This type of birthing may seem crazy nowa-days and yet, up until 100 years ago in cities, and even later for rural areas, this was how every woman gave birth.
   For most so-called unassisted homebirths, there is usually a lot of perfectly good assistance around. There may be mothers, grandmothers, sisters, doulas, nursing or medical students, spiritual teachers. All sorts of birth-knowledgeable lay people can assist in different ways to help make a homebirth a success.

Who Is It For – and Why?
   This option is taken by a very small (but growing) minority. It is a personal choice based on self knowledge, faith in nature, and in life itself. One must be of a state of mind to accept all possible consequences. One should be of a state of body in harmony with nature’s own reproduc-tive plan – in other words, in perfect health.
   In all societies, as far as I know, it is still every woman’s inalienable right to bear her children wherever she wants to, preferably with the father or partner agreeing. If she chooses to take complete and total responsibility for a natural birth, without medical or even adult assistance, no law or person should condemn her for that. After 3 unassisted homebirths myself, I don’t see it as any big thing, but for many I know it would be, and I could not presume to prescribe it for anyone else. I may well be able to assess a woman as being a likely candidate, and suggest that she think about it, but it would be purely her own philosophy and confidence driving her to such an event. Whilst I recommend that every woman aspire more towards natural birthing, the circumstances in which she should choose to give birth are purely a matter for her own conscience.
   However, such a seemingly radical path has been successfully taken by many, in all countries, rich and poor. We in the West have the luxury of many birthing choices, but we often forget that most mothers in the world today do not have those choices, and their babies are born onto a dirt floor and into extreme poverty. Yes, many of these babies do die at birth or soon after – not because they were homebirths – but rather from poor maternal nutrition and social sanitation. We also tend to forget that women have given medically unassisted birth for millions of years. There is no convincing
 

evidence that modern medical birthing procedures have reduced neonatal death rates to “lower than they have ever been”, nor that unassisted homebirth in this day and age is archaic, primitive or dangerous.
   The last 3 of my 6 children were unassisted homebirths – that is unassisted in terms of medically or midwifery-trained attendants. At the first two, a young woman of about 21 was helping with clean towels, cooling ice blocks and a bit of massage from time to time, whilst my Shiva just watched from the side. For the third, I was basically alone for most of the labour until my Shiva caught Omtara just as she was born. At all 3 births, my spiritual teacher had occasional input, lifting my spirits by reminding me that I could do it all myself, and offering timely advice when I was stuck in my head! None of these people had any training in midwifery nor did they need to know anything more about birthing than I could tell them. In other words, I was my own midwife. Their job was basically to watch over me in case anything untoward happened and to help catch the babies as they were born – but even that is not really needed.
   As justification for such austere experiences I admit that I have become rather animalist and minimalist in approach to my own births. I appreciate that my own approach would be taken by very few. Please don’t think that unassisted homebirths, or even assisted homebirths need ever be as basic as mine. From what I have heard and read, some women just like it that simple. I do think though, that ultimately, giving birth is a solitary act – it is just a woman and her baby accompanied by nature. The way I chose to birth my girls was a conscious decision to take myself right into the most primal experience of birth, to find my own way through the process, to summon inner strength and to connect with the cosmic female energy without any intermediaries, distractions or unessential assistance.

Summary
   Unassisted homebirth (or “freebirth” ) is only for those who have complete and total faith in their mental and physical health, and for those who have complete and total faith in their own ability to birth naturally. Also, it is only for those who are willing to take complete and total responsibility for any outcome which may eventuate. If all of these things apply to you – then feel free to go for it!