Question 1

Are you in charge of my birth?

Accepted Answer

No. You are in charge of your birth. You are the authority as you are the one having this baby.  You and you alone have the sole right to make all decisions through your pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and no one can take that away from you.

Now you might be asking, ‘then what are you in charge of?’

I’m in charge of supporting you in all the ways that you need, be it with information, a listening ear, experience in pregnancy, physiological birth and postpartum needs with a trauma-informed approach.

I’m in charge of discussing all types of pregnancy topics that you are interested in, helping you make the best decisions for yourself and your baby.

I’m responsible for trusting you to know what’s best for you  depending on your individual needs, beliefs, culture and priorities.

I’m responsible for managing my own emotions and not forcing you to take care of them by doing things in your birth that you do not want to do.

I’m responsible for bringing my birth knowledge and birth skills to the table if they are needed, while also being clear with you about what those skills consist of and what they do not.

I’m in charge of caring for you and supporting you in the ways that you request that I do, and that fall within my scope as a Traditional Birth Companion.

You can birth on your terms, without trauma and stress, in your own peaceful and safe environment.

Question 2

Are you an unlicensed midwife?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. I am not a licensed Midwife, and therefore I do not do the things that licensed Midwives do, which the technocratic system has given them permission to do such as order testing, manually check a cervix, inject medications, document healthcare information, et cetera.

Women caring for women is something we have done since time immemorial. To suggest that only people who hold a license given to them by the State that can support pregnant women is an example of the brainwashing that the medical industrial complex has perpetuated over the global population. Women have the right to engage their system or not. Women have the right to choose to birth outside of medical services should they determine that that is what is right for them, and women have the right to do this without condemnation, and without being told that they are being irresponsible and putting their babies at risk.  Birthing outside of the system is not illegal and anyone has the right to choose this.

Let’s keep in mind that -

Indiana is the 3rd worst state in the Union for adverse pregnancy outcomes

the US has a rising maternal death rate. In fact, you can go to 40+ other countries in the world and receive better care with better outcomes

the US has a rising cesarean section rate

the US is going through an induction epidemic

the US has a rising rate of trauma in healthcare, especially in maternity care

These women are not all choosing to birth outside of the system. In fact, they are birthing within it. So, if the services of the technocratic maternity system are so great, so safe, so important, then why are we seeing all of the above occurring?

Question 3

Can you order testing such as blood work or ultrasounds?

Accepted Answer

No, ordering tests is in the realm of licensed providers. I do however assist with education on what testing does and does not provide, discussing the safety of testing, as well as how to obtain whatever tests you desire yourself. Its possible!

Interpretation of ultrasounds - should you chose to get them after weighing the risks against any benefits - is to be done by a licensed provider. Bloodwork is similar, however using resources, we can look at your bloodwork together and discuss the findings, talk about nutrition, and other aspects that your bloodwork shows you.

Question 4

What if I need medical services during my pregnancy or labor?

Accepted Answer

Then by all means, go get it! If this need develops in your pregnancy, we can discuss your concerns and thoughts around this, however it is ultimately up to you. You, again, are the authority. It may be a benefit to review what one means by ‘need’ in the above question of ‘needing an OB or Midwife.’

If the medical need is during your birth, and you decide that you want to access medical services, either for yourself or your baby, I will help you and your partner/invited family to pack up and prepare to transfer. Should those services be in the immediate postpartum period, and  are emergent, we call for that help. Families and support people are educated on what this looks like during a pre-birth visit.

Question 5

What if there's an emergency?

Accepted Answer

In physiological birth, when a mother-baby dyad are ready for birth and they are uninterrupted and undisturbed by systemic protocols and “risk management”, birth unfolds as it was meant to, and there is rarely an emergency. Having participated in emergent situations, I’m not here to say they never occur. Rarely does not mean never. That is why people like me who support women in this way have learned certain skills should they ever be needed. Skills like -

how to handle too much postpartum bleeding

what to do if a mother’s perineum or other area of her vulva tears (fyi, not all tears need sutured)

resuscitation of the newborn

and more…

As my mentor says, learning these skills is simply being a helpful human being. It isn’t above or beyond the average person to learn these skills that, if needed, will help a mother and baby transition without the need to transfer or to be cared for until help arrives. For times when medical help is needed, they are easily accessed. It is the job of the medical establishment to perform the care the mother and/or baby requires without judgment or punishment.

Question 6

How can I obtain a birth certificate with a Traditional Homebirth Companion?

Accepted Answer

While I cannot sign your baby’s birth certificate, guess what? Your partner or your witnessing family member can! When filling out the birth certificate packet, it will ask you if you want a SS number, and this will either be mailed to you or you will receive notification for when it is ready to pick up at a state office.

All the instructions are in my Client Portal, as well as the instructions on how to obtain or decline the state’s mandated newborn screening blood test and hearing exams.

Question 7

Is this Freebirth?

Accepted Answer

Homebirth, unassisted birth, freebirth…

Really, it’s anything you want to call it because it’s your birth.

While homebirth can be supported by Nurse Midwives, Professional Midwives, or Birth Companions, it’s essentially speaking of the place of birth.

Unassisted birth usually means that the birth isn’t assisted by a licensed provider. It’s also in the home, so it’s a homebirth too.

Freebirth is typically a birth where the mother wants no one but her family present. Again, it occurs in the home and is obviously a homebirth as well.

What this is, is birth outside of the technocratic, medicalized birthing system. This is birth on your terms, with you in charge and me supporting you with holistic, time-honored, wise woman knowledge and skills where you can birth safely and without trauma for you or your baby.

Tamrha Richardson

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