I guess they never learn
One of the most educational aspects of MDC is the opportunity to watch predictable homebirth disasters unfold, to learn about the outcomes of the homebirth, and to observe the long term consequences of homebirth.In November 2007, I asked Don't they ever learn?:
Now, another woman has posted asking for support and advice regarding her decision to ignore accepted medical advice. She is almost 43 weeks pregnant, and has symptoms suggesting that the baby is severely compromised (including decreased fetal movement). Sure enough, other women are posting to support this insupportable decision. I cannot tell you how angry and frustrated I am that even as we speak a baby is probably dying and no one is doing anything about it.As predicted, the homebirth resulted in disaster (Another bad outcome on MDC), but I never would have predicted the mother congratulating herself about her role in causing the disaster:
Don't these people ever learn? They were spectacularly wrong very recently, and a baby died. They are spectacularly wrong now, and another baby might die as a result.
Unbelievable. A woman over 43 weeks was being "supported" in her decision to "trust" birth and plan for an unassisted childbirth. I have been following the story for days with growing trepidation and, not suprisingly, the outcome is bad. What is beyond amazing is that the mother claims that "... I feel good that we did everything we could to give him a good safe birth - and I think he had the best he could have got."Over the next several days, it became apparent that the baby had suffered severe anoxic brain damage. He required 2 weeks on a ventilator and went home unable to breastfeed and having difficulty bottle feeding. In the subsequent months, he has exhibited a variety of signs of permanent disability.
The level of denial at the time of the baby's birth was extraordinary, but that sometimes happens during a traumatic event. What's particularly remarkable is that the mother has maintained the same surreal level of denial. Now she is shocked, shocked that in response to her musing about her child's disabilities, he father pointed out that this was the outcome of her birth choices. Once again, she is being supported in her denial by others on MDC.
I was shocked and insulted that he was insinuating that I have created issues for my children by seeking natural births for them. [All three of her homebirths resulted in significant complications.] ... And then with DS2, I didn't go into labor until 43 weeks. The labor was quick and easy - homebirth, but he didn't breath and had to be hospitalized. I have no answers for why my births seem to come with problems, but I just don't feel that I have done my children a disservice by homebirthing them... And I don't feel that after Juju I must now have hospital births. I don't feel that things would have been better in a hospital. I think things happened in the way they needed to happen...There is no better advertisement for the dangers of homebirth than MDC. The homebirth death rate is extraordinarily high. The rate of hypoxic brain damage after homebirth is extraordinarily high. These homebirth disasters almost always occur after ignoring standard medical practice. In addition, homebirth zealots are revealed as having an almost pathological level of denial. In the face of disaster after disaster, they just keep encouraging each other to "trust birth".
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