Home Birth Links

Sage Femme

"Birth is a rite of passage in every culture that conveys the core values of that culture. It enacts and displays them," - Dr. Robbie Davis-Floyd, medical anthropologist. Cultures that "super value" technology, use a lot of technology at birth. Cultures that "super value" nature and human experience tend to be "low tech and high touch."

Which is best for mother, baby and ultimately society?

What are the regions where birth is safest?

Iceland and Sweden are the only countries that rank in the top five safest countries for both mothers and babies. The US (pop. 301,782,493) ranks 43 for infant safety at birth and 31 for maternal safety at birth.

In the 2006 Global Gender Gap Rankings from the World Economic Forum, Sweden and Iceland again ranked in the top five for countries with low gender inequity in economics, in educational attainment, in political empowerment and in health and survival. Sweden is the highest ranked ¿ ¿the best place to be a woman¿ followed by Norway, Finland and then Iceland.

The US ranked 22 on the Gender Gap list.

The following statistics compare healthcare costs per capita in Sweden, Iceland and the United States:

The rate of cesarean sections:

Sage Femme believes that technology needs to be valued but not 'super valued' to the extent that the juice of human experience is lost. We think that low tech and high touch (love!) is better for mothers and babies at birth. It is less expensive too. Sweden, the country with the highest world ranking for gender equality, has the second highest ranking for safe birthing practices. At the same time, Sweden has relatively low per capita health care costs - nearly half that of the United States which trails Sweden in infant mortality by 41 points.

Sage Femme believes that the benefits of low tech and high touch at birth translate into:

• Lower infant mortality
• Lower maternal mortality
• Lower childbirth cost

• pregnantbellymask.org


• eatright.org/ada/files/Pregnancy.pdf


• michiganmidwives.org


• mothersnaturally.org


• BMJ Article Outcomes of planned home births with Certified Professional Midwives: large prospective study in  North America, published in the British Medical Journal, followed 5,418 women in the United States expecting to deliver at home in 2000 with the aid of midwives certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Thousands of women who chose home birth using midwives had lower rates of medical interventions such as epidural pain relief, forceps delivery and cesarean section than similar women who give birth in hospitals. The study also showed babies born at home with the assistance of these midwives had no higher risk of death during delivery and after birth than low-risk, hospital-born babies. 


• http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-23442_25488_32104-113869--,00.html


• NO CIRC of Michigan www.nocirc.org


• Michigan opposing Mandatory Vaccines http://www.salineguide.com/momN


• Citizens for Midwifery - Don't forget to order the "Midwives Model of Care Brochure"


• North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) for information on the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)


• Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)


• American College of Nurse Midwives


• La Leche' League


• http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/


• STUDY EXAMINES RISKS & BENEFITS OF NON-EMERGENCY CESAREAN
   A new study published in the British Medical Journal finds that  women who gave birth by a non-emergency cesarean were twice as likely to face maternal morbidity as those who delivered vaginally.  Women who received non-emergency cesareans were also three to five times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy and develop a 
  postpartum infection, compared to women who gave birth vaginally. And babies delivered by non-emergency c-section were twice as likely to remain in neonatal intensive care (NICU) for at least seven days. The one protective effect of cesareans they did find: Breech babies delivered by c-section had lower risk of fetal death 
  and their mothers had reduced vaginal complications. In evaluating the data from over 97,000 births, the research team recommends cesarean section for high-risk deliveries only. For the abstract, go to http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/bmj.39363.706956.55v1?
  
  


• http://www.birthecology.org/   The Birth Ecology Project advocates for gentle birth and parenting practices that are conscientious of the mother-baby relationship and ecological balance. We promote healing the state of birth on our planet through midwifery, doula care, natural birth, conscious parenting, sustainable living, and tolerance for all kinds of families. Birth Ecology integrates the science of evidence-based maternity care and the traditions of women's wisdom and intuition, emphasizing prevention, education, and nutrition.mothersnaturally.org

Homebirth Information:

The Homebirth Choice

Is Homebirth For You?

Is homebirth safe?

Questions to ask when interviewing midwives

Research Pages:

Midwives Archives

Calculate your due date

Spinning Babies - improve fetal positioning for easier birthing

Pregnancy information (websites, handouts, forms and articles)

What foods and drugs are ok during pregnancy?

Birth With Love