Deliberately unassisted birth in Ireland: Understanding choice in Irish maternity services

OBoyle, Colm

doi:10.12968/bjom.2016.24.3.181

Cited by 10 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Freebirth as a subject of academic research has only begun to be studied relatively recently, and the literature pertaining to it is small. The available literature suggests that it is a decision pregnant women make for a variety of reasons, including previous traumatic births ( 6 ), a lack of support for birth choices ( 4 ) and a belief in the inherent safety of undisturbed physiological birth ( 3 ). This research suggests that a global pandemic represents a new factor in such decisions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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%

“…These include a previous traumatic birth ( 6 ), dissatisfaction with the care offered by perinatal services ( 7 ), and an inherent belief in the undisturbed physiological processes of birth ( 3 ). An inability to access care based on “logistics” and geographical distance to a maternity unit ( 9 ) and limitations on homebirths have also played a role in women's decision-making ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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“…In addition, they made backup plans like saving the contacts of midwives or doctors so they could call them if needed and preparing ways to get to the hospital if concerns arose. 10,16,33 Learning about the freebirthing experiences of other women gave them confidence and led them to believe that they were capable of freebirthing themselves. 32 3.5.2 | Empowering and positive experiences with freebirth…”

Section: Experiences Of Freebirthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…90. Colm OBoyle (2016) , “Deliberately Unassisted Birth in Ireland: Understanding Choice in Irish Maternity Services,” British Journal of Midwifery 24, no. 3: 181–7.…”

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confidence: 99%

Exploring the conceptualisation and study of freebirthing as a historical and social phenomenon: a meta-narrative review of diverse research traditions

2020

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Freebirthing is a clandestine practice whereby women intentionally give birth without healthcare professionals (HCPs) present in countries where there are medical facilities available to assist them. Women who make this decision are frequently subjected to stigma and condemnation, yet research on the phenomenon suggests that women’s motivations are often complex. The aim of this review was to explore how freebirth has been conceptualised over time in the English-language academic and grey literature. The meta-narrative methodology employed enables a phenomenon to be understood within and between differing research traditions, as well as against its social and historical context. Our research uncovered nine research traditions (nursing, autobiographical text with birthing philosophy, midwifery, activism, medicine, sociology, law and ethics, pregnancy and birth advice, and anthropology) originating from eight countries and spanning the years 1957–2018. Most of the texts were written by women, with the majority being non-empirical. Empirical studies on freebirth were usually qualitative, although there were a small number of quantitative medical and midwifery studies; these texts often focused on women’s motivations and highlighted a range of reasons as to why a woman would decide to give birth without HCPs present. Motivations frequently related to women’s previous negative maternity experiences and the type of maternity care available, for example medicalised and hospital-based. The use of the meta-narrative methodology allowed the origins of freebirth in 1950s America to be traced to present-day empirical studies of the phenomenon. This highlighted how the subject and the publication of literature relating to freebirth are embedded within their social and historical contexts. From its very inception, freebirth aligns with the medicalisation of childbirth, the position of women in society, the provision of maternity care and the way in which women experience maternity services.

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Deliberately unassisted birth in Ireland: Understanding choice in Irish maternity services

Cited by 10 publications

References 14 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

Exploring the conceptualisation and study of freebirthing as a historical and social phenomenon: a meta-narrative review of diverse research traditions

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