Choices in and freedom of childbirth must be defended as basic human rights for women which are beyond governmental regulatory control on State and national levels, including unassisted or midwife assisted home births.
There are 38 countries in the world that have better infant survival rates than the United States - in spite of the fact that the U.S. spends more per capita on medical care (with its myriad of invasive routine obstetrical interventions) than any country in the world. Studies also show that the U.S. C-section rate rose to a record 29.1% in 2004, an increase of over 40% in 8 years. Considering that 98% of births in the United States occur in hospital, these become just a few of the many profound points of consideration for the mere 2% of families who choose to exercise self-responsibility and experience normal birth, safely at home, without intervention.
Studies have clearly shown that for normal pregnancies planned home births are safer than hospital births and birth outcomes are better. The ideals of freedom of birth must be defended.
PETITION:
1. WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHERE AND WITH WHOM THEY BIRTH.
2. WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFINE FOR THEMSELVES THEIR BIRTH EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING LOCATION AND PASSAGE TECHNIQUE, AS WELL AS ATTENDANTS, AND TO CALL TO THEMSELVES ANYONE WHOM THEY DEFINE AS MIDWIFE OR BIRTH ATTENDENT OTHERWISE.
3. WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO BIRTH WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
4. WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR BIRTH EXPERIENCES WITHOUT GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL OR FEAR OF PROSECUTION.
5. WOMAN HAVE A RIGHT TO BIRTH IN THE SAME PRIVATE, SANCITY THAT THEY CONCEIVED IN IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
6. THE WORD MIDWIFE IS NOT A MEDICAL TITLE OR PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION.
7. BIRTH IS NOT A PATHOLOGY, IT IS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE FOR WOMEN AND BABIES.
8. THE BIRTH PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE UNDER THE AUTOMATIC JURISDICAION OF THE LAW IN ANY STATE.
9. IN NORMAL BIRTH, ROUTINE OBSTETRICAL INTERVENTIONS ARE AN INVASION OF PRIVACY AND PERSONAL LIBERTY.
We the undersigned do declare that birth is a basic right and liberty belonging to women; freedom of birth must be defended and governmental legal control should be abolished.
