Letter to the NY Civil Liberties Union
Dear Donna Lieberman & Galen Sherwin,
I am writing to you as a New Yorker, a woman, and a mother. I am extremely alarmed that with the closing of St.Vincent's Hospital, homebirth is effectively being rendered illegal here in NYC. =]]\
I had my son at home under the care of a midwife with 30 years of experience. I chose this course not because I am a starry eyed hippie of some sort - but because I understand that statistics apply to me as well as everyone else. The C-section rate in NYC is 37%, with a 98% episiotomy rate. I had my son at home, and didn't even tear, much less forced to be cut for no reason at all. Meanwhile, of my three friends who were pregnant alongside me - the two who went to the hosptial both had C-sections. The one who birthed at home had an intervention free birth. All our children are healthy.
Homebirth is not only safe, it's less expensive than hospital birth. And for those of us who are having low risk pregnancies, there is no reason why our choice to birth in a safe and sane manner, should be interfered with.
Please, I beg you, please help defend the right of women to choose the way in which they bring their children into the world. Having had one homebirth, should I choose to have another child, I won't be doing it in a hospital. Please help us keep our choice ours!
N.
You can email too : : DLNYCLU@aol.com, gsherwin@nyclu.org
I am writing to you as a New Yorker, a woman, and a mother. I am extremely alarmed that with the closing of St.Vincent's Hospital, homebirth is effectively being rendered illegal here in NYC. =]]\
I had my son at home under the care of a midwife with 30 years of experience. I chose this course not because I am a starry eyed hippie of some sort - but because I understand that statistics apply to me as well as everyone else. The C-section rate in NYC is 37%, with a 98% episiotomy rate. I had my son at home, and didn't even tear, much less forced to be cut for no reason at all. Meanwhile, of my three friends who were pregnant alongside me - the two who went to the hosptial both had C-sections. The one who birthed at home had an intervention free birth. All our children are healthy.
Homebirth is not only safe, it's less expensive than hospital birth. And for those of us who are having low risk pregnancies, there is no reason why our choice to birth in a safe and sane manner, should be interfered with.
Please, I beg you, please help defend the right of women to choose the way in which they bring their children into the world. Having had one homebirth, should I choose to have another child, I won't be doing it in a hospital. Please help us keep our choice ours!
N.
You can email too : : DLNYCLU@aol.com, gsherwin@nyclu.org