Blog Causes an Uproar with UCers

It seems that Navelgazing Midwife is causing quite a controversy among UCers on the net. For anyone not familiar with the term UC, it stands for Unassisted Childbirth. Women who choose this route have decided to give birth without formal midwifery or medical care at the actual event. Some of them also choose to UP, which means they look after their own prenatal care (Unassisted Prenatal).

In her recent blog post, midwife Barb Herrera has the audacity to suggest that UC might not be safe. She challenges the usual statements made by UCers, forcing many of them to confront some real truths: do you really know what's going on in there? Do you have backup plans in place in case something goes wrong? Basically, she is asking the same things that a UCers family, friends, and community are already asking her.

Unfortunately, UCers have decided dismiss Navelgazing Midwife because she is an example of the "evil" medical community. Without any prior knowledge of her, women have decided that this midwife, who gives community centred care, is out to get them. They simply don't want to answer her questions, although they are valid and sincere. They haven't looked at any of her other writing, and instead attack, feeling they need to defend themselves.

I, for one, appreciate posts like Barb's because they force me to think about my own birth choices. They educate and enlighten. We all need to realize that it is valuable to have our point of view challenged, that it helps us to grow and learn. And at the end of the day, it's okay if people disagree on a subject. But ladies, when a sister on the net is trying to point out basic lack of knowledge, my suggestion is to suck it up and learn from it, not bury your head in the sand.

Cheers,