Unassisted childbirth

Unassisted childbirth (UC) refers to the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical birth attendant. It may also be known as freebirth,^[1] DIY (do-it-yourself) birth,^[2] unhindered birth,^[3] and unassisted home birth.^[4] 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, although most UCs also happen within the home.

Vital Statistics Canada defines an "unassisted/unattended" birth as one that takes place without a registered medical attendant, regardless of what other birth professionals may have been in attendance (doulas, non-medical or traditional birth attendants, etc.). Many "unassisted" births involve the attendance of a non-medical birth attendant, though the definition of unassisted birth sometimes means there is only family or peers in attendance and no professional support whatsoever. Approximately 0.25% of births in the United States are unassisted.^[5]

Unassisted childbirth comes with risks. Numerous national medical societies, as well as midwives' associations, have cautioned against unassisted childbirth. Twenty percent of all previously normal pregnancies turn into complications and high-risk situations during labor, which could necessitate assistance from trained medical professionals.^[6] OB-GYNs do not recommend home births, even when attended by a medical professional, if the mother has hypertension or when a breech birth is expected.^[5] A 2010 meta-analysis of existing research concluded that planned home births had a three times higher mortality rate for babies.^[7][8]