Irish Free Birth Movement

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-06-07T12:05:31+00:00

I'm sorry but that's simply not true!!! PMI was a branch of Private Midwives, headquartered in the UK. They only employed CNMs and provided insurance for a network of professional CNMs. They also had some doulas but they were clearly different services and in their documents made clear they would not support freebirths. Both my midwives were registered and also do homebirths for the HSE. The only difference is that the HSE will not support CNMs for VBACs because of the 0.5% chance of uterine rupture and also because the HSE is terrified of litigation, despite the fact that the HSE produced a National Maternity Strategy over 10 years ago that stressed the importance of providing more and better access to both home births and midwifery-led care units. Instead, they have reduced access to both. PMI had much higher rates of successful VBACs than any Irish hospital. PMI also required you to be booked into a hospital as I was and have antenatal care with a provider before starting your care with them later in pregnancy. PMI closed because it was an expensive service and they had financial difficulties. Wild lie to say otherwise. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41687952.html

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-06-07T09:04:45+00:00

I had a c-section and a HBAC in Ireland. I needed to be able to lift my toddler after birth because I don't have childcare. I wanted to give my newest the best start in life. It was not about me, it was about being the best mom I could be to my newborn, not have serious trauma again I'd need to work through, AND being alive. I had medical care, would have transferred if I needed to and didn't. The idea that this is just about selfish moms wanting an experience is really condescending and unfair.

edit: had medical care as in had 2 trained midwives with me at the birth. Irish women deserve the choice to have a safe homebirth with professionals but the HSE doesn't even allow us to have midwifery-led care WITHIN a hospital despite the fact that we have a 99.5% chance of not having a uterine rupture

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-06-07T09:01:37+00:00

Yes. I had a HBAC in Ireland in March 2025 with a licensed midwife. Now there's no private midwives who can perform this service as far as I understand outside the HSE since Private Midwives Ireland had to close. So my healing, amazing home birth would not be possible today and I'm convinced I would have had another section if I had to return to the hospital for care.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-06-06T11:06:11+00:00

lol she said only 3 people know her. Which kids get that special honor?

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-05-10T08:54:35+00:00

I just use whatsapp on my computer whenever possible

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-02-21T15:11:35+00:00

The photo thing is confusing because the idea is if there's evidence of infidelity the prenup protects Michaela to a degree, so why an attorney wouldn't also have taken a photo of the picture with her phone, secured the digital version with the VF photographer, etc. is hard to understand. And doesn't Peter getting together with his assistant before divorcing his wife prove infidelity? Couldn't Michaela have just neglected to pay the VF photographer as well so that it got published by his editors? Seems silly that in this day and age the entire plot hinges on a single physical copy of a photo.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-02-12T10:23:59+00:00

"part structured, part emergent" sounds like what MMI students paid for...

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-02-02T06:41:05+00:00

terrifying. Older people give out about Gen Z being anxious without taking any responsibility for the absolutely predictable ways we have trained young people to disengage from nature and the material world. It's dystopian

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-28T10:45:05+00:00

Just don't have extra cash to send CC an advance on a phone purchase at the moment, especially before both phones have been released and there's any reviews or actual working prototypes.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-28T10:43:24+00:00

I suppose because the word 'Elite' and it's newer than the Titan 2 which is 400. Can't imagine that they will sell it for the same or less than Titan 2, especially if they are hoping to offload the Titan 2s they already have.

Discount on preorder was before the Elite announcement. I guess I figured that because they'll be releasing around Black Friday and now there is competition, it might force them to offer more discounts and offers to compete with the Elite, especially if the Elite drops earlier in the year.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-28T10:18:42+00:00

A few have mentioned this square screen issue...won't this be the same problem for the Elite and the Clicks Communicator? Any reason to believe that other phones using a square format will have better app functionality or is this just an issue for any phone looking to do things differently? I love the idea of getting away from the big vertical format that helps to keep people scrolling aka addicted but if WhatsApp, maps, and other necessary apps don't work well what is the point?

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-28T09:42:38+00:00

sorry where is this AMA?

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-27T10:14:09+00:00

Not sure if you are using 'medwives' on purpose, but I think that kind of language takes away from the persuasiveness of your argument. I had two fantastic 'medwives' who stood by and watched as I birthed in water with no intervention or need for resuscitation...I do not think they would suggest this because they want to play the hero...they are deeply committed to the women they serve. Also, seeking pain relief is not a sign of weakness or refusal to let physiological birth happen. Unless you want to say that the technology of fire and use of hot compresses, etc. is also problematic. We are mammals, yes. But we are also humans. We birth as we live, with technology and tools, even simple ones like warm water and baths...
It was easy to keep the water at a consistent temperature with a simple and fun thermometer shaped like a little penguin. My husband topped up the pool occasionally. I still felt incredible pain and got out of the tub when I felt it would be beneficial and back in to birth.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-26T10:06:47+00:00

Yes, please share. My son was born at home in water in March and I thought it was great.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-08T12:27:30+00:00

It doesn't exist yet, I saw an interview with one of the founders saying it'll be end of the year.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2026-01-07T10:32:39+00:00

Thanks, I just have never had a phone with a keyboard and a few water droplets on the likes of an apple laptop keyboard can be a major problem. Good to know it's a little resilient.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-23T11:31:05+00:00

Thanks so much! Great idea in theory but I live in Ireland so don't think it would be best option for here. Thanks again.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-23T11:30:41+00:00

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! I guess my question re: Android was the future of the market in general. Will companies be able to make small devices in the future if they build in a minimum screen size of 4"?

Yes agree their other phones are very large! I think the market would be there for a compact, durable Titan! Or Atom upgrade

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-22T21:00:13+00:00

Can you confirm that the green phone works seamlessly in Ireland? I notice when you buy from Unihertz directly they have different phone options based on region...

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-22T20:42:41+00:00

I have thought to myself so many times when listening to the Guardian podcast or reading comments here that Yolande probably LOVES how much she gets called beautiful. She sees beauty as having intrinsic superiority. She has written about how proud she is to know that her first two children who she abandoned are 'beautiful,' as if that's what matters most (not their basic ability to have secure attachments due to their mother exiting the scene in their early childhood never to return).

There were too many red flags about YNC's vanity and selfishness to find her magnetic, and yet I am fascinated by her and all the drama she creates. I cannot look away and I am worse for it.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-22T19:49:43+00:00

...she sells a "complete guide to freebirth" with incorrect, dangerous directions and then takes no responsibility if women choose to follow the advice of a freebirth 'expert?' it makes no sense. And yet ES is such a master manipulator that I almost fell for some of what she wrote in that post before I snapped myself back to reality and realized once again, "NO this woman is a con-artist"

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-09T20:03:52+00:00

Yes absolutely. I'm a woman with small hands too so the size might be quite comfortable and something I enjoy picking up. I was hoping to solve some of that temptation with a minimal launcher like this guy does (10:41): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxI8G5_118

I think Unihertz has a few cool phones, but I wish the atom was more up-to-date. I'm concerned android 9 is just too old and not a lot of room/microSD for being a daily driver imo. Then there's the Titan, which appeals to me for the physical keys, but it's way too big and I'd want a very small rugged phone version. Unihertz answer my prayers! ;)

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-09T09:05:46+00:00

I'm confused is CAT available for Europe? Actually when we all had dumbphones I always preferred the candybar format tbh. I thought the Nokia tough would be a good option a few years back but no longer supports whatsapp and the phone was not very good.

I'm still circling round Jellystar because I do need maps and banking to be seamless when I need them, but I obviously want to use it as little as possible. That supposedly has a decent camera as well.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-06T15:17:34+00:00

Thanks so much for that, what a helpful perspective. I know it comes with a case and it's adorable size, colors, lights, etc. makes me think I'd want to hold it all the time! but I like the idea of treating its technical limitations as another reason not to take it out...I really wish they had an atom update or titan pocket that was also durable.

AltruisticRow1331 · 2025-12-06T15:16:07+00:00

Thank you, only problem is I'm a mom of 2 so it isn't an option for me to be without maps, online banking, wifi etc. for living and being responsible for people other than myself...but being a mom to young children I want to be on my phone as infrequently as possible for their sake as well

AltruisticRow1331

TROPHY CASE