Yeah, homebirthers are definitely a bunch of crackpots, which Harvard Medical and Johns Hopkins can tell you from their 75,000 years of experience.

Oh wait, homo sapiens were being born even before Johns Hopkins and the New England Journal of Milking the Sick and Dying.

We are the only species that thinks it needs to spend $15,000 getting a baby out of a hole biologically setup to expel it when the time is right. For your next trick I suggest extracting eggs from chickens.

What a tool.

Except that women still die from childbirth in the third world...

I can't imagine why pregnancies would be difficult in areas surrounded by AIDs, Ebola, Malaria and TB. It's a medical mystery. Who delivers chimps and gorillas? Oh wait, no one. Midwives have served us for thousands of years.

I don't think anyone was arguing that homebirth isn't perfectly adequate for continuing the species. Midwives are more than capable to continue humanity onwards for another thousand years.
Of course if your goal is not only take part in the continuation of the species but to do so with the highest likely hood of both you and your baby surviving, you might think about a hospital.

Very interesting interview. I had no idea that there were two kinds of midwives-- professional ones and those in a self-regulating, self-defining group with no discernible credentials. This is very important information for wpmen who are exploring their options, and I wish it were more widely disseminated.

The part of the interview on waterbirth was also interesting, if somewhat disturbing. It would be useful for more medical professionals to talk about the difference between laboring water and giving birth in water.

One theme that seems to run across all of your articles is the uneasy relationship between the scientific method and the highly emotionally charged topic of childbirth. I find the scientific approach useful (and was particularly interested in hearing about the variables that make the Euro studies inapplicable), but I am left wondering why in this particular area of health care, some facts can dredge up such explosive responses.

Has anyone studied that? Are some areas of health care more "fact resistant" than others? Where does the emotion come from?

Amy,

I was fascinated with your podcast, on several levels. I am surprised that you are no longer practicing, that is the most fascinating part about it for me. I'm curious to know why it is that you retired after practicing for only about ten or so years?

Regardless, I have a few questions. I'm wondering what factual information you have (articles, links, etc.) regarding Pitocin; here's one I found on what I believe to be a neutral source: http://www.drugs.com/sfx/pitocin-side-effects.html

As well as side affects for mother and child regarding epidurals: http://www.maternityacupressure.com/epidural-side-effects-and-complications.html

Any thoughts or studies/websites/books that you would recommend for any fact-based research on these subjects?

I would like to touch on your accusation that Certified Practicing Midwives or Licensed Midwives aren't educated or as educated as Certified Nurse Midwives (which I am aware that CNM's would become a Nurse first, in turn with additional schooling). I think the misconception here is that midwives, as it stands, aren't standardized throughout the United States. Below is a link to Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA (a suburb of Seattle, WA).
http://www.seattlemidwifery.org/midwifery-education/two-degree-opt.html
Both degree options are Master's degrees of Science in Midwifery. "Completion of either degree option qualifies a graduate to sit for an examination to become licensed as a midwife in Washington or other states and to become nationally certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)." Please don't disrespect their practice by explaining that they rarely have more than a High School Diploma. It was very dramatic for the podcast; but grossly false.

What is your fact-based information for the "triple neonatal mortality" rate that you mention several times during the podcast?

I am disgusted by your statements regarding acupuncture and water birth. Explaining that water birth's are "a bunch of bologna" is lunacy. Mentioning that the water is "toilet water" is extremely disgusting; I certainly doubt any woman would sit in feces and urine and continue laboring. As I understand it; you disrespect every way of alternative birthing.

I'm so thankful that you are no longer practicing, Amy. It gives me hope for future generations. Epidurals fail; fyi, so please don't knock alternatives until you try them.

I do agree with your point regarding the ridiculous rate of cesarean birth. It is out of control and extremely scary.

Lastly, @ Snoreville- you are crude, truthful, and I agree with you 100% on your last paragraph regarding how much we as a society pay for birth.

-MT