AMA supporrts outlawing home births

[nevadamidwife]

This is a funny amount of fear and misinformation for a libertarian leaning group. There has never been a study that has shown better outcomes for hospital births, and in other countries, such as England, Israel, Australia, NZ, and most of SE Asia, they are moving back to non-medical settings for births, as safer and better for mom and baby. The point of having a midwife is to catch things like previa and help families get appropriate care. Midwives are also trained to (gasp) help a baby with breathing issues. There is a new documentary, The Business of Being Born, available most anywhere, but available on "watch it now" on Netflix, that might be a good introduction to some of the issues of misinformation expressed here.

This new AMA/ACOG statement is just one more in a long line of turf wars, medical industrial fascism, and the manipulation of public perception (apparently shockingly successful even with free thinkers) with absolutely no basis in evidence based research or experience.

Watch _The Business of Being Born_
Watch _Born in the USA_
Watch _Giving Birth: Challenges & Choices_
Read _The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth_
Read _Pushed_

 

[madengr]

For all of you saying that a hospital is always the safest way to go, how many of you have actually researched that? How many of you have looked up accidental maternal deaths in hospitals? Staph infections? Unnecessary c-sections? Unnecessary episiotomies? All of the "other stuff" that isn't mentioned? How much research have you done on homebirths to make such statements? I'm guessing none or very, very little?

Of course modern technology is awesome to have but it doesn't mean that every birth is in need of medical intervention. Very few are percentage wise. I'd think that the vast majority of women are perfectly capable of deciding where they want to give birth.

No one is saying it should be illegal. I was just saying from my perspective (given my wife's history so far) that I would want it done in a hospital that is prepared to handle it when things go very wrong. The reason home births are statistically safe is that high risk deliveries are not done at home. If they were then the mortality rates would probably slide back to what they were 100 years ago. After reading some articles on home birth they use shoddy statistics, such as saying surgery and specialized infant care is much less likely with home births; well sure, because they are not an option with home births. Hindsight is 20/20, so claiming some c-sections and episiotamies are unnecessary is illogical and very hard to prove. If the risks of the two are statistically less than some other complication then you do them. I don't know the risk of staph infections, but I'm sure a bedroom isn't any cleaner than a hospital. I know the stuff is rampant in schools, and people who I know who had it did not contract it at a hospital, rather in everyday routines.

I actually don't know why I am typing this since 1) I have no medical training, and 2) I am a guy. I agree the AMA should keep it's nose out of legislation since it is just another labor union.

Perinatal death associated with planned home birth in Australia: population based study

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7155/384?ck=nck

Conclusions: Australian home births carried a high death rate compared with both all Australian births and home births elsewhere. The two largest contributors to the excess mortality were underestimation of the risks associated with post-term birth, twin pregnancy and breech presentation, and a lack of response to fetal distress.

 

[pinkmandy]

No one is saying it should be illegal. I was just saying from my perspective (given my wife's history so far) that I would want it done in a hospital that is prepared to handle it when things go very wrong.

I was referring more to the statements made like comparing homebirths to smoking crack. That's just ignorance and there were quite a few similar statements in this thread. So it wasn't directed at you.

I agree that parents have to make their own decisions, what they feel is best for themselves and their unborn child. I have 3 kids, all hospital births. Like your wife, that was necessary. I had cholestasis of pregnancy and being induced was necessary because the chances of a stillbirth skyrocket the closer you get to your due date and brain bleeding is a real possibility in a newborn. It's great to have hospitals and trained obstetricians because they ARE needed. Just not as often as people seem to think.

My thoughts are that every expectant mother should research ALL of her options and that every woman will have different concerns, needs, etc. and that, to paraphrase Einstein, condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.

Nevadamidwife recommended some great stuff to check out. The Business of Being Born is excellent.

 

[LibertyOfOne]

Well, I'm ok as long as I can still inseminate a woman at home.

One day you might need to fill out a government form for that, and have a long drawn out series of blood tests.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

One day you might need to fill out a government form for that, and have a long drawn out series of blood tests.

If you truly believe in the sanctity of marriage, then you already do.

 

[DamianTV]

Cops surround the birthing bed, guns drawn, yelling "Come out with your hands up!"

I have not been able to stop laughing at that for like the last 3 days! Every time I hear a baby crying now, an image of this happening is gonna be the first thing that pops into my head! You bastard, you've warped my fragile little mind!

 

[zadrock]

Press Release

http://www.politickermd.com/hargado...gadon-supports-womans-right-choose-home-birth

Dr. Mike Hargadon Supports a Woman's Right to Choose Home Birth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dr. Mike Hargadon, candidate for Congress in District 7, questioned last month’s decision by the American Medical Association (AMA) to support proposed legislation that could outlaw planned homebirths. “Is this about safety or better birth outcomes? No, it’s about money and it’s about the AMA trying to protect its turf, plain and simple,” said Dr. Hargadon. “Study after study has shown that births attended by midwives outside of a hospital are just as safe, and maybe even safer, than hospital births.”

Elaborating on why the AMA would support such legislation, Dr. Hargadon continued, “Midwifery is a fast-growing industry. More families are choosing to have births attended by a midwife, rather than by an OB/GYN. It also costs significantly less to give birth outside of a hospital setting. So it comes as no surprise that the AMA would support making homebirthing illegal. They’re losing money and losing market share.”

Dr. Hargadon made it clear that he strongly opposes this attack on freedom and entrepreneurship. “Here you have a group of women who are successful and doing what they love. We need more of this in health care, not less. Midwives are giving people what they want and doing it in an affordable way. But the AMA wants to tell us it isn’t safe, and run these successful women out of business or make them subservient to AMA. It’s blatantly sexist, it’s anti-freedom, and if this legislation passes, it will increase prices.”

Dr. Hargadon expressed relief that no legislation has been drawn up yet, but was wary about what the future may hold. “My hope is that the Congress wouldn’t be so foolish as to try to legislate birth choice. But if you want to know what Congress will do, just follow the money. In this election cycle alone, the AMA Political Action Committee has donated almost $740,000 to Congressional candidates and other party committees. My opponent, Congressman Elijah Cummings, has received $5000 in donations from them in the past four years. So my fear is that the AMA has already bought this legislation.”

He ended on a personal note. “Many families, including my own, have decided that they’re unhappy with the traditional hospital birth experience and find that midwives give them a better experience for low-risk births. My first child was born in a hospital over 30 years ago, while the doctor was complaining about missing the Colts’ game and trying to induce labor. So our next three children were born in the presence of midwives. The births of those three, who were born at their own pace, were a much more beautiful life experience than a time management ‘problem.’”

Contact:
Kathryn Muratore

(443) 977-4401

 

[TheEvilDetector]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=5340949&page=1



Z

Slippery slope if this goes through.

Next thing that may be introduced are lifestyle restrictions on pregnant mothers ie. criminalisation of drinking, smoking, extreme sports and anything else deemed foetus unfriendly.

This may lead to otherwise extra travel/fines/stress by pregnant women.

"Taking adult choices away from adults, choice today, none tomorrow" - Congress of USA (C) 2008

 

[Anti Federalist]

If a majority of the people want home birth to be illegal, then illegal it shall be, and rightly so.

Parents don't own their children. If they take actions that the community deems harmful to their child, then the community can and will punish, and remove the child from their "care" if necessary.

Oh, honestly, STFU will you?

 

[Anti Federalist]

This is a funny amount of fear and misinformation for a libertarian leaning group. There has never been a study that has shown better outcomes for hospital births, and in other countries, such as England, Israel, Australia, NZ, and most of SE Asia, they are moving back to non-medical settings for births, as safer and better for mom and baby. The point of having a midwife is to catch things like previa and help families get appropriate care. Midwives are also trained to (gasp) help a baby with breathing issues. There is a new documentary, The Business of Being Born, available most anywhere, but available on "watch it now" on Netflix, that might be a good introduction to some of the issues of misinformation expressed here.

This new AMA/ACOG statement is just one more in a long line of turf wars, medical industrial fascism, and the manipulation of public perception (apparently shockingly successful even with free thinkers) with absolutely no basis in evidence based research or experience.

Watch _The Business of Being Born_
Watch _Born in the USA_
Watch _Giving Birth: Challenges & Choices_
Read _The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth_
Read _Pushed_

That's because it's not a very "libertarian leaning group".

More than a few are run of the mill "statist control freaks", who are only here because their particular ox got gored somewhere along the way and they are pissed about it.

 

[Kraig]

If a majority of the people want home birth to be illegal, then illegal it shall be, and rightly so.

Parents don't own their children. If they take actions that the community deems harmful to their child, then the community can and will punish, and remove the child from their "care" if necessary.

Go away and take your oppressive democracy with you. Parents don't "own" their children, but some mystical voting majority does? That is fucking absurd.

 

[TheEvilDetector]

Go away and take your oppressive democracy with you. Parents don't "own" their children, but some mystical voting majority does? That is fucking absurd.

2 wolves, 1 sheep are going to vote on what's for dinner.

 

[Peace&Freedom]

Home births and midwives are the maternity norms around the world, and have been for ages, 99.1+ percent of the time without problems. The arrogance of this generation decreeing this to be too dangerous a tradition to continue, is staggering. Similar to the PC decrees against natural breast feeding, developing natural immunity (no shots), homeschooling and other tradtions. About the only personal choice women are being encouraged to exercise is the one about killing their unborn.

 

[pinkmandy]

Home births and midwives are the maternity norms around the world, and have been for ages, 99.1+ percent of the time without problems. The arrogance of this generation decreeing this to be too dangerous a tradition to continue, is staggering. Similar to the PC decrees against natural breast feeding, developing natural immunity (no shots), homeschooling and other tradtions. About the only personal choice women are being encouraged to exercise is the one about killing their unborn.

Amen.

I was reading over this thread and thinking along the same lines. I can draw a few comparisons between the NEA and the AMA...

 

[tropicangela]

I don't know the risk of staph infections, but I'm sure a bedroom isn't any cleaner than a hospital.

A mother and newborn are familiar with germs in their home environment. These don't affect the mother or baby as foreign hospital germs do. Hospitals also have MRSA which cesarean mothers have contracted.