Oh wait, its too easy to sit back and sling mud from behind a blog, The “debate” on the “Homebirth Debate Blog” is really just a forum where women can go back and forth about how “horrible, selfish and unstable” women (who choose homebirth, or hell, even unmed vaginal birth) are.

Amy, if you want to present FACTUAL info, get educated and do so. Stop pushing your own agenda and personal issues.

Justamom, As the posts above show, the information she is using on her anti-homebirth campaign is just not true: her statements about DEM/CPM midwifery education, her statements about neonatal mortality rate, and her interpretation of statically indifferent data. All not true. Best, Jen

I just counted up on my fingers the number of women I’ve personally influenced to have a homebirth. Actually I had to use more than my fingers, as it’s well over two dozen.. and I’ve only been spreading the word for a few years. Now, multiply that word-of-mouth campaign exponentially by all the homebirthing families in the US and my goodness! Homebirth is GROWING. And this is what really gets sweet little Amy in a knot. Because no matter how tasty those checks from AMA/ACOG are, they have already seen the writing on the wall, and they are going DOWN.

KJ, “In real life,” I have personally influenced two, a third is pregnant and planning a homebirth, and a fourth is not pregnant, but is considering a homebirth. Yes, our troops are out there. And our own victories are the greatest testament to what birth can be. Best, Jen

Sairah, What country are you in? I think here it’s really a matter of economics, insurance, and the medicalization of birth. Both OBs and midwives are vying for the same clients and so they are competing. It would be ideal if homebirth midwives and OBs could work together, midwives consulting OBs on issues and having a supportive contact at a hospital when they do transfer. But then it’s a matter of insurance companies. Many insurance companies will drop coverage if they learn that their OB is attending, or consulting on, homebirths. However, there are a handful of doctors that attend homebirths and/or have birth centers in the USA, but they are very few and far between. And then you have the fundamental difference in how midwives vs. OBs practice in the States, which makes it very difficult to find an OB who “thinks like a midwife” to consult/work with. What have your birth experiences been like? Best, Jen

“Clean up your own backyard.” EXACTLY! When I was planning my HBAC, and having moments of fear and doubts, I kept wishing that I could go to the hospital, have my privacy, have my CPM midwife, have my freedom, let labor take its course, and yet have all that equipment available if the crap hit the fan. But the way that ACOG, AMA, insurance companies, OBs, and hospitals have it set up, that scenario is impossible. So right now, all birthing woman have to make the decision – home or hospital. And there are risks to both scenarios. And neither scenario is perfect, but, obviously for me, I think home is closer to perfect than hospital. Maybe someday CPMs will be able to work in hospitals in conjunction with OBs, but be the sole caretaker of individual patients, be able to call the shots, and be able to call in the OB when the situation calls for it. But I won’t hold my breath for that to happen. And, I’m very happy that I was at home. I would not have been able to have the birth I did if I had gone to the hospital. No way. Best, Jen

Unfortunately, now you are drawn into a potentially career-consuming debate about statistics and the manipulation thereof with this woman who has PLENTY of time to do such things (especially since she doesn’t practice anymore). I trust your comments will satisfy your readers and you won’t have to go into this over and over again when it is clear that you will not be changing her mind, as she won’t be changing yours or any other minds which have been opened to critical thinking.

Keep up the good work!

Dr. L

Dr. L, I agree, one can burn up so many hours of ones life going back and forth with someone who thinks different… and for what? My objective is not to convince anyone that homebirth is best or to convince someone to have a VBAC. If someone wants a hospital birth or a repeat cesarean, that is their decision and there is support all over the internet and “in real life” for those decisions. This site provides information and support for women who want to VBAC, homebirth, HBAC, have an unmedicated birth, or for people who are curious why the heck anyone would want to do any of those things. There are websites for debate, this is not one of them. Best, Jen

You will note, by the way, the Dr. Alleman has never denied the validity of my statistical analysis. She’s never addressed the point and simply tried to change the subject to her opinion and other people’s opinions.

If the best you can do is quote made up junk from other homebirth advocates, you’ve conceded my point.

Dr. Amy, The statement you originally commented on was a quote from an article written in the Journal of Perinatal Education. I’m not interested in debating you over something that someone else said. I cut and paste because I don’t want to spend my day debating you. You and I are not going to convince each other to change our views, so I find continuing this conversation with you as fruitless. Besides, anyone who can read can see that it wasn’t made up junk. Enjoy your Sunday, Jen