The following commentary was written as an answer to an article about birthing at home versus hospital birth.? They characterized home birth as being less safe.? OBGmanagement.com had the article online. I decided to put my response on my blog because it may stir up some controversy and make people think.? That is what I want more than anything. If I can help encourage people to think for themselves that is the most I can ask. I don’t care so much what they believe as long as they have formed their opinions themselves after careful thought and thorough research. So here is my? response to OBG-managment:

Doctors seem to be so frightened of birth.? Is that because most of them have never seen a home birth?? Could it be because they are only taught about the dangers of birth? None of them have a chance to see the ease and pure joy of a woman who is giving birth on her own at home.

Clearly most doctors do not know why it is that women fight to have their own style of birth at home.

And I agree that for some women this is NOT the right choice.? A large part of the recipe for success of home birth is for the woman to have confidence in birth, to TRUST BIRTH, and of course she may wish to have trained support around her in the form of midwife and doula who also trust birth. And it helps a great deal if her partner and family also support her choice.

Most OBs do not trust birth.? Or they trust that it could turn dangerous at any moment, which almost ensures that it will.

The only fair thing seems to be to let the different groups do it their own way. Do not try to force an unwilling woman to have a home birth, nor conversely a woman who wishes to be able to birth at home should be encouraged to do so. Deciding to have a home birth is not a “crunchy granola” decision. It is a thoughtful and loving thing to do for one’s child and oneself.? Birth in a hospital can never approach the beauty of a home birth, and cannot help being at times unpleasant and institutional. Give women the choice and stop trying to scare them to death with dire predictions of disaster. Much of what goes wrong with birth in a hospital has to do with the many interventions that have become common place there. I support a woman’s right to choose home birth if she wishes it. Why don’t you?