Unassisted Childbirth – The Natural Method of Delivery
Some people think of unassisted births as emergency births, when the mother has not had time to receive assistance from medical professionals. In fact, unassisted childbirth refers to the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant.
There are many reasons why women choose to give birth unassisted such as; religion, financial or medical reasons, spiritualism or just personal preference, some women just do not want too much interference during the birthing process.
The views on unassisted childbirth vary from person to person. Some feel its is not safe, that it is selfish, whilst others feel that it should be down to the mother to decide and that they should not be criticised for this.
What is unassisted childbirth?
‘Unassisted childbirth, also called free birth, is when a woman gives birth at home with no midwife present. Often the woman's partner or another family member is present, but no medical personnel‘. (Families.com, 2009).
A woman’s body is perfectly capable of delivering a child unassisted and does this best without intervention.
Unassisted childbirth is generally chosen and planned by the parents of the unborn child and should not be mistaken for an unassisted emergency birth which is usually down to bad timing. It is also different to a planned homebirth as this usually includes the presence of a midwife or birthing partner.
It is not surprising that most medical professionals do not agree with unassisted childbirth, this is mainly because of the unpredictability of the birthing process. Things can go wrong quickly and without the presence of a midwife or doctor the results can be tragic.
One reason women feel the need to give birth in a hospital or under medical supervision is because newborns are generally seen as weak. Though some people believe that many of the problems encountered with newborns are a result of...