I’m sorry you feel I over-reacted. I saw it as an opportunity to discuss a subject that so many of us are passionate about. It was also wonderful to see how many points Kristina and I agree on but present or approach them differently. That’s why discussions such as these are helpful so that we are working together instead of against each other.

I feel you over-reacted. There are few women trained as doulas in the US who are as open, honest & as willing to work within a multi-disciplinary healthcare team as Kristina.

Thank you Kristina for your initial response. I would like to share the other comments I emailed you, plus a few more, with your readers.

I have a friend that is a doula and I have learned a lot from her. It has helped me rethink about my views on birth and how I talk about it. I have also had personal experience in seeing the miracles that modern medicine can offer. But people remember the bad experiences and negative outcomes and focus only on that.

I also see 3 types of patients. One type puts complete faith in their physician and never questions anything. The second type has no faith in their physician, questions everything and trusts no one. The third is the type a patient everyone should be. They ask questions until they understand and trust those taking care of them so that together they can make the best decisions for themselves, the patient.

Another key is, as I said before, is adequate and thorough education. I try to educate my patients so they can understand why they are in the hospital and how I can best help them. Through education, patients are better able to be an active participate in their care. I always encourage my patient’s to ask questions until they understand. The same can be said about the birthing process. By being educated and asking questions; a women can decide if a c-section or an induction is necessary or if the doctor is making the delivery fit his schedule. They can decide how risky or safe it is to deliver at home. They can decide whether they want to try relaxation techniques or an epidural. And just like every pregnancy is different, the best birthing plan is different for each woman. But for them to choose the best plan, they need to understand all their options so they can choose what will work best for them.

I don’t want to write a novel, and this subject can go on and on with both sides simply agreeing to disagree.

-In countries like Ireland… The hospital birthing wards are staffed by midwives, if you choose to have a hospital birth you will most likely be attended by a midwife. There are OB (specialists) for high risk and emergency births at the hospital if the need arises for them.

-In America, if one chooses to have a hospital birth with a midwife. If it is wanted by the mother or deemed NECESSARY midwifes order inductions, epidurals and cesareans. Midwifes and Doulas are not ANTI medical procedures we just believe that Interventions have their place and UNnecessary procedures cause more risk than benefit.

-In America, if one chooses to have a home birth with a CNM or a NMD or even a GP that does home births, these care providers are aware of the MEDICAL health of their clients. Aside from recognizing high risk pregnancies and providing quality prenatal health care before birth, during birth they regularly check heart rates and blood pressure and are highly skilled at recognizing complications that are beyond their scope of practice. In my state, home providers are required to carry with them emergency equipment and drugs such as oxygen and pitocin.

We all want the same thing - healthy, happy mothers and babies, and women who are educated on both sides so they can decide what the “right” answer is for them. I sincerely hope we can all come together to make that happen.

So - readers - play nice

You mentioned a lot of statical numbers in your blog but did not give enough details pertaining to them. How many of these women received adequate prenatal care from a midwife or a doctor throughout their entire pregnancy? How many never received any prenatal care? How many only received care when they were ready to deliver? How many women were addicted to drugs and/or alcohol prior to getting pregnant? And of those women, how many continued to abuse drugs or alcohol during their pregnancy? How many women had fertility issues? How many developed conditions such as pre-eclampia or diabetes during their pregnancy? How many of these women were tested and treated with group strept B prior to delivery? How many of these women succumbed to infection because they were not screened for group strept B? Do the studies conducted factor in all these factors or simply healthy women with great prenatal care? Do the studies conducted all have the same test subjects or do some only test healthy women and other studies factor in indigent care? You see I have many questions about the numbers you provided before I can be in awe or can agree to the limited facts provided.

I also have concerns for women who are so guilted into the so called ‘natural birth’ that they feel horrible if they even think about asking for pain medication or an epidural. I am also concerned about women with such a low pain tolerance who is unable to relax even with great coaching in relaxation technique who have a horrible birth experience because they feel they will be a bad mother if they don’t have a ‘natural birth’. Last I check, unless the baby is coming out of your head, it is a natural birth.

And before the Doula/Midwife community further condemns the medical community, I have a few thoughts from the medical community. Do you know what it is like to have a birth go perfect and then to deliver a dead baby that was saved because trained medical professionals were there? Do you know what it is like to recognize fetal distress from medical equipment, perform an emergency c-section, deliver a baby on the brink of death saved only by the fast thinking doctor and trained medical staff? Do you know what it is like to lose a mother to an amniotic embolism knowing that everyone that could have saved her life was there to do so and it was her time to be called home to God? Do you know what it is like to have a mother deliver a baby vaginally after having a previous c-section only to have her uterus rupture and have her life saved because trained medical staff were there to promptly perform a hysterectomy and replenish her with blood and fluids? Do you know what it is like deliver a preterm infant and know that the only reason that infant is alive is because of medical science?

I personally wish the there was a different stand between the medical and Doula/Midwife community. I wish that women were properly educated to the BENEFITS of BOTH MODERN MEDICINE and DOULA/MIDWIVE method of birthing. Yes there is NEGATIVE aspects to BOTH MEDICINE and DOULA/MIDWIFE methods of birth. But there are also POSITIVE aspects to BOTH MEDICINE and DOULA/MIDWIFE methods. Why does there have to be a battle? Why aren’t we unbiasedly educating women to both methods and letting them choose what will work best for them without these women feeling guilty no matter what they choose. THAT is how we empower women, through thorough education not one-sided education.