Amish and Health Care, Revisited
June 9, 2011 / /
Sarah wrote: I’m not sure if you’ve talked about this topic, but I’m interested in knowing how the Amish view modern medicine. I’ve seen them in modern hospitals, and I also worked in a chiropractor’s office where many of them visited. Do they have limits on what would take them to a medical facility versus seeking “natural remedies”? What about childbirth? Are they most likely to do home births, or do they deliver in hospitals?
Sarah, thank you for your questions. These are definitely questions that cannot be answered by using the phrase “the Amish,” even less than we can say “Americans” when referring to health care decisions.
To answer some of your questions, you can refer to my earlier post Amish and Health Care.
Your question about childbirth is an interesting one, and I realize this is one of those I cannot answer because I’ve been out of the community for too long. I know I was born at an Amish midwife’s house. At the time, there was an older single woman who was a midwife. She was the last of her kind in my home community, as far as I know. At the time I left, it was more common for women to have hospital births than home births, though I know some home births were not even attended by midwives. So it really varied. I don’t know what the trend is in my home community at this point, and I know nothing about the preferences in other Amish communities at that time, now, or anytime in between.
Sorry that I cannot be more specific with answers to your questions. This is about the best I can do. Thanks, though, for asking.
Sarah, thank you for your questions. These are definitely questions that cannot be answered by using the phrase “the Amish,” even less than we can say “Americans” when referring to health care decisions.
To answer some of your questions, you can refer to my earlier post Amish and Health Care.
Your question about childbirth is an interesting one, and I realize this is one of those I cannot answer because I’ve been out of the community for too long. I know I was born at an Amish midwife’s house. At the time, there was an older single woman who was a midwife. She was the last of her kind in my home community, as far as I know. At the time I left, it was more common for women to have hospital births than home births, though I know some home births were not even attended by midwives. So it really varied. I don’t know what the trend is in my home community at this point, and I know nothing about the preferences in other Amish communities at that time, now, or anytime in between.
Sorry that I cannot be more specific with answers to your questions. This is about the best I can do. Thanks, though, for asking.
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Thank you for addressing my question! 🙂 Interesting to hear that the approaches to medicine are as varied within the Amish community as they are on the outside.
I’m amazed by women who choose natural childbirth, whether Amish or not. I suppose that makes me a wimp, but I’m very thankful for that marvel of modern medicine called the epidural. 🙂