Freebirth, or birth outside the system, is returning to our communities. With the increased pressures and costs and reduced accessibility of privately practicing midwives in Australia, more and more people are deciding to take full responsibility for their body and birth. This is where birth outside the system, freebirth, unassisted birth, or whatever it needs to be labelled, works well for many. Natalie and I connected after her interview for the 7.30 report aired on the ABC in Australia in late 2017. The 7.30 report included an interview with Hannah Dahlen who spoke about changes to the insurance for privately practicing midwives in Australia. Both of these interviews spoke about the increasing risk for women, however, when Natalie and I spoke, I wanted to hear her full journey – HERstory. Listen in for a story from a young woman, wanting to change her life and grow into a mother. With her voice, Natalie seeks to serve the community to find themselves and their own stories in pregnancy and birth.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:12 — 64.4MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Natalie begins her talk with the growth of her self as a person. With a history of sexual abuse, Natalie used methods of escapism for a long time before coming to the realisation that she also had a problem with alcohol. Natalie chose health, she chose the path to healing, and then she became pregnant! Her life changed.
Natalie talks about the first pregnancy and feeling into what her body was telling her; what it was like to trust and believe in her body. Natalie talks about her journey within the system during her pregnancy. She had an obstetrician that pulled the ‘your baby will die’ card on her when he wanted to do a stretch and sweep. This process triggered Natalie, feeding in to her history of sexual abuse. We talk through her awareness at this time and how it upset the pregnancy and her emotional state heading into labour; she felt fearful, alone and deserted.
Into the birth, she found some amazing midwives that trusted in her birth process, trusted in her breathing and most importantly, stuck by her. She also describes that the midwives kept the space clear of men, a very importance factor in this birth given her history of sexual assault.
After 23 hours, birth happened after a release from the bowel. Natalie describes this as a big release. Babe was born and handed into her arms and Natalie transitioned to mother.
Post birth they noticed tachycardia and her boy was taken from her for a while. Natalie talks about this process; She talks about how a male paediatrician was holding her baby in the NICU and how this felt for Natalie. Natalie knew her baby was fine, yet he was taken from her and she was left with some resonating feelings, one of which was women fearful of having a voice in the old patriarchal system, fearful of having their babies taken away if they speak up.
Since this birth and leading up to her next birth 9 years later, Natalie became a Hypnobirthing practitioner. She learned so much from her clients and seeing an ‘accidental freebirth’ opened up her mind.
We talked about molar and partial molar pregnancies, a topic which I wanted to delve into a little more as I personally had an experience of a partial molar pregnancy. Natalie describes the miscarriages in between before she become pregnant with her next babe, Cyan.
For this birth, Natalie knew in her visions that she was going to birth at home and her partner would be the only other person present.
The birth was how she imagined, and if you check out the link below for the 7.30 report you can see some footage of this. After this birth story, Natalie tells of an interesting story of a placenta down the toilet and consuming her placenta there and then to alleviate a potential haemorrhage. We talk here about instinct and how this method has worked in the wise women ways.
We finish up the podcast with the 7.30 report and how this looked for Natalie post release.
Musings from Natalie
“Pregnancy gave me the thrill of what it can feel like for your body to talk to you.”
“I finally let my fear out by yelling ‘I’m afraid my vagina will tear!’”
“The woman has the fear in her, yet she also has the wisdom and the answer.”
“Our history of the way women have been treated gave me a deep sense that I had to be careful in this birth.”
“My clients have taught me more about birth than I have learned anywhere else.”
“I’m very much in the here and now; each moment is a moment of gratitude or happiness.”
“In this pregnancy I was letting myself grieve that this was the last time that I would hold a baby in my body and I learnt to let go of that.”
“If I work with my vision then that’s how my vision will be; I will not be fighting it, I will be allowing it to come through.”
“If it was instinctual and I felt driven to it, then I would do it.”
“If you speak out loudly and proudly and walk in your truth, the culture will have respect for that.”
Link to ABC 7.30 Report and Article
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/the-rise-of-freebirthing/8854118
Connect with Natalie:
Website: http://www.hunterbirtheducationcentre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hunterbirtheducationcentre/
https://mumsofthecentralcoast.com.au/birth-is-not-like-passing-a-large-hard-constipated-poo/
The Hunter Birth Education Centre is predominantly a virtual centre. We also provide specialised childbirth education courses at various locations around Newcastle.
The Hunter Birth Education Centre website offers, lists and refers services that actively improve emotional outcomes for mothers, fathers and babies.
We are:
* An information website,
* A provider of high quality, Independent Birth Education (birth courses also include key breastfeeding and parenting education),
* Managed by Natalie – a passionate womens’ health and birth activist! Please contact Natalie by email or phone, anytime you like, for compassionate and caring information to support you during your pregnancy, birth and post partum journey,
* Providing good, local referrals to any service you see described on our page,
* Independent of all hospital and all government health services.
Our website has been set up to empower you to know some great, local, health care choices.
Our hope is that you may be surprised at all the great options available in the Hunter and feel very glad you found our page.
Sadly, your medical care provider does not have time to mention all the great pregnancy and birth options available to you.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.