Thursday, October 1, 2009

ARE HOME BIRTH MOTHERS 'HEDONISTS'?

From the USA, Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), together with 44 co-signing organisations, reiterated their support for informed decision-making by women in a strong statement that cites the research evidence regarding the safe choices of home birth and midwifery care.


The joint statement was released in response to a biased and sensationalized segment featured on NBC’s The Today Show. The segment, “The Perils of Midwifery” (later renamed “The Perils of Home Birth” online), which aired on Sept. 11, inaccurately implied that hospitals are the safest place for low-risk women to give birth and mischaracterized women who choose home birth as ‘hedonists,’ going so far as to suggest that these women are putting their birth experiences above the safety of their babies. Neither could be further from the truth.

For a link to the One Voice Response to Today Show (PDF), go to the CIMS site.

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