Unassisted childbirth (UC) refers to the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant. It is also known as freebirth, DIY (do-it-yourself) birth, unhindered birth, unassisted home birth, and couples birth.
Unassisted childbirth is by definition a planned process, and is thus distinct from unassisted birth due to reasons of emergency, lack of access to a skilled birth attendant, or other. It is also different from homebirth: while most UCs do happen within the home, planned homebirth usually includes the presence of a midwife or other birth attendant.
Read more about Unassisted Childbirth: History, Common Reasons and Motivations, Types, Birth Preparation and Prenatal Care, Prevalence, Risks, Controversy
Famous quotes containing the words unassisted and/or childbirth:
“The prayers I make will then be sweet indeed,
If thou the spirit give by which I pray;
My unassisted heart is barren clay,
Which of its native self can nothing feed;”
—Michelangelo Buonarroti (1474–1564)
“The frequency of personal questions grows in direct proportion to your increasing girth. . . . No one would ask a man such a personally invasive question as “Is your wife having natural childbirth or is she planning to be knocked out?” But someone might ask that of you. No matter how much you wish for privacy, your pregnancy is a public event to which everyone feels invited.”
—Jean Marzollo (20th century)