Letter: Home and dry
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.I HOPE the new doubts over the safety of water births ('Swimming with the trend', 17 October) don't cause women to leap back on to the delivery-room table. The best place for a normal birth is still the place where a woman feels most comfortable. The fashion for birth pools seems to stem from a misunderstanding of what constitutes a 'natural environment'.
I have great sympathy for whales, but I have never laboured under the illusion that I am one. Neither am I a forest-dweller or cavewoman. To pretend to be any of these would be absurd, and the moment of giving birth is no time to attempt pretension.
As a 20th-century, Western human being, I judge my 'natural environment' to be my own living room: for the birth of my second child I enlisted the help of an experienced midwife, invested in a large plastic sheet, and had the baby on the living-room floor. I'd recommend it.
Caroline Hull
London SW19
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments