend on the care he had provided for her and Luna and announced that she would be taking a break from social media.
“This has been the best and worst week of my entire life at the same time,” she said.
BAD EXAMPLE
Redditors were quick to share their opinions on the situation, with most arguing that the mother was endangering her baby by not consulting a doctor during her pregnancy.
“The free birthing community is f**king crazy,” one person said. “They’re so brainwashed, it’s horrible.”
“It is madness to blame the doctors who saved her and her baby’s life for the postpartum problems,” said another.
“So unaware of her own f**k up. No personal responsibility whatsoever.”
A third commenter indicated that the risk of complications could have been reduced if a midwife had been present at her home birth or if she had been involved in prenatal care.
“Going into it blindly without help is insane,” they added.
“I was a midwife and a NICU nurse. Things can go from very good to very bad so quickly with mothers or babies.
“She’s lucky to have a living baby.”
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