[lilymurray]

Please read the below guidelines before posting in the Home Birthing forum.

Please read the EB forum rules here in particular the reference to providing medical advice. Please be clear that you are stating your opinion, or experience when putting forward ideas about medical procedures. Although EB aims to empower and support women with their choices, the forums are NO subsitute for the advice of a professional. If you need to locate a medical professional who will support your birthing wishes, the members of this forum can assist you.

In addition to the forum rules, please read the NEW EB Code of Conduct which can be found here.

Guidelines for the Homebirthing Forum

The Home Birth forum has been set up for members to gain support when on a journey to birthing at home, for gathering information and alternative viewpoints from those who have home birthed, or are planning to home birth.

All members of the Essential Baby community are welcome and are invited to participate. It is expected that they contribute constructive thoughts/ideas to a discussion, or ask a genuine question regarding Home Birth, or want to query the logistics of birth as is understood/experienced by home birthers and home birth midwives.

The information shared in this forum is of use to all birthing women - home birthing is a alternative model of pregnancy/birth care and although it may not be the prefered choice for everyone, the forum should be a place where all members can come and know they will feel valued and respected.

Posting with the intention of derailing a thread, with no regards or connection, to the original topic, or naturally occuring direction of a thread will not be tolerated. The moderator reserves the right to delete personal attacks as per EB main rules. The basic tenets of respect and understanding apply. Challenging knowledge, gaining understanding is healthy, so long as it is done in a manner that is expected to be reciprocated.

If you don't like a member of this forum, or don't agree with their methods/experiences of birthing or feel that their delivery of their thoughts is not acceptable, either ask them to clarify their words in the thread, contact the person directly via PM or place them on ignore. The HB forum is frequented by personalities of all types, some may clash, some may gel, all deserve respectful interactions. It is the information about home birthing that is relevant, not the personality behind the post.

Thank you to member Isis for crafting these additional guidelines.

[lilymurray]

MEDICAL ADVICE

I just thought I would pin this extra information for those of you seeking further guidance or clarification regarding the rules surrounding giving medical advice.

As per the main Forum Rules:

Advice
You must not post financial, legal, medical, health or other professional advice that may result in detriment to users. In all cases we ask you to seek medical, health and professional advice and never rely on advice given on the boards.

In addition to the main Forum rules, we also have rules specific to the Home birthing Forum. (in the post above this one)
As per the Home Birthing Guidelines,

Please be clear that you are stating your opinion, or experience when putting forward ideas about medical procedures.

It is all about wording.

Eg. The pros and cons of this procedure are said to be or are believed to be
Eg. IMO...
Eg. Allegedly...
Eg. In my experience when the doctor told me....
Eg. It is often the case that....
Eg. A lot of women find
Eg. A lot of research has show
Eg. It has been suggested
Eg. There are claims

If you avoid using blanket statements that put something across as abosolute fact then you presenting the case that there are other ideas, opinions, beliefs and reasearch etc.

I hope this clarifies things a little better

Thankyou

Lilymurray - Moderator, Homebirthing

[lilymurray]

Hi Ladies


With an increase in threads and posts sharing articles & emails lately I have prepared some information to assist member with understanding our forum rules regarding copyright and posting such information. Here is what our rules say:

Privacy and Copyright
Refrain from posting the following as you may be violating copyright laws (among others):

- Private emails

- Personal letters/mail

- Messages from other forums

- Any part of a private messages (PMs)

- Any part of an instant chat (ie. MSN)

- Articles without permission to be reproduced (ie. News stories)

- Information from other websites

Aside from copyright concerns there is often no way to verify the validity of text copied from an email, PM or chat - therefore do not ever consider these a reliable source. If you want to discuss information on another website (eg. a SMH news story) provide a link to the content.

Please ensure that when you are posting articles you only provide a snippet or section (no more than 10%) due to Copyright laws which state reproduction is for 'critiquing' purposes.

Please attribute the article via a URL, so people can research it if they wish.

Also, please refrain from copying & pasting emails you may receive into threads. It is preferred that you paraphrase the emails into your own words.


Thankyou