The Skeptical OB

Why are those who battle pseudoscience called skeptics? It’s not because they are skeptical in the colloquial sense. Rather, the term refers to the philosophy of skepticism. According to Wikipedia: Philosophical skepticism is an overall approach that requires all information to be well supported by evidence… In philosophy, skepticism refers more specifically to any one […]

Ever notice how often the word “healing” is bandied about in homebirth circles? Type the words “healing homebirth” into Google and you get more than 750,000 links almost all of which describe the “trauma” of a “failed” attempt at vaginal birth, or the need for a C-section or a failed previous homebirth. I have a […]

I’ve written extensively about the misguided attempts of breastfeeding activists (lactivists) to promote breastfeeding. The dirty little secret about the latest efforts to promote breastfeeding (prohibiting formula gift bags, denying bottle feeding WIC mothers the same benefits as breastfeeding mothers, hiding formula in hospitals) is that they are purposely punitive, vindictive and serve only to […]

Henci Goer has staked her career on a simple premise: scientific evidence supports natural childbirth. In her book, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Childbirth, Goer, declares: “Obstetric practice does not reflect the research evidence because obstetricians actually base their practices on a set of predetermined beliefs. If you start from this premise, everything about obstetrics, […]

Australian midwife Hannah Dahlen continues spouting nonsense and lies. The latest example is a piece in The Conversation about waterbirth. It seems worthwhile, therefore, to reprint a post about waterbirth fatalities that first appeared in May 2010. Waterbirth has become a central component of “natural” childbirth dogma, despite the fact that for primates giving birth […]

The central role of ignorance is one of the many ironies of the homebirth movement. I’m not talking about the lack of basic knowledge of science, statistics and obstetrics, although that it is fundamental to homebirth advocacy. I’m talking about the valorization of those who refuse to obtain information about the current pregnancy. This is […]

Alternative health advocates, regardless of their specific beliefs, are all supremely confident about one thing. Whether they are vaccine rejectionists, natural childbirth advocates or aficionados of vitamins and supplements, they are absolutely sure that they are more “educated” than the rest of us. They are not “sheeple” who blindly follow whatever advice their doctor offers; […]

It’s all the rage on natural parenting websites and forums. Feeling guilty that you can’t provide enough breastmilk for your baby? Just get some from your friends on the Internet. What could be more natural than sharing human milk? According to Human Milk 4 Human Babies, a large internet milk sharing network: Breastmilk, the biologically […]

After failing to kill her last child at an unassisted homebirth, Rixa Freeze has already begun boasting about taking risks with the life of her next child. You remember Rixa. She’s a devotee of unassisted childbirth stuntbirth, the ultimate expression of the homebirth philosophy that the greater the risk you take with your baby’s life, […]

I receive many letters of support each week and I appreciate each and every one. This writer gave me permission to reprint her story of “recovery” from natural parenting ideology. Hello, Dr. Amy. I am a reader of your blog. I have been reading for 4 months now. I wanted to share a story that […]