Well it finally happened, I am incensed and becoming more and more political. I am solidly taking up my role as a birth activist.

This morning upon awaking I was presented with this
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints/Story?id=4098198&page=1

Good Morning America showed their much awaited Unassisted Birth segment. I am sad to say it truly was not positive. They left out so many parts of the Mom's story, as quoted by Christina Schafer:
"They didn't mention WHY I decided to do this - being forced out of my midwifery clinic because of a new hospital policy against VBACs, no homebirthing midwives in our area, etc - nor did they mention that I had already had 2 VBACs; gotta wonder how many people are thinking I had 3 c-sections and then chose to UC"

The final recommendation by the shows Parenting expert to please have your babies at a hospital with a Nurse Midwife at your side, does not address the issue. It was just a nice way to sound alternative and PC without truly seeing that there is really no difference with that suggestion that any other hospital care scenario...

Later to find that "The View" had this topic in their Hot Topic session, and not covering it very positively. Instead focusing on Elizabeth Hasselbacks views in the positive intervention laden births that she has had. Calling these woman and their choices as irresponsible.

So here is my letter to the View asking them to please show the other side of birth:

I am a student Midwife and Birth Doula. I am very glad you have had Ricki Lake on promoting her movie "The Business of Being Born". I would like though to see you really do a comprehensive show regarding natural birthing, homebirth, unassisted birth.

Most of what ends up being heard on your show is Elizabeth screeching about her epidurals, nurses and IV's.

There is so much history showing that birth has become dangerous due to the increase in interventions that we put upon it. Don't get me wrong, we are blessed to have Dr.'s for the true emergencies that arise. The problem is most births never fall into that area. Birth is not an illness but is treated as such in our country, and most of the industrialized world.

People believe that by taking birth into the hospitals that the mortality rate decreased. But history shows it did not decrease until many years later with the advent of antibiotics, proper sterilization and handwashing techniques and better nutrition. It was not Dr.'s and hospitals. In our country we currently have one of the highest mortality rates surrounding childbirth for industrialized countries, and it is rising.

I would ask that your show look into this as a topic. Look at the Netherlands and their model of Birth care. Look at the recent medical reports from Britian surrounding the safety of homebirth.
Talk to Laura Shanley on the safety of Unassisted birth. Talk to Carla Hartley who has been selflessly training woman to become Midwives for 25 year and about Trusting Birth. Talk to Dr. Marsden Wagner the former World Health Organization leader for maternal care about Birth safety, Or Dr. Sarah J Buckley about ecstatic birth. Midwife Ina May Gaskin from "The Farm" who has been successfully delivering and training woman to deliver babies at home since the 70's...

Please, many of us out here want to see this issue treated fairly. Woman need to know there are choices about how to birth their baby that are not based on myths, fear and guilt.

Tia Rich
www.inner-serenity.org
student midwife
certified birth doula