"Those who control information hold the power."

I have always wondered about intervention in births and how much is really necessary. As most of you know I choose to have my babies at home. I have several reasons for this; one, I don't like to be touched by strangers and that can't be helped in a hospital. Two, I don't want my baby taken out of my sight. After nine months of taking care of it, talking to it and growing more attached to it every day, I think I have the right to hold it for as long as I want and no one should be able to take it away from me or touch it if I don't want them to. Three, I like to do things at my own speed and in my own way (I'm afraid I am about as stubborn as they come). I could go on and on, but I will leave it at that for now. You might think I'm crazy, but when asked, I would probably say the same thing about people who have their babies in the hospital. My opinion is that hospitals are for sick people and I am not sick (nor do I want to become sick). In 1960 the US was 12th lowest in low infant death rates, as of 2004 we are 29th out of a list of only 35 other countries! (http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/04/06/health/infant_stats.html) What is going on? That is very concerning to me.

The other day I found this article -

Fish can't see water The need to humanize birth in Australia

by Marsden Wagner (MD, MSPH)
http://www.birthinternational.com/articles/wagner03.html

It is full of things I have been thinking about for a long time, but could not find very much research to back up what I believed to be true. Dr. Wagner makes the statement "Those who control information hold the power." I think this is so true. We need to do our research and not be afraid to ask questions. We are the ones hiring our doctors to work for us. If you had an employee you were already paying and they came to you and said that they had a list of things they wanted to do for you, but each one would cost you extra; wouldn't you do your research to see which things were necessary and which were not? Doctor's are only human and they don't know everything. Each body is unique and cannot be expected to fit into a mold that has been created by analyzing data. (I should stop here and say that I do appreciate doctors and I defiantly think that hospitals have there place, but I also think most interventions in birth are unnecessary and cause more problems than they help.) I am not suggesting that no woman should ever go to a hospital to have a baby, but that she do her research before she gets there and knows what she wants to have happen while she is there. I think it is important that each woman birth where she is comfortable, with people she is comfortable with.

Well, I will get off my soapbox now because I need to get to bed. Please read this article and leave me comments, I am very interested to see what others have to say about it.