Born free

Freeze, Rixa

doi:10.17077/etd.gqjehps0

Cited by 4 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The subject is under-researched and there is a paucity of academic literature on the phenomenon. Existing studies are largely qualitative and focus on the motivations of women in Western nations such as USA ( 2 ), UK ( 3 ), Ireland ( 4 ), Canada ( 5 ), Australia ( 6 ), Norway ( 7 ), and The Netherlands ( 8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Considering “Freebirth” During Covid-19

Greenfield

Payne-Gifford

McKenzie

2021

Front. Glob. Womens Health

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Background: The global coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic concerns all people, but has a specific effect on those who are expecting a baby during this time. The advice in the UK changed rapidly, with 14 different sets of national guidance issued within 1 month. Individual NHS Trusts released various guidance relating to the withdrawal of homebirth services, the closure of birth centers, restrictions on the number of birth partners (if any) allowed during labor, and whether any visitors were allowed to attend after birth. With the landscape of maternity care changing so rapidly, research was carried out to provide real-time data to capture the lived experiences of expectant families.Methods: A mixed methods online survey was carried out over 2 weeks between 10th and 24th April 2020. The survey was open to those in the third trimester of pregnancy, those who had given birth since the beginning of the “lockdown” period in the UK, and the partners of pregnant women and people who were in these circumstances. The survey asked questions about how respondents' holistic antenatal experiences had been affected, whether their plans for birth had changed, and the effect of these changes on respondents' emotional wellbeing. Of the 1,700 responses received, 72 mentioned that they had seriously considered “freebirthing” (giving birth without a healthcare professional present).Findings: An analysis of the respondents' reasons for considering freebirth was conducted, finding that reasons for considering freebirth were complex and multifaceted. Lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer women were more likely to have considered freebirth than heterosexual people (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Considering giving birth without a healthcare professional present is unusual in the Global North and represents an emerging field of study. The literature examining the reasons that people consider freebirth shows a variety of underlying motivations. A global pandemic represents a new factor in such considerations. The findings from this research can help inform maternity service planning in future crises.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Considering “Freebirth” During Covid-19

Greenfield

Payne-Gifford

McKenzie

2021

Front. Glob. Womens Health

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“…Freebirth was a rare occurrence in HICs such as the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, and Australia. [10][11][12][13] Health care systems in HICs are established, and hospital births are often publicly funded, resulting in higher rates of hospital births. 12,[14][15][16] Less than 1% of births in the United States and the United Kingdom were freebirths.…”

Section: Differences Are Based On Geographical Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12,[14][15][16] Less than 1% of births in the United States and the United Kingdom were freebirths. 10,11 Freebirths were even rarer in Central Asia, constituting fewer than 0.5% of births. 17 Unassisted childbirth was highly prevalent in LMICs, where health care services were difficult to access and poverty was prominent.…”

Section: Differences Are Based On Geographical Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most common factor driving women's decision to freebirth was past traumatic birth experiences with health care professionals present. 10,11,[13][14][15]18,21,24,25,[27][28][29][30] In Rigg and colleagues' study 30 on freebirthing women's experiences of mainstream maternity care in Australia, 83% found the care disrespectful, whereas 70% had a traumatic experience. Almost all included studies described experiences of women being disrespected by health care personnel during previous hospital births, during which they reported being insulted, ignored, and disregarded.…”

Section: Reasons For Choosing Freebirthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…14,25 At times, certain medical procedures were carried out without consent, 15 causing the women to feel as though their autonomy had been undermined and their human rights violated. 10,15,28,31 They reported "uncomfort" 14,25 and "traumatic" 11 birthing experiences that made them never want to go to a hospital or see a doctor or midwife again. 11 They felt that freebirth would offer them a way to have their desired birth experience, free of coercive interference from health care professionals.…”

Section: Reasons For Choosing Freebirthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trends and motivations for freebirth: A scoping review

Shorey

Jarašiūnaitė‐Fedosejeva

Akik

et al. 2023

Birth

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Background Even when maternity care facilities are available, some women will choose to give birth unassisted by a professional (freebirth). This became more apparent during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), as women were increasingly concerned they would contract the virus in health care facilities. Several studies have identified the factors that influence women to seek alternative places of birth to hospitals, but research focusing specifically on freebirth is limited. Methods Eight databases were searched from their respective inception dates to April 2022 for studies related to freebirth. Data from the studies were charted and a thematic analysis was subsequently conducted. Results Four themes were identified based on findings from the 25 included studies: (1) Geographical and socio‐demographic determinants influencing freebirth, (2) Reasons for choosing freebirth, (3) Factors hindering freebirth, and (4) Preparation for and varied experiences of freebirth. Discussion More women chose to give birth unassisted in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) compared with high‐income countries (HICs). Overall, motivation for freebirth included previous negative birth experiences with health care professionals, a desire to adhere to their birth‐related beliefs, and fear of contracting the COVID‐19 virus. Included studies reported that study participants were often met with negative responses when they revealed that they were planning to freebirth. Most women in the included studies had positive freebirth experiences. Future research should explore the different motivators of freebirth present in LMICs or HICs to help inform effective policies that may improve birth experiences while maintaining safety.

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Women, Birth Practitioners, and Models of Pregnancy and Birth—Does Consensus Exist?

Gibson¹

2013

Health Care for Women International

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Women have differing beliefs about pregnancy and birth, and will be more suited to one type of practitioner versus another, depending on whether they believe that birth is a natural or a medical event. I hypothesize that if women and their practitioners have similar explanatory models, then the women may experience a better relationship with their practitioners, resulting in greater understanding of birth expectations, leading to improvements in experience and outcomes. In this article I explore how differing beliefs constitute identifiable models that can be distinguished as aligning with the midwifery model versus the medical model of birth.

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Born free

Cited by 4 publications

References 58 publications

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Considering “Freebirth” During Covid-19

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Considering “Freebirth” During Covid-19

Trends and motivations for freebirth: A scoping review

Women, Birth Practitioners, and Models of Pregnancy and Birth—Does Consensus Exist?

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