Mothers who planned freebirths that ended in a hospital transfer say they've been "gaslit" or "abandoned" by birth workers and kicked out of group chats meant to support them. The movement is facing increasing criticism for "groupthink" and "extremism".
My ex and I worked on a birth plan for our second child after her experience with our first was deeply unsatisfying. We discussed home birth but I insisted on a birthing center attached to a hospital in case something went sideways. She found an OB who listened to her, and we made clear what our birthing plan was, and that was respected by the medical staff. As it happened, the labor was smooth and relatively quick, and home birth would have been fine. I’m still glad we were at a facility where there would have been no lag between a problem arising and a doctor being able to address it.
My ex and I worked on a birth plan for our second child after her experience with our first was deeply unsatisfying. We discussed home birth but I insisted on a birthing center attached to a hospital in case something went sideways. She found an OB who listened to her, and we made clear what our birthing plan was, and that was respected by the medical staff. As it happened, the labor was smooth and relatively quick, and home birth would have been fine. I’m still glad we were at a facility where there would have been no lag between a problem arising and a doctor being able to address it.